How to have an allergy-safe kids party

If you’ve got food allergies or care for someone who does, dealing with the day-to-day challenges of eating safely can feel tricky at best — and at worst, grueling and isolating. So Sandra Beasley’s memoir, “Don’t Kill the Birthday Girl: Tales From an Allergic Life,” comes as a welcome relief. The author, an award-winning poet, has severe food allergies, to dairy, egg, soy, mustard and shrimp, just to name a few. Although the book is filled with scary tales of allergic reactions in far-flung locales, it’s also funny, touching and ultimately courageous. After all, how many of us can say that we place our lives in our forks each and every time we eat? The latest research shows that 8 percent of children in the United States have food allergies. . read more.