Come along as 8-year-old Rhodes and his best friend Alana turn everyday challenges into an adventure! Elementary-age readers will enjoy The Adventures of Rhodes & Alana series, with three short chapters and color illustrations on every page. Parents, educators, and clinicians will appreciate the subtle lessons about friendship, responsibility, and life with a chronic condition type one diabetes (T1D).
Purchase Your Copies Now
About the Series
School Bus Secret
In book one “School Bus Secret,” missing the school bus leads to an exciting journey, and an opportunity for Rhodes to tell Alana about living with type 1 diabetes. As a result, their new friendship is formed!
Bully Blues
In book two “Bully Blues,” a fun day at the ballpark could be ruined by a Bully, unless Alana’s friendship helps Rhodes to stand up for himself. Rhodes learns about food allergies and shares the story of his diagnosis with T1D. This story discusses screening available for the early indicators of type 1 diabetes. Learn more here.
Zoo Goes Wild
Book three, “Zoo Goes Wild” was just released in May 2025! It’s a wild day at the zoo when Rhodes and Alana join the hunt for a missing monkey. It’s also Rhodes’ first school field trip without a parent, thanks to his new continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that has made his T1D easier to manage.
About the Authors
Rhodes and Alana are co-founders of TheDiabetesSupportGroup.org, an online community that provides practical advice, resources, and encouragement to diabetics and those who support them. Rhodes was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) at age 5, an autoimmune condition once known as juvenile diabetes.
A volunteer with the American Diabetes Association (ADA) since the mid-1980s, Rhodes was named to the ADA’s National Board of Directors in 2022. He is a native of New Market, Virginia. In 2022, Alana was named to the Board of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of JDRF, the largest nonprofit funder of type 1 diabetes research. Alana and Rhodes live in Richmond, Virginia with their two very adventurous children.
To contact the authors, inquire about speaking engagements, for bulk orders of 25 or more books, or author-signed copies, please complete the below contact form.
Press and Interviews
- Richmond Times-Dispatch story, “Short Pump couple author book series to help understand childhood diabetes” by Thad Green on 7/13. See a PDF of the article here.
- Richmond magazine’s Sunday Story, “Characters With a Cause,” by Laura Anders Lee on 5/21.
- Adriana Ink 3/7 on Facebook Live, with bestselling author, Adriana Trigiani. To watch our conversation, go to the second hour of her show (starting at minute 2:33:01).
- Story Time with the ADA on Facebook Live, on 4/19 International Read to Me Day. We read the first chapter of School Bus Secret (starting at minute 3:43).
- Be a Friend Friday on Facebook Live, on 4/17 with the American Diabetes Association. Watch our interview to hear more about our inspiration for writing the book and why we volunteer with the ADA!
- Virginia This Morning on CBS 6, on 1/4. Watch our interview with the amazing, Jessica Noll.
Notable Reviews
“This book engages readers of all ages, entertains, and educates about diabetes management. It appeals to a broad audience: from a young T1D reader, to a T2D grandparent reading it to a grandchild, to anyone who knows, supports, or loves a person with diabetes. The adventure grabs you. Rhodes and Alana working together to manage diabetes teaches you.”
– Charles “Chuck” Henderson, CEO of the American Diabetes Association
“This is a story that all kids need to read: an example of pure friendship, acceptance, and support. Against fear and worry of stigma, Rhodes bravely shares his type 1 diagnosis and how he manages his condition. When he describes his support technology to Alana, she shows the compassion everyone hopes to receive. Rhodes and Alana’s journey is worth sharing with both T1D and non-T1D communities, to showcase the importance of education around chronic diseases and the acceptance of our differences.”
– Dr. Aaron Kowalski, CEO of Breakthrough T1D
“This story is a winner! [Bully Blues] is relevant, timely, and relatable for so many children (and adults) who have faced bullying, food allergies, or a chronic condition like diabetes. And bravo for showcasing the importance of screening for type 1 diabetes! I want all of my patients and families to read this!”
– Dr Bryce Nelson, pediatric endocrinologist
Contact Us
