Little did I know when I moved to France with my family that our experience would end up being the subject of a university sociology class! But that’s exactly what happened after Professor Judy Randle read French Kids Eat Everything last year.

Judy decided to use the book in a sociology class she teaches at Santa Clara University; the students read the book, wrote a journal on their own eating habits, and reflected on how culture shapes our expectations about how, when, what, and why we eat.

As Judy wrote to me: “French Kids Eat Everything perfectly demonstrates how eating practices are not simply a matter of individual tastes, genetics, willpower, etc. but a product of social rituals and structures. So many lightbulbs go off in my students’ heads as they become aware of how they/we have been trained to eat as Americans. Their feedback indicates that reading the book is a perspective-changing and inspirational experience for them. This book is perfect for Intro Sociology courses because it touches on so many of the foundational concepts that are taught in that course, including culture, structure, socialization.”

Wow! I am truly humbled by this — it’s very exciting to think that it is useful in a university classroom. 😉

Here’s the “French Kids Eat Everything Reading Guide and Assignment” that Judy used with her class; it has some great questions that will be useful for teachers, or book clubs.

Enjoy!