Middle Grade Monday: Guts by Raina Telgemeier

Image: Scholastic

Happy Monday TMS Readers! The Middle Grade Monday feature is very happy-making! You may recall that I received a Guts chapter sampler back in May and all us Raina Telgemeier fans reverently passed it around. Well, I received the full arc at my library conference in June and, Guts is just terrific. 

Just as Telgemeier did in her earlier memoirs, Smile and Sisters, she revisits her childhood, this time, to talk about her anxiety and her stomach aches, which are eventually diagnosed as mild Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS). With her trademark bright palette and humor, she relates how her nervousness would cause a stomach ache, which would then increase her anxiety as she worried about needing to use the bathroom. Young Raina eventually worked with a therapist who helped her manage her anxiety. 

This is probably her most personal memoir yet. It sure took guts to share her story about her guts. I'm sure that many readers young and old will relate. Guts is due out September 17th!