Guts

"I loved the scrappy and resourceful heroines of my youth – Ramona! Harriet! Cassie! – but they simply didn’t seem to get anxious the way I did. I would have benefited greatly from a book like Raina Telgemeier’s standout graphic novel Guts, which takes on childhood anxiety in a beautiful, well-told and gorgeously illustrated memoir. Young Raina grapples with her anxiety about vomiting after a stint with stomach flu, and her fears begin to leak into other aspects of school. The novel’s color, illustrations and text work together perfectly – and give young readers a vocabulary for what they may be feeling. For parents, it’s a perfect opportunity to talk with your kids about what color their anxiety is – and to talk about Raina’s realistic and empathetic journey with her therapist. One of the great pleasures I have had this year is observing a well-worn copy of this groundbreaking and important book make the rounds from kid to kid at pickup. (For ages 8 to 12)"