- Graphic Novels
- Ages 8–12
- Contemporary
Guts
Book 3 of 3 in Smile TrilogyView the full series
Part of the Raina Telgemeier universeOpen the collection
A hugely useful graphic memoir about anxiety, stomach problems, therapy and growing up. It is one of the most accessible books for children who have worry that shows up in their body.
- Best for8–12
- FormatGraphic
- Length224 pp
- Read aloud~1 hr45 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
- Comedic
Tone
- Warm
- Funny
- Heartwarming
- Thought provoking
- Inspirational
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
Raina wakes up one night with a terrible stomach bug, but even after the illness passes, her worries do not. Food, school, friendships and the fear of being sick start to feel overwhelming, and her stomach becomes tied up with anxiety in ways she does not fully understand. With support from her family and a therapist, Raina begins to recognise what is happening and how to talk about it. Guts is autobiographical, funny and deeply reassuring without pretending that anxiety disappears quickly. Its power is in making invisible feelings visible: children can see fear, embarrassment and body sensations drawn clearly on the page. The book is especially valuable for readers who experience anxiety, emetophobia-like worries, stomach aches, panic or shame around needing help. It is honest enough to be meaningful, but warm and accessible enough to feel safe rather than clinical.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- Best fit · 8–12
- Read aloud · 8–11
- Independent · 8–12
Prose load
Light
Visual support
Very high
Reluctant-reader friendly
Very
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Reluctant readers
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: mental health, illness or disability, body image, bullying.
Bedtime suitability
3 / 5 · Workable
Sensitive-child
3 / 5 · Mostly fine
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- Anxiety support
- Graphic memoir
- Realistic graphic novel
- Therapy normalising
- Reluctant readers
Avoid if
- Sensitive to vomiting
- Does not want anxiety theme
- Wants light comedy only
Particularly good for children who are…
- Anxiety and worry
- Reluctant reader
- Low self esteem
- Struggling with reading
- Being bullied
In the classroom
How it works in school.
Raina Telgemeier's hugely popular graphic memoirs — a reluctant-reader phenomenon that also opens honest talk about anxiety, growing up and family.
A book children love that happens to support school — never a stand-in for the texts a class is taught with. Reviewed for the classroom · June 2026.
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
The specific recognition is the stomachache that turns out to be a feeling — the moment a child realises their body has been telling them something their head couldn't say yet. Raina draws panic and embarrassment so clearly that the relief of seeing it on the page is itself part of the cure.
- Friendship and belonging
- Making a difference
- Proving yourself
- Transformation
Why parents love it
The book to hand a child whose anxiety shows up in their body — the stomachaches before school, the food fears, the worry about being sick. Telgemeier makes therapy look normal and useful, without ever preaching about it. The book parents reach for when something is clearly wrong and a child can't name it yet.
- Conversation starter
- Quick to read
- Great writing
- Shared humour
In the series
Smile Trilogy.
3 books · open the series →
About the author & illustrator
Raina Telgemeier.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
Buy or borrow
Pick up a copy.
- Bookshop.org ↗
- Waterstones ↗
- Amazon UK ↗
- Hive ↗
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