A girl looks stressed as words circle around her head.

Artwork © 2019 by Raina Telgemeier, from the book GUTS published by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

It Takes Guts

As You Read: When Raina was a kid, what advice did she get about dealing with her fear? Underline the text that tells you

Courtesy of the Scholastic News Kids Press Corps

If you like graphic novels, you probably know the name Raina Telgemeier. She’s the author and illustrator of some of the nation’s best-selling graphic novels. Her latest book is Guts, which tells about her childhood.

When Raina was a kid, she worried a lot about getting sick and throwing up. Her fear turned into panic attacks. Her parents took her to a therapist for help. Guts is the story of how she learned to tackle her fear.

Recently, Raina spoke with Scholastic Kid Reporter Amelia Poor. Here’s part of their conversation.

Do you like graphic novels? Then you probably know the name Raina Telgemeier. She’s the author and illustrator of many popular graphic novels. Her latest book is Guts. It tells about her childhood.

When Raina was a kid, she worried about getting sick and throwing up. Her fear turned into panic attacks. Her parents took her to a therapist for help. Guts is the story of how she tackled her fear.

Raina spoke with Scholastic Kid Reporter Amelia Poor. Here’s part of their conversation.

AMELIA POOR: What inspired the book Guts?

RAINA TELGEMEIER: Guts is inspired by pretty much my whole life. I’ve had anxiety since I was a kid. It’s something I’ve always lived with and never really knew how to talk to people about. I decided it was time to write a book about my anxiety and how I deal with it.

RAINA TELGEMEIER: Guts is inspired by my whole life. I’ve had anxiety since I was a kid. It’s something I’ve always lived with. I never really knew how to talk to people about it.

I decided to write a book about my anxiety and how I deal with it.

AP: In Guts, your therapist tells you to “try anyway.” How has that advice helped you in your life?

RT: A big part of my therapy was dealing with things I didn’t want to do. She would say, “Just try.” Foods that I didn’t want to eat, she would say, “Just try them. What’s the worst thing that could happen?”

The more I did those things, the better I felt. It was good for me to see that the world was not going to end.

I think it also applies to writing Guts. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it. But I figured why not try? Why not just start writing and see what happens?

RT: A big part of my therapy was dealing with things I didn’t want to do. She would say just try. Foods that I didn’t want to eat, she would say to just try them. What’s the worst thing that could happen?

The more I did those things, the better I felt. It was good for me to see that the world was not going to end.

I think it also applies to writing Guts. I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to do it. But I figured why not try? Why not just start writing and see what happens?

AP: You’ve also written other books about yourself (Smile and Sisters). Why do you write about your own life?

Artwork © 2019 by Raina Telgemeier, from the book GUTS published by Graphix

RT: When I was a kid, I read books about real people’s lives. Some were written a hundred years before I was born. But I would think, “Wow, this character is just like me.” So I know that reading a story about a character that you feel similar to helps you feel better.

RT: When I was a kid, I read books about real people’s lives. Some were written a hundred years before I was born. But I would think, wow, this character is just like me. So I know that reading a story about a character that you feel similar to helps you feel better.

AP: If you could give advice to yourself as a kid, what would it be?

RT: I’d want her to know she’s not alone, even though that’s how it felt. At least now I’m able to tell other kids that they’re not alone.

Note: The interview was edited and condensed by the editors of Scholastic News.

RT: I’d want her to know she’s not alone. At least now I’m able to tell other kids that they’re not alone.

Note: The interview was edited and condensed by the editors of Scholastic News.

1. How did anxiety affect Raina Telgemeier as a kid?

2. How did Raina’s therapist help her?

3. How does the sidebar relate to the article?

1. How did anxiety affect Raina Telgemeier as a kid?

2. How did Raina’s therapist help her?

3. How does the sidebar relate to the article?

videos (1)
Skills Sheets (3)
Skills Sheets (3)
Skills Sheets (3)
Slideshows (1)
TEACHER SUPPORT (1)
Leveled Articles (1)
Text-to-Speech