100 books like Guts

It’s been said by smarter people than me how writing horror for kids isn’t about scaring them, it’s about showing them how brave they are.

A Monster Calls is the perfect illustration of that. The scariness and the spookiness are a stand-in for the real-life horrors that this kid is facing. Kids deal with a lot, and this book is the perfect example of how to survive when the worst happens.

The artwork too—wow! I wish I could get some of this artwork to hang on my walls. Absolutely gorgeous book.

I loved Stanley’s self-aware and endearingly dry sense of humor as he grapples with anxiety as well as his comic-book obsession, which becomes contagious throughout the book. I loved following his journey from a middle-school kid who passes out during a school safety presentation to one who discovers his inner courage thanks to his love of comics—and some mindfulness breathing techniques woven throughout, as well.

It was refreshing to read a book featuring a boy struggling with anxiety, and I loved rooting for him as he went on a comic trivia scavenger hunt, to Comic Con, and even as he muddled his way through family and friendship hardships. I was truly sad when the story ended; along the way, he became a hero in his own right!

Another novel in verse, I loved Rajani LaRocca’s Red, White, and Whole for its emotional complexity.

Though a work of fiction, LaRocca has said that many of the aspects of the book are based on her own experience growing up as an Indian American in the 1980s. In the story, thirteen-year-old Reha straddles two worlds: expected to honor Indian traditions and expectations at home, while fitting into the life of an American teenager at school.

But when Reha’s mother is diagnosed with cancer, Reha must confront more than just her fear of blood. I love this book for the mirrors and windows it provides readers of all ages.

Written by a fellow Canadian pediatric doctor, this award-winning and heartwarming novel has one of the best opening lines I’ve read in a long time: “My name is Calvin Sinclair, I'm eleven years old and I have a confession...I killed my brother.” The story follows Calvin’s experience when his younger brother is diagnosed with leukemia, spending time both at home and in the strange new hospital world. The scenes are realistic and both painful and touching. As a pediatrician, I thought Alex did a wonderful job providing glimpses of a child’s journey through illness from both sides of the hospital walls.

Despite cerebral palsy preventing her from speaking, Melody Brooks, the main character of this novel, loves language and aptly describes the teachers who have taught her in both her special needs and general education classrooms – the good, the bad, and ugly.

But the character who really spoke to me was her educational aide. So I’m bending the rules of my list a bit to give a shout out for the aide, Catherine, who quietly advocated for respect and inclusion for all students through her example.

As a parent of a child with special needs I’m grateful for all the Catherines that come into my child’s life.

Ellie endeared herself to me as I read the ridiculous lengths to which she would go to avoid—no, sabotage—her own bat mitzvah simply to escape her extreme anxiety (and selective mutism).

But while the food fight and faking her own death were entertaining, what was most compelling was how the author pulled back the curtain not only on her Jewish faith and heritage but also on her panic attacks. As well as the coping techniques that she learned throughout the story to tame them in a way that made the little girl in me—also horrified at the thought of speaking, let alone singing, in front of a crowd—feel empowered not only to recognize my own anxiety but to also realize that I can do something about it. 

I love the premise of this heavily illustrated, diary-style chapter book: It not only teaches kids that even monsters can get anxiety—but also that they can do something about it through the author’s method of breathing and mindfulness.

I loved how thorough it was, taking time to really lead kids through the process (what he calls Stop, Take Time To Think) as she considers her fears about giving a speech in school and whether those fears will actually happen—a pretty mature technique that I wish I had known how to tackle when I was growing up! I also loved the sweet relationship she had with her grandma (Bobbe) and how her whole family rallied around her to conquer her anxiety and reframe what it means to be brave. 

I like that this book showcases what not to do when you encounter someone struggling with anxiety—as the book’s overzealous protagonist (prone to messes of all sorts!) discovers when she wants to help a classmate who’s so afraid of bugs that she won’t even play at recess.

When Veronica’s first instincts don’t work (humor, distraction, etc.), I loved that the book spotlighted a different mental-health tactic: exposure therapy or systemic desensitization, a technique that I haven’t seen other books introduce to children.

I also loved that the book specified that you can’t force someone to get over their fears; it has to be something they want for themselves. Instead, Veronica acts as an invaluable (and endearing!) support network for her friend when she decides to face her fears for herself.

This book is the first in A.L. Jackson’s Bleeding Stars series and I can’t say enough about how much I love it. Two very broken people, Sebastian Stone and Shea Bentley, kept me on the ledge, knots tight in my stomach, waiting for their story to unfold. Jackson does an amazing job at building the depths of these characters and developing the consuming, can’t-live-without, love affair. I’m a true sucker for a story that is gut-wrenchingly beautiful. Both the characters have deep secrets, but Shea shows great courage and control over her life which I admire. Quick disclaimer: Jackson leaves a major cliffhanger so be ready to read book 2!

I have read this book scores, if not hundreds, of times to my four kids when they were younger. Just like another favorite in this series, Everyone Poops, both the title and the contents remind and reassure us that we are not alone in our digestive functions of passing gas and pooping! Even though these are normal, they can cause anxiety, embarrassment, etc., but this book does a great job of making learning about digestion fun!