In this third installment in Telgemeier's graphic memoir series of her childhood years, the topic is childhood anxiety. Taking us back to her 4th grade year, young Raina begins to be plagued by intense stomach cramping she cannot explain. While Raina in the story doesn't immediately make the connection, readers can easily see trigger situations that could possibly be the culprit --- Raina's worrying thoughts over troubles at home, school, her life in general, shifts in diet / levels of hunger / interest in food.Initially, Raina writes the whole situation off as just a matter of her picking up the stomach bug that's been going around. But little by little, we see the things that are really stressing Raina's mind. She's coming up against her first major school bully. She's asked to give an important oral presentation in class. Some of her female classmates are already starting to get their periods, which freaks her out a little. Her best friend is moving, changing schools, AND becoming friends with Raina's bully! To add to the stress, living arrangements get moved around when Raina's grandmother moves in and to make room, Raina is forced to share a room with her parents. (That would've been a nightmare for me growing up! I value my personal space too much.)Over time, Raina's food intake turns minimal, she develops insomnia and a phobia of vomiting (emetophobia). When she has a bad case of gas one night, she then develops a fear of what foods might trigger another incident, further adding to her developing eating disorder.Raina's parents decide to take her to a therapist. Raina's therapist teaches her breathing techniques to manage her anxiety. She also shows her an exercise which has Raina focus on her feet when she feels like the world around her is spinning. Little by little, Raina finds healthy coping mechanisms to help quiet her mind, finding much peace in drawing comics illustrating scenes going on around her.Guts offers up a platform for discussions of important matters that are seldom tackled straight on in middle grade reading material. But these discussions do need to happen! There are kids out there most definitely struggling, unsure of where to turn to for help or how to even start the conversation about it. So, props to Telgemeier for putting the topic out there for kids who need the representation and parents brave enough to hear them out. In addition to this trilogy of books, Telgemeier also published a separate Share Your Smile hardcover journal for young readers to write out their struggles and feelings within their own lives as they work through this series.In her acknowledgements page, Telgemeier gives shout-outs to author Shannon Hale and graphic novelist Vera Brosgol (Anya's Ghost).*Note: While the artwork itself is done by author Raina Telgemeier, the coloring process in SMILE is done by Braden Lamb.