Intestinal issues for young Raina are both the effect of ongoing anxiety, and the cause of further worry as she navigates fifth grade, friendships, and a vivid, visceral fear of throwing up. The doctor proclaims her healthy, so why does her tummy keep having trouble? And why does it sometimes feel like the other girls at school belong to a secret club she knows nothing about? Eventually, she’s given a diagnosis of IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), but for Raina the diagnosis matters less than learning to manage her thoughts, feelings and fears, whatever the physical cause of symptoms that she can’t imagine telling her friends and classmates about. Through sessions with a therapist, she learns coping mechanisms for her anxiety, from deep breathing to ground herself to taking steps toward being able to talk more openly about the things that scare her, in this forthright graphic novel memoir that never loses its sense of humor. No doubt many readers will find its honest look at Raina’s anxiety as comforting as the hopeful, upbeat outcome. (Ages 8–12)

A true story from Raina Telgemeier, the #1 New York Timesbestselling, multiple Eisner Award-winning author of Smile, Sisters, Drama, and Ghosts!

Raina wakes up one night with a terrible upset stomach. Her mom has one, too, so it's probably just a bug. Raina eventually returns to school, where she's dealing with the usual highs and lows: friends, not-friends, and classmates who think the school year is just one long gross-out session. It soon becomes clear that Raina's tummy trouble isn't going away... and it coincides with her worries about food, school, and changing friendships. What's going on?Raina Telgemeier once again brings us a thoughtful, charming, and funny true story about growing up and gathering the courage to face -- and conquer -- her fears.