Cover of Guts

Guts

by Raina Telgemeier

Guts by Raina Telgemeier is assigned in US schools at grades 4–8. It appears across 4 curriculum references and 4 states, sourced from state DOE pages and AP/IB/Common Core syllabi. Every citation below links to the primary source.

This page shows where Guts is assigned in US schools — curricula, states, grades, and the primary-source citations behind each placement. Not a summary or study guide.

Grade range
Grades 4–8
Age range
Ages 9–13
First published
2019
Genre
Graphic Memoir
ISBN-13
9780545852531
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About this book

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.

Why widely assigned

This Graphic Memoir title, typically at grades 4–8. Written in the 2010s; pairs with curriculum units on anxiety and growing up; cited across 4 curriculum frameworks.

Themes

anxiety · growing up · courage

Where this book is assigned

Similar grade-level books

See all books like Guts→ — matched on theme + reading level.

Common questions

What grade level is Guts?
Guts is most commonly assigned in US schools in grades 4–8. Specific grade placement varies by curriculum — AP Literature and IB English Literature typically use it in grades 11-12.
What curricula assign Guts?
Guts appears on reading lists for Arizona Grand Canyon Reader Award, Buckeye Children's & Teen Book Award, Volunteer State Book Award, and 1 others. Each assignment on this site links to its primary-source citation.
Is Guts banned in schools?
Guts does not appear in PEN America's Index of School Book Bans 2022-2024. No documented multi-district removals on record, but individual districts may challenge titles locally.
What themes does Guts explore?
Central themes in Guts include anxiety, growing up, courage. These themes match how the book is discussed in most curriculum guides and AP Literature prompts.

Why this book is on this list

Each dimension below is sourced from a public reference. The full framework is documented on the classification standard page.

Lexile measure
Not classified — this book has no published Lexile measure.
Grade band
Grades 4–8 — drawn from state ELA frameworks and AP/IB syllabi citing this book.
Curriculum alignment
Cited in 4 curricula on this site (see “Where assigned” above for primary-source links).
State-level evidence
Cited in 4 states ELA frameworks or DOE list (see citations above).
Removal / banning records
No tracked removal or challenge records in cited sources.
Seasonal / contextual tags
Tagged for: book-club.