2023 Winner: Middle Grades Science Book

It Takes Guts: How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (and Poop), by Dr. Jennifer Gardy. (Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich.) Greystone Kids, 2021.

Everybody eats, and everybody poops. Pretty ordinary stuff, right? But what happens in between is far from ordinary! That’s where your digestive system—also known as your gut—works its magic. It Takes Guts is an excellent, science-based resource for classroom learning and home-schooling for kids age 9 to 13, with information about:

• The surprising role that food and digestion play in your mood and immune system.

• The amazing tools your body uses to break down food including acids, which do their thing without burning a hole in your stomach!

• The incredible truth that not all bacteria is bad! Billions of “helpful bacteria” belong in your gut.