Gut Reaction

Eighth grader Tess Medina is wrestling with the death of her father three years prior. She throws herself into baking, hoping it will keep her close to him, since he taught her everything she knows. Maybe it will even score her some friends. When she’s invited to compete in the Jubilee Flour 10th Anniversary Junior Baker West Coast competition, though, Tess hesitates. Money is tight enough as it is without trying to afford practice ingredients and other preparation necessities, her grades are so poor her mother might not let her go anyway, and the last time she participated in the competition, her dad died during the event. Complicating matters more is the sharp pain in her stomach that causes Tess discomfort and prompts frequent trips to the bathroom. Bolstered by new friends, Tess starts a dog-walking job and begins preparing for the competition. But as the physical pain worsens, she struggles to continue pretending that everything is okay. Larson (the Shermy and Shake series) and debut author Wyatt depict Tess’s eventual Crohn’s disease diagnosis with empathy and insight inspired by Wyatt’s own experiences. Tess’s engaging and humorous voice tempers melancholy explorations of grief, as when Tess texts her dad’s old phone even as she hides her sadness from her family. Tess defaults to white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 8–12. Agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary. (Mar.)