Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt on Gut Reaction

In this post, we feature a mother-daughter writing team: multi-award-winning author Kirby Larson, whose previous titles include the Newbery Honor Book Hattie Big Sky, and her daughter, debut author Quinn Wyatt. You can hear them speak about their new novel, Gut Reaction, and try their “invitation to imagine” activity. You’ll also find other resources to explore. Thanks for joining us, and let us know what you think in the comments below!

Gut Reaction

Written by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt
Published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc.
Release date: March 5, 2024

Tess Medina is still dealing with the loss of her father when she starts at a new school. One way she is still able to feel close to him is by doing what she does best: baking. He taught her everything she knows. But when tasting her creations causes a deep stabbing pain in her abdomen, she tries to power through and be strong in the same way she powers through her emotional pain. Luckily for Tess, her baking skills attract the right kind of attention, and she assembles a ragtag team of tasters to help her prepare for the Jubilee Flour Junior Baker West Coast competition. But as the competition approaches, Tess’s pain gets worse and worse. Finally, Tess is forced to confront everything she has been trying so desperately to hide. From Newbery Honor author Kirby Larson and her daughter, debut author Quinn Wyatt, comes a poignant, sometimes silly, and always moving story of coming to grips with grief, chronic illness, and finding the sweet filling inside every treat.

From Gut Reaction, written by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt.

“Minor complaints aside, I’ll be glad to start eighth grade at a new school clear across the state. Fresh starts and all that. “
Click here to view a longer preview of Gut Reaction, written by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt.

Explore Gut Reaction

Listen to Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt talking with TeachingBooks about creating Gut Reaction. You can click the player below or experien ce the recording on TeachingBooks, where you can read along as you listen, and also translate the text to another language.

Invitation to Imagine

TeachingBooks asks each author or illustrator on our Virtual Book Tour to share a writing prompt, a drawing exercise, or just an interesting question to spark curiosity and creativity. Enjoy the following activity contributed by Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt.

Imagination Activity with Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt

Gut Reaction is a mother-daughter collaboration. Quinn provided the lived experience, and Kirby provided the writing experience. Happily, it was a great team project. We’re curious: if you could write a book with anyone, who would it be and why? And what would the book be about?

Finish This Sentence . . . with Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt

As part of our Virtual Book Tour, TeachingBooks asks authors and illustrators to complete short sentence prompts. Enjoy Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt’s response.

“Our protagonist can’t live without…”

Our protagonist can’t live without a stick of butter, a cup of sugar, and Bernice, her Green Apple KitchenAid Stand Mixer. —Quinn Wyatt

“A surprising thing that helps me work is…”

A surprising thing that helps me work is my dog, Raleigh, who herds me into my office each morning.—Kirby Larson

“While working on this project, I was surprised to learn that…”

While working on this latest project, I was surprised to learn that more people, especially girls, are being diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and at younger and younger ages. —Kirby Larson

“I hope our book encourages readers to think about…”

I hope that our book may encourage readers to think about walking in someone else’s shoes and what it’s like to have a chronic illness. —Quinn Wyatt

Thank you!

To wrap up this Virtual Book Tour, we thank Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt for signing a book for all of us.

The title page of Gut Reaction signed by the authors, Kirby Larson and Quinn Wyatt.

More Connections to Kirby Larson, Quinn Wyatt, and Gut Reaction

Explore all of the titles featured in the TeachingBooks Virtual Book Tour: one link with author interviews, lesson plans, activities, and more!

All text and images are courtesy of Kirby Larson, Quinn Wyatt and Scholastic, Inc. and may not be used without expressed written consent.