Smile

Title: Smile
Author: Raina Telgemeier
ISBN: 9780545132053
Published: Feb 2010
Characters: Raina
Award: Eisner Award for Best Publication for Tens, Goodreads Choice Award Nominee
Reader's Annotation: Middle school is bad enough but when Raina knocks out her 2 front teeth and is forced to wear braces things go from bad to worse. Will she ever smile again?
Genre: fiction, graphic novel
Reading Level: 3rd grade
Interest Level: 5th-9th grade
Plot Summary: Smile is the story of how the author lost her two front teeth when she was 12 and then had to spend years going through embarrassing and sometimes painful procedures to fix her smile. Raina was racing one of her friends when she tripped and fell and knocked out her two front teeth. Despite getting them placed back in her teeth started to die and they had to be removed. This begins a long process of fake teeth, pulled teeth, braces, retainers and being ashamed of her smile. The story also tracks Raina as she struggles with school, fitting in and her childhood friends picking on her and no longer being supportive friends. Having braces is hard enough, but Raina didn't plan on losing her friends as well. Now Raina feels like she has nothing to smile about.
Review: I was able to relate to this story due to my own years of wearing braces and feeling awkward through most of middle school. I think it also helps that the author grew up around the same time that I did, so I enjoyed the references to the Little Mermaid and other pop culture things from my childhood. But I still think that tweens can connect to this story because it touches on universal tween problems. Raina struggles with her childhood friendships as her circle of friends become more like frienemies. She has crushes on boys, feels awkward and alone. She also works through her problems and is able to find friends she relates to and by the end of the story she can even smile. It's a great story for anyone who has ever had braces or felt socially awkward.
Reader's Annotation: Middle school is bad enough but when Raina knocks out her 2 front teeth and is forced to wear braces things go from bad to worse. Will she ever smile again?
Main Themes: growing up, self-confidence, friendship
Read Alikes: Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
Why for Tweens? This book really addresses many feelings and themes that tweens can relate to like fitting in, making friends and growing up.