Smile: A Graphic Novel

by Raina Telgemeier

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

As someone who once had to wear braces (twice!), I adore Telgemeier’s graphic novel Smile. This book has it all: drama, humor, and memorable characters. The message of the story is endearing and reminds us that behind every dazzling smile is a cool pair of braces!

Raina Telgemeier's #1 New York Times bestselling, Eisner Award-winning graphic memoir based on her childhood!

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there's still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781338740264
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	11/10/2020
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	4,849
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Raina Telgemeier is the #1 New York Times bestselling, multiple Eisner Award–winning creator of Smile, Sisters, and Guts, which are all graphic memoirs based on her childhood. She is also the creator of Drama and Ghosts, and is the adapter and illustrator of the first four Baby-sitters Club graphic novels. Raina lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. To learn more, visit her online at goraina.com.

Editorial Reviews

"I so enjoyed reading Smile, I couldn't put it down. It's excellent!" — Lynn Johnston, creator of For Better or For Worse"Raina perfectly captures the small, everyday surprises, dramas, and embarrassments that make up adolescence... A joy to read." — Gene Yang, National Book Award Winner for American Born Chinese"Irresistible, funny and touching." — Kirkus Reviews"It hits home partly because there is nothing else out there like it." — The New York Times Book Review

From the Publisher

In a minor accident at age 12, Telgemeier lost two front teeth, not minor to remedy. Following came years of dental surgeries and orthodontics involving implants, false teeth, and headgear far beyond the more usual "braces." Treatment complications interacted with the complications of teenagerhood and puberty, which led to social as well as medical turmoil. Yet Telgemeier's early career choice as an animator grew out of this difficult period. With lively color art; an entertaining and helpful read for tweens and teens facing dental complexities of their own.

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Library Journal

Gr 5 Up—When she was in sixth grade, Telgemeier tripped while running and lost her two front teeth. In the years that followed, she went through a torturous series of dental surgeries and repairs, the trauma of which was mirrored by the social struggles she experienced during her adolescence. A minor complaint is that there is no mention of when all of this took place, and readers may be puzzled by seeming anachronisms such as old-school Nintendo games. Telgemeier's full-color artwork is confident and light, and her storytelling is appropriately paced. This straightforward and entertaining autobiographical comic is sure to please.—Douglas P. Davey, Halton Hills Public Library, Ontario, Canada

School Library Journal