Smile

by Raina Telgemeier

Genre: Memoir/Graphic novel
Age group: 10+

Raina is a normal girl... But one day, on her way home from Girl Scouts, she trips, falls, and knocks out her two front teeth. She's quickly taken to the dentist, and is treated immediately, but the result is less than perfect. So Raina embarks on a journey of dental visits, mouth pain, and sets upon sets of braces. It's not fun, and her friends aren't exactly supportive. As she grapples with crushes, friendship troubles, and oral surgery, Raina is also searching for her place, where she can fit in and finally smile.

I TOTALLY LOVED THIS BOOK!!!! I think it was just really perfect, and having it as a graphic novel added so much more interest. Without the pictures... this book would just fall apart. There's so much shown in the pictures that if they weren't there not only would Smile be so much more confusing, it would lose about three-quarters of its charm and excitement and interest. Also, because there are so many kids today who have braces, this book is great and fits this time period really well. Kids can relate to Raina's experiences, and might even feel better about their own because Raina goes through so much that is so common nowadays. Besides the dental part, Smile also addresses tons of other issues that may come up in schools, such as bullying and crushes. So kids can relate to those as well. This book makes so much sense for this day and age. It is real, and the author obviously remembers a lot about her experiences in middle school because those experiences are so true to life. AND it's funny. There are serious parts, but also humorous parts. I think this book should be required reading for at least all kids with braces.