The book is an autobiographical tale of the author's life growing up and the trials that she had to endure with her teeth issues. The book chronicles the life of Raina through sixth grade to high school. A large portion of the book deals with the character's ordeal of having to have her teeth adjusted and moved after she knocks them out running to her front door. She also has to deal with siblings and life changes with her physical body and well as finding a new group of friends to be with because her friends did not respect her individuality and talents. Raina does not smile very often because she is still discovering her own self worth and talents. As the book progresses she becomes more confident in her talents and abilities and feels welcomed and accepted for who she is by her new circle of friends and she finds her smile.
APA Reference:
Telgemeier, R. (2010). Smile. New York, NY: Scholastic.
Impressions:
I wanted to pass out when Raina knocks out her front teeth. The graphics add to the story and the facial expressions are easy to read and show how the characters are feeling. This is such a great graphic novel that can be enjoyed by all students who are growing up and experiencing physical and emotional changes in their lives. I had many painful experiences with my own braces that I could relate to her pain and suffering. I was laughing when they had to make impressions of her teeth with the pink putty and the teeth trays, this always made me gag when I had to have this procedure done. I loved how she had the courage to choose a new group of friends who accepted her with all of her individual personality traits. I was glad that she was able to begin the process of finding her own self-worth and becoming a confident young teenager who is able to feel joy and SMILE.
Professional Review:
A charming addition to the body of young
adult literature that focuses on the trials and tribulations of the slightly
nerdy girl. Telgemeier's autobiographical tale follows her from sixth grade,
when her two front teeth are knocked out during a fluke accident, through high
school, when, her teeth repaired, she bids goodbye to her childhood dentist.
Like heroines stretching from Madeleine L'Engle's Vicky. Austin through Judy
Blume's Margaret to Mariko and Jillian Tamaki's Skim, Raina must navigate the
confusing world of adolescence while keeping her sense of self intact. Many of
her experiences are familiar, from unrequited crushes to betrayals by friends
to embarrassing fashion choices. The dramatic story of her teeth, however, adds
a fresh twist, as does her family's experience during the San Francisco
earthquake in 1989. Although the ending is slightly pedantic, Telgemeier
thoughtfully depicts her simultaneous feelings of exasperation and love toward
her parents, as well as her joy at developing her artistic talent--she's deft
at illustrating her characters' emotions in a dynamic, playful style. This book
should appeal to tweens looking for a story that reflects their fears and
experiences and gives them hope that things get easier.
Smile. (2009). Publisher's Weekly, 256(49), 51.
Library Uses:
This book could be used to teach about graphic novels and how they are designed with panels and gutters. The students could also be taught the proper techniques to read a graphic novel.
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