Module 10: Smile

Summary

This graphic novel is the autobiography of the author, Raina Telgemeier. It starts when she is in sixth grade and is 11 years old and follows her journey for five years. She trips and knocks out her front two teeth while running home from Girl Scouts one night. Her following years are filled with dentist appointments, surgery, on-again, off-again braces, head gear, a retainer with fake teeth, boy confusion, and finding out who her true friends are. It won the 2010 Boston Globe – Horn Book Honor for Nonfiction and the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens.

Reference

Telgemeier, R. (2010). Smile. New York, NY: Scholastic/Graphix.

My Impressions

Smile tells a compelling story from a girl’s viewpoint about common feelings and insecurities that will encourage reading. The situations the main character and author, Raina Telgemeier, finds herself dealing with regarding friends, family, and boys at school are typical of what young people feel and experience as they navigate the confusing world of middle school. This is an easy-to-read, accessible graphic novel. It is a great introduction to the visual format graphic novels offer. The art of the brightly colored, expressive panels blends well with the text. Variations in the panel sizes keep the reader interested and engaged.

Professional Review

Telgemeier has created an utterly charming graphic memoir of tooth trauma, first crushes and fickle friends, sweetly reminiscent of Judy Blume’s work. One night, Raina trips and falls after a Girl Scout meeting, knocking out her two front teeth. This leads to years of painful surgeries, braces, agonizing root canals and other oral atrocities. Her friends offer little solace through this trying ordeal, spending more of their time teasing than comforting her. After years of these girls’ constant belittling, Raina branches out and finds her own voice and a new group of friends. Young girls will relate to her story, and her friend-angst is palpable. Readers should not overlook this seemingly simply drawn work; the strong writing and emotionally expressive characters add an unexpected layer of depth. As an afterword, the author includes a photo of her smiling, showing off the results of all of the years of pain she endured. Irresistible, funny and touching—a must read for all teenage girls, whether en-braced or not. (Graphic memoir. 12 & up)

Smile [Review of the book Smile]. (2010, December 22). Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/raina-telgemeier/smile/

Library Uses

This could be used in a library as a good introduction to graphic novels. It also could be used to introduce Raina Telgemeier’s series to students. Students could compare and contrast Smile with the second companion book in the series, Sisters.