Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader. But one night 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: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.
This engaging full-color graphic novel is authored and illustrated by New York Times bestselling author Raina Telgemeier, who also adapted and illustrated the popular Babysitters Club graphic novels. SMILE amusingly details Raina's own personal journey with braces and headgear when she was a middle-schooler.
SMILE makes terrific gift for any young person in braces, but adults who appreciate graphic novels will also fall in love with the orthodontic twists and turns that Raina navigates. This book is superbly illustrated and written, and is appropriate for ages 10 to adult. (My own teenage daughter loved it).
Paperback, 213 pages, published by Scholastic books.
SMILE is Paperback, 213 pages, full color, published by Scholastic books. It received the 2010 Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Award for Nonfiction. Watch the video trailer about SMILE from Scholastic Books:
We really love this book, not only because it's so well done, but because it details the personal childhood experiences of its award-winning author and illustrator. A great gift for anyone who loves graphic novels.
