Smile

by Raina Telgemeier, Raina Telgemeier (Illustrator)

Overview

From the artist of BSC Graphix comes this humorous coming-of-age true story about the dental drama that ensues after a trip-and-fall mishap.

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:	9780545132060
Publisher:	Scholastic, Inc.
Publication date:	02/01/2010
Series:	Smile and Sisters Series
Pages:	224
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	GN410L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Raina Telgemeier grew up in San Francisco, then moved to New York City, where she earned an illustration degree at the School of Visual Arts. She is the creator of SMILE, a critically acclaimed graphic memoir based on her childhood, which was a NEW YORK TIMES bestseller and winner of the Will Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens, and received a BOSTON GLOBE-HORN BOOK Honor. Raina also adapted and illustrated The Baby-sitters Club graphic novels, which were selected for YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens list and BOOKLIST’s Top 10 Graphic Novels for Youth list. Her new graphic novel for Scholastic is titled DRAMA. Raina lives in Astoria, New York, with her husband, Dave Roman. To learn more, visit her online at www.goRaina.com.

Editorial Reviews

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

"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