Smile

by Raina Telgemeier

Book Overview

Raina Telgemeier's #1 New York Times bestselling, Eisner Award-winning graphic memoir based on her childhood
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...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0545132061
• ISBN13: 9780545132060
• Release Date: February 2010
• Publisher: Graphix
• Length: 213 Pages
• Weight: 0.90 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.4" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Book description was not as stated.

I received my book and the entire front cover is written on and had a bunch of pages folded.

Smileys a great book but mine came damaged

This product is very damaged

“Like new” copy arrived badly damaged

We love this book but we bought a “like new” copy that came with a nasty stain and badly damaged. Very misleading, very disappointing service

Nostalgia Inducing and Entertaining

Anyone who suffered through years of dental problems will truly be thrown back by the nostalgia contained in this brilliant story. The beautiful illustrations tie in perfectly with the quick heartfelt plot. Very entertaining for younger middle grade readers.

Amazing book

My daughter loved it so I gave it a try. Loved it too!

Hurrah for dental drama!

Raina Telgemeier taps right into the most amusing and painful memories of being a teenager with her graphic novel about her experience of getting braces, having crushes on boys and being traumatised by rude siblings and catty girlfriends. And an earthquake. Readers may recognise her artwork from her adaptations of Ann M. Martin's Baby-Siters Club series and will admire her clean, expressive linework and beautiful page layouts. I also admired the striking scenes of San Francisco landscapes and Californian architecture at the beginnings of chapters, where Stephanie Yue's colouring looked its best. I had fun spotting subtle cultural references from my own childhood, such as Super Mario Brothers, Guess Jeans, New Kids on the Block, and heart-shaped boxes of chocolate from Walgreen Drug with the price tag accidentally left on. And I share with the author a childhood love of some of the same comics, including Calvin & Hobbes and For Better of For Worse. I wish this book had been around when I was a teenager in braces, I would have curled up with it instantly. And when I was finished, I would have wanted to meet Raina and geek out together about drawing stories. Don't be surprised if kids read this and want to try their own hand at drawing and writing about their own most embarrassing moments, crushes and dental indignities.

Fantastic!

I got this book for two tween girls in my life. It's fantastic! Raina Telgemeier really captures what it is like to be a teenage girl, in a friendly, easy to read graphic novel format. Highly recommended!

Braces, Mean Girls, Crushes and Real-Life Teen Drama

Smile starts with Raina as a typical pre-teen...until she falls and her two front teeth fall out. She's not only in major pain, but scared, and her trip to the dentist doesn't yield the greatest news; they can put the one tooth they found back in but the other is stuck up in her gums, but she'll have to wear braces. Turns out, there was bone damage, and she endures the braces only to find that her teeth wind up embedded in her gums, leaving her feeling like she's a freak. Her so-called friends don't help, with their perpetual teasing, but Raina adjusts to being a "brace-face" and weathers typical teenage crushes. As she moves on to a new high school, her friends keep on teasing her and playing pranks, until she finally decides she can seek out new friends who accept as she is. It's hard not to wince at some of the tooth trials, but Raina is a trooper as she toughs out numerous orthodontist and endodondist and other "dontist" appointments, all rendered in Telgemeier's wonderful drawing style, which complements her story perfectly. The book ends happily, with a big, toothy smile, and Raina learning that she can find friends who stick by her and don't make fun of her.

Absolutely Awesome!!!

I got this book at a Scholastic book fair last month and thought that the comic-book style would be great for my students. I wanted to read the book beforehand and fell in love with the art work and the storyline. It brought back so many memories from my middle school days. Raina is amazing! I've decided to purchase her Babysitters Club books as well!

Wonderful Book for the Brace-face in Everyone

My 12-year-old daughter is a big (read: BIG) fan of Raina Telgemeier's graphic-novel adaptations of 'The Babysitter's Club' books. I pre-ordered 'Smile' with the anticipation of giving this to her as a gift. The book fell out of the shipping box, and I couldn't help but peruse its pages. It made me recall the days when I was subjected to the torments of wearing braces as a teenager. Upon skimming through the book, it was clear that this graphic novel was special. It beautifully captures that period in a teen's life when social-awkwardness and orthodontic-care collide, causing emotional and physical trauma. Telgemeier is a true talent, and confidently displays a skill with her artistic tools that I haven't seen since the heyday of "For Better or for Worse". In fact, the author credits Lynn Johnston as an influence... It shows. There is a deft power to Telgemeier's narrative -- there are times when it's a little heartbreaking to read -- going to junior-high school can (at times) be hard. The author does not sugarcoat, and creates a satisfying world for her characters to exist in. I can't recommend 'Smile' enough. It's heartfelt and funny and perfect for anyone, whether they wear braces or not.