Telgemeier, R. (2010). Smile. NY, NY:
Graphix.
Raina, the main character, tries to
navigate the tough world of being a middle school student. In sixth grade,
Raina falls and breaks her two front teeth. Throughout her middle school years,
she deals with having to wear braces, fake teeth, a mouth guard, and even
headgear. As she tackles her embarrassment of her teeth complications, Raina
also braves the typical middle school struggles and drama. She encounters
losing friends because of their bullying, the ups and downs of being interested
in boys, and not making the basketball team, all while finding out her true
self. Raina discovers she is a great friend and a talented artist. When she
enters high school, her teeth are perfect again, she has made friends with
people that truly care about her, and she loves to smile once more. Middle
school adolescents can relate to this comical, yet endearing, graphic novel by relating
to the struggles Raina deals with. Raina faces several themes throughout the
book including the loss and gain of friendships. While Raina grapples with the
situation with her teeth, her friends make fun of everything about her.
However, she finds new friends at the end of the story. The author, Raina
Telgemeier, displays the truth about what many tweens encounter in middle
school by incorporating the loss of innocence as the theme. This book is an
autobiography of Raina Telgemeier and her experience with receiving braces in
sixth grade. Another book by Raina Telgemeier, is Sisters that follows the same
characters.
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