Smile – Raina Telgemeier (2010)

A tragi-comedy about braces, friends, frienemies, and the ups and downs of life between the ages of 11 and 15.

c’mon, mom, let’s go get me some glasses, a pocket protector, and some velcro shoes

When we meet Raina she’s eleven, and about to get braces, much to her eternal dismay.

But just before that can happen Raina trips and falls, loosing her two front teeth.

This lovely and humourous coming of age story is told through the lens of Raina’s dental strife.

Though this story is aimed at a younger audience, the situations will ring true for anyone who has survived middle school, those who are trying to survive high school, and particularly those who might have encountered their own dental dilemmas.

A cute boy, an earthquake, the misunderstandings, and awkwardness of pre-high school romance.

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• Diary of a Wimpy Kid #5: The Ugly Truth – Jeff Kinney

• Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy - Noelle Stevenson

• Ghosts – Raina Telgemeier

Graphix, February, 2010

224 pages

ISBN: 9780545132060

Suggested Reading Level: Grades 5+

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