Raina Telgemeier’s graphic novel Smile is a 2011 YALSA Top Ten Best Graphic Novels for Teens pick. Smile is an autobiographical narrative of the author’s struggle with a common right of passage: braces. Raina’s overbite makes it necessary for her to get braces, but a fall causes even more issues: Raina’s two front teeth are dislodged, but when the dentist puts them back in, damage to the bone causes them to recess higher in her mouth. Raina feels that she looks like a vampire as a result, a definite cause for embarrassment for any sixth grader. To add to her grief, Raina still ends up with braces and head gear. Through the physical and emotional pain of braces, Raina learns some hard, but important lessons about growning up, fitting in, appearances, boys, and true friendship. In the backdrop, she also lives through the massive San Francisco earthquake that caused the Bay Bridge to collapse. By the end of the novel, Raina has grown from an awkward sixth graders to a confident high schooler who finally has a reason to smile.
Smile is an enjoyable novel for teens and even adults because we can all empathize with Raina and her struggles. In a classroom setting, Smile could be used as a part of a unit on autobiographical writing to serve as a model as students write their own memoirs. The novel could also be an excellent addition or parallel text to use in a unit on coming-of-age stories.
References
Telgemeier, R. (2010). Smile. New York: Graphix.
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