Recent Read: Smile

Raina is going about her everyday life as a sixth grader--school, girl scouts, friends, etc--when she trips and falls, knocking out her two front teeth. She must then visit various dental specialists to figure out how to get her teeth back to normal. She endures painful surgeries and orthodontia, all while going to school, experiencing puberty, dealing with boys and transitioning from middle school to high school.

I never knew a book about dentistry could be so delightful. It was wonderful! Raina Telgemeier (very deservedly) won an Eisner Award for Smile which is based on her own experiences (that includes the teeth, the earthquake, and the pantsing). I love that it centers around dentistry, orthodontia, and surgery. These kinds of experiences have become pretty prevalent these days, and I think there's a lot for young people to relate to (I sure did, having had many years of my own dental nightmares). As I read, I sometimes laughed aloud as I saw her perfect depiction of things like having a mold of your teeth made, getting your braces tightened, and attaching rubber bands to them. It's infused with humor throughout despite the trauma of it all. And it's not just about her teeth--it's about getting older, figuring out where you belong, finding friends, gaining confidence in the right aspects of yourself, and overcoming trials. Telgemeier is so good at capturing the emotions of this age (the boy-centered daydreams cracked me up). All around excellent.

Telgemeier recently posted a sketch from her next graphic novel called Sisters. I can't wait.