Smile by Raina Telgemeier

As a survivor of “dental abuse,” I can guarantee Smile is the perfect gift for the “brace-face” in your life. I can say “brace-face” because I not only had braces as a tween in the early 90s (like Raina in Smile), but am wearing them again now as an adult.

That retainer your dentist gives you when the braces come off? Use it.

Oh, and I also had a freakish six wisdom teeth pulled. But I digress. Needless to say Smile appealed to me because Raina, like myself, is on close terms with the “dontists.”

One evening after a girl scout troop meeting, 6th grader Raina trips, falls and knocks out her two front teeth. A four-year nightmare of dentists, endodontists, periodontists and orthodontists ensues. Smile is a coming of age graphic novel based on the life of the author Raina Telgemeier. Remarkably, Telgemeier is able to make painful dental work funny. Granted, there is more to the story than just headgear and root canals. Raina has boy troubles, earthquakes and mean “friends” to come to terms with.

It’s a nice quick read with bubbly, colorful illustrations. I especially enjoyed the depictions of overzealous dentists and the San Francisco skyscape.

You can find Smile in our collection as well as Telgemeier’s second graphic novel entitled Drama under 741.5J/TEL. Raina returns with the August 26th release of Sisters.