"Smile" & "Sisters" by Raina Telgemeier

9 and Up

Raina just wants to be a normal sixth grader, but one night after Girl Scouts she trips and falls, severely injuring her two front teeth. What follows is a long and frustrating journey with on-again, off-again braces, surgery, embarrassing headgear, and even a retainer with fake teeth attached. And on top of all that, there’s still more to deal with: a major earthquake, boy confusion, and friends who turn out to be not so friendly.

Just like ‘El Deafo’ and ‘The Dumbest Idea Ever’, this is a graphic memoir based on Raina Telgemeier’s childhood. Books and TV shows that are based on the creators real life are always the best. For example: ‘Gravity Falls’ was based off of Alex Hirsh’s childhood and ‘The Goldbergs’ was based off of Adam F. Goldberg’s childhood.

I never liked going to the dentist, even when I didn’t have braces. I hate the sound the dentist tools make when they scrap against your teeth, it just grates on your brain. I can understand why some people think dentists are evil. What sane person chooses a career where you stick pointy metal objects into peoples’ mouths?

This might or might not be a good book to give to a person who is just about to get braces. On one hand, it might scare them but on the other hand, they’ll know that even if they are getting braces at least they won’t have to go through what this girl had to go through. At least I hope so. Either way, this is a great graphic novel.

Raina can’t wait to be a big sister. But once Amara is born, things aren’t quite how she expected them to be. Amara is cute, but she’s also a cranky, grouchy baby, and mostly prefers to play by herself. Their relationship doesn’t improve much over the years. But when a baby brother enters the picture, and later, when something doesn’t seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.

I was really surprised when I found this book. I did not think Raina Telgemeler would draw another book about her life. Apparently there was more excitement going on in her life that didn’t include her teeth.

I don’t really have much experience living with a sister since my sister was 16 when I was born and now has two kids of her own. My niece and nephew are closer to my age and feel more like my siblings than my actual sister. From what I’ve read in this book and other books about siblings, I might have dodged a bullet. Except I do like my sister.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Dentistry

Dentists are experimenting with a device that uses electric pulses to straighten teeth up to 50% faster than braces do.