With that in mind, we reached out to the successul cartoonist to talk about how she's doing as we go through this communal tragedy and anxiety-ridden era together.
But to write and draw these stories, Telgemeier had to live through those harrowing events. Telgemeier's books have all been about finding humanity in personal experiences, and how those experiences can be relatable beyond just you and those close to you. I'm glad she finds how to love herself through all her teeth trials and friend troubles, but my daughter wasn't ready yet for the ideas of obsessing over kissing boys, insecurities and peer pressure.The last few years have been a lot to deal with, even for someone like Raina Telgemeier- especially for someone like Raina Telgemeier, as we know her from her hit graphic memoirs Smile and Guts. Finally in the end, she decides to start doing something she likes to do and makes better friends, who work together and like her for herself. At one point, her mom says in a demeaning way that she needs a bra, without talking to her about puberty in any way. They do admit that they are kidding and she doesn't leave the house that way. Although things do improve at the very end of the book, the main character focuses on physical insecurity throughout the whole book, with friends who are obsessed with boys and try to pressure her to kiss anyone at the party just so she can "get her first kiss." The friends push her to dress very scantily in a mini skirt, tube top and fish net stockings (which is pictured) to impress her crush.
The graphics were cute and she was hooked and finished it in one sitting. This was a really fun book for my daughter, but I was unhappy with the age rating and some of the negative themes. Although the cartoony drawings may indicate a light, fun story - and there are certainly elements of that - Smile is also a meaningful story of a teen's journey to self-acceptance.
Because the story is true (although the names of the characters have been changed), not all of Raina's dilemmas are solved in the neatly wrapped-up way of most middle-grade novels, which may be disappointing to some readers. Parents need to know that the autobiographical graphic novel Smile follows author Raina Telgemeier through her real-life experiences of having her teeth knocked out and the years of orthodontic work that follow during her early teen years. Some products mentioned: Nintendo, Hi-C, Walgreen's, Noxema, Cover Girl, and a few other cosmetic brands.
Some pop culture icons are included, such as Ariel from The Little Mermaid and Bart Simpson, but they serve more as historical details that place the story in the late '80s/early '90s than attempts to push merchandise.
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