Let’s be honest: sometimes 11-year-olds don’t want a wall of text. They want pictures, drama, and snappy dialogue. “Smile” by Raina Telgemeier is the queen of this. It’s a true story about a girl who knocks out her two front teeth in sixth grade and then has to survive braces, headgear, and all the social horrors that come with a mouth full of metal.
You’d think “book about dental trauma” would be a snooze. Wrong. It’s a national treasure. Funny fact: the book is so popular that some libraries have a “waiting list for the waiting list.” Kids relate to it because it’s about feeling awkward when everyone else seems put together.
