SMILE

I've been busy... celebrating my birthday at my parents' house (relaxing). They let me go to the antique store and pick out something for 100 dollars. I bought a great, huge metal sign for the kitchen with a hotdog on it. Perhaps I'll post a picture when I get around to plugging in my ipod. Then I got sick so I couldn't function. But now I'm better!

Anyway, I've been reading SMILE. What a great book! As some of you may know I wrote my own "book" about being bullied and it just so happens that my story also has a lot to do with teeth. I put "book" in quotes because my story is not yet published... and maybe it will never get published. But let's not dwell on my story, let's talk about SMILE. Number one, I love the art. It's great. Very expressive. The comic book style lines to show movement - like when a kid flicks a rubber band at the back of the main character's head, is perfect. I really fealt it. And I am always a fan of landscapes (I paint them in my spare time - uh... what spare time?). Raiana Telgemeier - the author - places them in just the right places - to set the scene and atmosphere. And the story, of course, is great. Raina's "friends" make little snide remarks that escalate as the story goes on. This was also my problem as a youngster! I also put this in my graphic novel-to-be. Of course, Riana does something that I never did - she stands up to them! Perhaps Riana is the person I wish I could have been.

To sum it up: This is a great story, great art, great book. Buy it. Read it. Share it with your students or kids or the young kids you may bump into.