Raina Telgemeier’s Novels are a must-read especially for kids hitting the double digits and entering the middle school/high school and dealing with all kind of emotions.
Told in a graphic format, the books are colorful, quick read and convey a positive message.
For those of you wondering what a graphic novel is, in simple terms, it is laid out like a comic book with pictures and texts which makes it fun to read.
I read all of the books by the author apart from the Baby Sitter Club Series and each book has some moral lesson. From all the books, in my opinion, Sisters & Smile are the best read.
Both these books are an autobiography of Raina Telgemeier’s middle and high school life and take into account various interesting events which happened along the way.
THE SYNOPSIS (from the author): 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.
REVIEW: The way the story is told is spot on. The emotions a kid feels at that age, being different….feeling awkward….trying to fit in… are beautifully depicted through art and words.
The best thing is that it is a true story, based on the author’s own teenage life and what she went through during her Middle and High School Years. One can comfortably say that it is not easy being a teenager and everybody has a story of their own to tell of their teenage years.
If you ever had braces or had a tooth injury, your experiences will feel pale to what the author had to endure. A well-paced, fun, brisk read, this is one book which can be finished in a single sitting.
THE SYNOPSIS (from the author): 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, something doesn’t seem right between their parents, they realize they must figure out how to get along. They are sisters, after all.
REVIEW: Sisters is related to Smile novel in a way that both are based on the teenage life of the author and follow true events.
This novel mainly details the author and her sister’s relationship and given that both had totally different personalities, is a roller coaster ride. The scenario is not something unheard of and if you shared a sibling of the same-sex then you know how it can get.
There is a road trip and camping trip involved and if you have ever taken either one of those, you get the idea of how easily things can get out of control and messy in such situations.
It was nice to read about family dynamics and you will be taking sides at every chapter. It is natural to be misunderstood at times and at other, forgotten unintentionally.
I enjoyed this more than Smile mainly because I have sisters and I could relate to the whole thing more 🙂
I think anyone who enjoys graphic novels, will really love these books.
