Reading notes There was an absolutely shocking event where the 11 year author told the nuns she wasn't ready for confirmation and her friends taunted her saying that she must think she was better than them and that she must be a Jew now, and played a horrible trick on her. Additionally, Professors Wendy Smith-D’Arezzo and Janine Holc note that Smile fails to represent people with marginalized identities in roles that are central to the plot of the novel. Children complete activities independently in their books showing their own way of learning and presenting their work in a range of styles and formats. about the lack of plays that take seriously the experience of motherhood from the mother’s point of view, and this book seems to be a near-perfect addition to the neglected canon of stories that center and illuminate that experience.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier is an autobiographical graphic novel and the winner of the 2011 Eisner Award for Best Publication for Teens. And it's a PPD memoir, and a general depression memoir, and a memoir about ten years in one family's life. This book was a great reminder to appreciate all of those little things that it's so easy to overlook. Tearful and humiliated by this incident, Raina stands up for herself as well as other friends who condone their actions when they tell others about it later on that day during lunchtime.One side of her face paralyzed, unable to close one, drooping eye and able to smile on only one side, she will struggle with a condition that usually clears up within a few months. These warm and beautifully observed autobiographical essays stem from the birth of her twins and the slow-burning medical crises that followed. I too am all too familiar with the "making it up as you go" process of trying everything and everyone and what it feels like to encounter dismissive, distracted healers whose bad advice ends up adding years to your journey.

Although the graphic novel form may provide more opportunities for levity than the traditional novel structure, Smile shows that this literary style can be used to convey serious and emotional events in a compelling manner. The New York Times described it as "a story to comfort readers traversing the years between childhood and adulthood," and named it an "Editors' Choice. Speaking personally, it was eye opening, as a man, to learn about Ruhl’s experience as a new mother working in theater.At the book’s climax, Karin mocks Raina because her extensive dental supplies fall out of her backpack. Ruhl's story of her fight to win back her smile from the vicious grip of Bell's Palsy was agonizing and uplifting. We have always been very proud of the children at Trellech Primary, where we see year on year pupils making good progress in all areas of the curriculum. In 2014, Mark Tatulli wrote Smile into his daily comic strip Heart of the City, as heroine Heart Lamarr discovers the graphic novel on a trip to the library with her mother.

Professor Laura Jiménez and her colleagues argue that graphic novels like Smile help children learn to integrate source types and engage in the process of meaning-making while reading texts of all forms.Raina paints the banner for the school’s Sophomore Hop, dances without a care at the event, and gives a beaming smile in a group photo. If you’re already a fan of Sarah Ruhl, like me, there’s also a fun “behind the music” quality to the book; you get to better understand the personal context of some of her recent books and plays. Raina gains newfound confidence after leaving her group and soon meets Theresa, who treats her with respect and introduces her to others who encourage her artistic abilities.

I knew very little about Bell's Palsy before reading this book (especially how common it could be for postpartum women) and learned a lot from Ruhl's experience--not only how it felt for her, but also the importance we put on faces and smiles in our communications and community building.

Women are accustomed to men cajoling them into a smile, but now she couldn’t comply even had she wanted to. No matter what type of imagery you choose, a great smile description draws the reader into the story and makes your writing more powerful. Elementary school teacher Caryn Wilkinson provides an example of a way that Smile can be used as a scaffolding text in classroom settings. A lot of great information, both emotional and factual, is presented regarding this affliction and situation.