Smile
by Raina Telgemeier
Graphic novel · ages 8–12 · 420L (~1st–2nd grade) · 214 pages · 2010
Why we'd hand it over
The most honest graphic novel about middle-school social life for this age — Raina's voice is wry and self-aware without being precious, and the dental accident feels genuinely stakes-raising rather than maudlin.