LSSL

Telgemeier, R. (2012).  Smile . New York: Graphix. Summary Raina is a six-grade student who after racing with a friend, falls and knocks out her two front teeth. This accident is followed by four and half years of terrible trips to the dentist.   Raina must not only deal with surgeries, braces, fake teeth, and headgear but she must also deal with her siblings and so-called friends continuous picking on her. Through all this, she is struggling with normal preteen and teen issues like first crushes, zits, and bullying from her “friends”. After many ups and downs she discovers a new friend in gym class and begins to discover her talent as an artist. Eventually, her dental problems end and she find true friendship. Connections This is a graphic novel about Raina and her experiences when she was a growing up in her preteen years. Through her words and graphics, we can visualize and see the moods that a young girl goes through. Now based on some of her interest we can tell ...

Quintero, I. (2014).  Gabi: A Girl in Pieces . TX: Cinco Puntos. Book Summary Gabi Hernandez is a Mexican- American teenage girl who is starting her senior year of high school. We learn about Gabi’s chaotic life through her diary entries and poetry. She has a best friend Cindy who is pregnant from being raped, a friend named Sebastian who came out about being gay and is kicked out of this home and his dealing with her drug addicted father all while dealing with constant comments from her mom about her eating habits. Gabi’s struggles with her curiosity about boy and sex. When Gabi’s Tia Bertha moves in to try and “cure” her father’s addition to meth, things start to take a turn and her life become even more chaotic. Gabi is determined to move out her small town and with a acceptance letter to Berkeley, it may be her way out. Strengths Gabi is the protagonist in this novel, which is told in first person point of view. This novel includes issues that many teens are face...