Genre: Children, Young Adult
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: April 2008
Reviewed by Jaci Miller
As a freshman in high school, Will Tuppence has come to count on certain things in life: the peskiness of his little sister, Tabby, steadfast friendships with Mi-Su and BT, the invincibility of protons. When he hears of a recent discovery—that protons can decay—Will’s neatly ordered world begins to unravel. Suddenly he sees Mi-Su as a female, rather than merely a friend. BT becomes competition. And the five-year-old neighbor boy who pines after Tabby plays psychiatrist to frustrated Will. But a terrifying accident leaves Will pondering what truly matters. Skateboarding, anchovy pizza and Friday night Monopoly take a backseat as he learns the meaning of real love.
Amidst many literary voices clamoring for attention, Jerry Spinelli’s Smiles to Go shushes many of them. A coming-of-age tale that feels effortlessly true, Smiles offers an authentic voice to which young people will relate (“Yeah, that’s me”) and with which adults will reminisce (“Yeah, I remember that”).
This is Spinelli’s playground—the arena where he enters the psyche of the young. He speaks to them on a personal level while simultaneously entertaining them. The book’s genuine perspective makes the reader wonder, “Surely Jerry Spinelli is, himself, still 15 years old!” Plenty of humor, honest characters and short chapters make this a friendly book for reluctant readers. But while these traits may draw readers, the book’s truthfulness will hold them. Indeed, it is the most honest book I’ve read in a long while.
Review copy provided by Harper Collins.
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