Bethany’s Comments (group member since Jan 18, 2012)

Bethany’s comments from the EDUC 567 Spring 2012 group.

I definitely did not expect for Smile to be a graphic novel. When I first realized this, I was surprised but interested to see how an entire book could be written through comic strips.

Even though this form of writing was something that I'm not used to, I was pleased with the book and thought that Tegemeier did a great job in creating the story through images.

One of my favorite graphics was when Raina got her new retainer with the built in front teeth and immediately thinks that she looks BEAUTIFUL! She is very proud of her retainer and shows it off with confidence when these images of Raina are actually quite comical and unattractive. Even though Raina looks a little silly in her new retainer, these graphics really show the transformations that Raina makes throughout the book.

Like many other adolescents, I remember being afraid or nervous to read my writing out loud. I was mostly afraid to do this because I was scared that I had done it wrong or differently from the other students in my class, which would cause me to stand out. Since I did not like to stand out, I would often keep my work to myself in order to avoid drawing attention to myself.

First off, what are your general first impressions of this book? Did you like it/not like it/love it? Why or why not?

Secondly, take a few minutes to pick a passage or quote from the book that stood out to you. For example, one of my favorite parts was on page 97:

"Why can't the world be simpler; like it is for guinea pigs? They only have a few rules:

Crying will get you attention.

If it fits in your mouth, it's food.

Scream if you don't get your share."

Pick a passage & discuss why it was your favorite! :)

Names are an important part of this book because they represent the transformation that the boys go through while they are at Camp Green Lake. For instance, Stanley is a very normal name that could possibly describe an average, young boy, but when the boy goes to camp he is called "Caveman", which makes him sound strong and fierce. His name being a palindrome is also significant because of the fact that it was his grandfathers name. There are many parallels throughout the book between the name "Stanley Yelnats" and the character Zero's great grandfather. In the end, the name Stanley Yelnats is what allows the boys to escape from Camp Green Lake.

Though I know that I read The Giver in middle school, it definitely did not resonate with me as much then as it has now. Overall, I was shocked by the content of the book and the ideas that were presented, such as the sameness that the community required and the effects that this had on all of the people. Since I have gone back and read the book now, I am not sure that I personally was mature enough to read this book in middle school. Although I may have enjoyed the story when I was younger, I was unable to really understand the themes that Lowry was trying to portray. Instead, I remember enjoying the book for certain imagery that it provided, such as Jonas sliding down the snowy hill on a sled and playing with his friends.

Rereading the book as an adult left me thinking about the sameness of the community and all that it led to long after I had finished the story. The entire book caused me to have feelings of sadness and pity for the people growing up following rules, being required to only perform the certain job that they had been selected to do, and living without many of the things that we enjoy everyday. For instance, one scene that was especially emotional for me was when Jonas so badly wanted to share the colors of the world with Asher. Not only was it sad that Asher would never be able to experience all of the colors, but it was also sad that Jonas felt so stuck in a beautiful world that he could not share.

Overall, I would recommend this book to young adults. Although there are a few instances throughout the book that seem too mature for middle school students, such as the part about “stirrings”, I think that it would be okay for these students to read the book if they were somewhat mature. As a middle school student, I know that I did not pick up on these mature instances. Therefore, many other students may react in the same way and simply enjoy the book as an interesting story.

Great read! (especially the second time around)