As a Pioneer School we collaborated with colleagues who were at the same point of their curriculum journey as us. Following this collaboration, we agreed to trial the introduction of our SMILE books in Y2 and Y6 with staff who were members of SLT and involved in curriculum reform. Thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an early copy of this work. It’s easily one of my favorite books of the year! As someone who has complex chronic medical issues, I really appreciated the author's detailed description of her healing. 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. Those stories are some of the most gripping and sad (the PT at the gym!) in the book. Clabaugh, Rich (December 3, 2010). "4 Great Graphic Novels for Family Entertainment". The Christian Science Monitor . Retrieved February 12, 2013.

Editors' Choice: Recent Books of Particular Interest". The New York Times. May 23, 2010 . Retrieved February 15, 2013. a b c Wilkinson, Caryn. "Graphic Novels: A Scaffolding Strategy for Young Writers." The Reading Teacher, vol. 69, no. 4, 2016, pp. 401, doi: 10.1002/trtr.1433. a b c d e f g h Wildsmith, Snow. “Interview: Raina Telgemeier.” Good Comics for Kids, School Library Journal, June 2010, goodcomicsforkids.slj.com/2010/06/13/interview-raina-telgemeier/. a b Bradley, Jess. "Why Comics are Awesome for Reluctant Readers!" The School Librarian, vol. 69, no. 2, 2021, pp. 12-13. ProQuest Central. My years of writing plays tells me that a story requires an apotheosis, a sudden transformation. But my story has been so slow, so incremental, the nature of the chronic, which resists plot and epiphany... What kind of story is that?"

What is a “SMILE book”?

Sarah Ruhl was making a name for herself as a playwright and author...married, with one child, she seemed to have it all. Beautifully-written memoir that really captures what it's like to have a chronic medical condition (in which ones "wins" are slowly measured out in the course of years instead of weeks or days.) I really appreciated the use of photography to outline examples in the book. How does this graphic novel compare with others you've read? Do you react to it differently knowing that the story is from the author's real life?

Sarah Ruhl writes about everything with the clarity of a water droplet and the power of a waterfall. I’m not sure I’ve ever read or heard any of her work, in any genre or form, without crying at least a little. Smile: The Story of a Face is no different, though perhaps even more personal and vulnerable, so that reading it feels like being trusted with something fragile and intimate. A reflection on symmetry and divisions, on motherhood and marriage and meditation, on what it is to see and to be seen. A deeply moving, absorbing book; I'd expect nothing less from Sarah Ruhl, and I'm grateful to have read it. SMILE books, which the school considers to be at the heart of all learning, are used by all year groups. Children complete activities independently in their books showing their own way of learning and presenting their work in a range of styles and formats. As a result, even from the youngest of ages, pupils have become more independent learners who are engaged in their learning because they have been involved in the decision-making process for the topics being taught. Raina is a likable girl with supportive and understanding parents. Though she makes some missteps, such as standing up a boy at a dance, it's her process of correcting those missteps that makes this such a relatable and true-to-life story. Readers will be encouraged and comforted by the path Raina takes to finding new friends that support her.Mostly I enjoyed the writing, the expression of feeling and emotion, the explanation of how regular life presents problems a person without the condition has ever considered. Such an eye-opener, mind-blower and description of this troubling personal catastrophe - talk about full stop! And a double whammy for those who do not return to their "normal" face. I've had one close friend who had this condition - also at the end of a pregnancy. . .but she mostly stayed hidden and away from her usual crowd until it was gone and we just heard about it in the aftermath story. Wildsmith, Snow (December 30, 2009). "Review: Smile". School Library Journal "it has a shark in it" blog . Retrieved February 15, 2013. In all honesty it was a hard book to read at times. Hard to Face your face and the ways Bell’s palsy or a facial injury has impacted your life. The pain that comes when people turn away from you because we see people as their face. And with bells palsey and facial injuries there is lots of that. Often people don’t know they do so. There is a shaming there. Common Sense is the nation's leading nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of all kids and families by providing the trustworthy information, education, and independent voice they need to thrive in the 21st century.