Smiles to Go [Library Binding]

I read the novel "Smiles to go" by Jerry Spinelli a few months ago. It was very similar to his other books but also very different. The book had great literary elements including a touching theme, out-of-the-ordinary characters, and a unique plot. Near the end of the book, the author sends a saddening, touching message to the reader. It is that all along the boy did care about his little sister, even though he didn't act this way. It only really came out when she was in danger and in the hospital. The story also had unique characters. They weren't the average kids but they were very special and important. Finally, the plot of the book "Smiles to Go" was very extraordinary. It included the average life of the young children and what might happen in their lives. It has surprises and a jaw-dropping moment that will leave you speechless. I would recommend the short novel to just about everyone for its touching theme, out-of the-ordinary characters, and a unique plot.

As a long-time Jerry Spinelli fan, I was truly excited when given the chance to review his latest, SMILES TO GO. If you loved MANIC MAGEE or WRINGER, be sure to take a look at this one.

Will Tuppence is a typical freshman. He is worried about skateboarding, his annoying little sister, and hanging with his friends, Mi-Su and BT. But, as normal as that sounds, there is another side to Will. His fascination with science gives him a serious approach to life. His idea of a fun time is spending hours stargazing at faraway galaxies, and recent news that a proton can actually die has Will constantly concerned about just how long life can go on. His concern about protons becomes the underlying thought that occupies his mind as he stumbles through his freshman year.

Other things besides the proton problem are beginning to spin out of control for Will. After witnessing a secret kiss between Mi-Su and BT, he starts to wonder why he hasn't tried to kiss Mi-Su. She is suddenly looking like more than just a mere friend. Skateboarding has always provided a great release for Will until BT manages the impossible - a death-defying ride down Dead Man's Hill. How can Will even attempt to match that? There is also the constant pestering of Will's little sister, Tabby. How can he concentrate on his school work or attempt to train for the upcoming chess tournament when she's like an annoying mosquito buzzing through his life?

With SMILES TO GO, Spinelli takes his readers into the life of Will Tuppence. In his traditional straightforward style, he presents Will's challenges and triumphs in a way that left me chuckling and teary-eyed, often at the same time. I think Spinelli recognizes that his loyal fans are now a bit older and has given them a story to match their growth and maturity.

Reviewed by: Sally Kruger, aka "Readingjunky"

After my 4th grade teacher read Maniac Magee aloud to my classmates and me, I remember telling people for years to come that it was my favorite book. It wasn't until I rediscovered it in a `children's literature' class in college that I came to truly appreciate how great the book was and how incredible of a storyteller Jerry Spinelli is. Books like Maniac Magee, Wringer, Loser, and Crash have made him one of the most recognizable names in children's literature, and deservingly so. With his most recent novel, Smiles To Go, Spinelli returns to a format similar to that of his highly popular book Stargirl, to tell a story about science and wonder, friendship and jealousy, and family and love.

Ninth grader Will Tuppence is a (young) man of Science. His world revolves around physics, protons, stargazing, and Monopoly pizza parties. Upon the discovery that protons decay (meaning everything will eventually fade away) Will begins to examine the relationships in his life more carefully, especially those with his younger sister Tabby, and his two best friends BT and Mi Su.

If there's one thing I've learned about Spinelli's books, it's that characters drive his story. It's never the other way around. I can't imagine Spinelli deciding to write a novel about racism in a divided town, or bullying in schools, or the effects of the Holocaust on children, without having his characters in mind long before. With him, it always feels as if so much time was spent "getting into" his characters. Spinelli characters always come first, story second. Smiles To Go, like so many of Spinelli's stories, is essentially a character study. Will is who decides where this story goes and it responds to him.

Words come easy to Spinelli. His writing is so effortless and clear. I once told my 5th graders that Spinelli's books contain "little words and big ideas". This book is no exception. Science terminology aside, this book is very readable, yet there's a LOT going on in young Will's mind. There's jealousy toward his friend BT's cool and carefree attitude, and there's blooming, hormonal love toward Mi Su. Will's anxiety builds throughout the story and his constant planning and often annoying attention to the most minute details, makes him extremely neurotic, but very believable.

So after bragging up Spinelli's writing, I have to be honest. If Will's relationships with his two best friends would have been all this story contained, Smiles To Go would've been your average 3 star, quick read. Will's relationship with his younger nuisance of a sister Tabby, is what really gives this story its wings and allows it to become something more. Tabby is that annoying sister whose purpose on Earth is to bother her brother, or so Will thinks. She saves all the black jelly beans (his favorite) only to toss them in the trash can when he's watching. She interrupts his time with his friends, worships and adores BT (only adding to Will's jealousy), and spills embarrassing family secrets at inopportune times. There's a major age gap between brother and sister and Will chooses to fill that gap with hatred.

When Spinelli brings this relationship to the forefront in a horrible turn of events, which forces Will to examine some of his sister's actions a little more carefully, he learns that maybe he's been in the wrong, in never truly giving his sister a chance. This section of the book is heartbreakingly powerful and when Will, this boy of science and reason, turns to his sister's 6 year old admirer, Korbet, for advice on love and life, we know we're reading something special.

The beginning of this story is very slow and dull, this even coming from an avid Spinelli fan. But if you stick out all the proton and stargazing talk and hang around for the great finale in which Will and his sister Tabby are put under the microscope, you'll be in for a treat, and glad you made the effort. Heck, you may even watch more closely the next time your little sibling tosses your favorite jelly beans in the trash.