Smile Trilogy
Part of the collectionRaina Telgemeier→Best for 8–13 graphic-novel readers; particularly resonant for children with anxiety, dental procedures, or sibling tension.
- Books3 / 3
- Arcs1
- Span2010–2019
- StatusComplete
The series
At a glance.
Three autobiographical graphic novels (Smile, 2010; Sisters, 2014; Guts, 2019) about Raina's childhood and early adolescence. Smile handles a dental injury that defines years of her life; Sisters covers a family road trip and the friction with her younger sister; Guts handles severe childhood anxiety and IBS, including therapy. The honesty about anxiety and the body is the trilogy's enduring contribution. The three books read as a loose memoir cycle rather than a continuous plot.
Best for 8–13 graphic-novel readers; particularly resonant for children with anxiety, dental procedures, or sibling tension.
Primary themes
Overall tone
- Warm
- Heartwarming
- Funny
- Thought provoking
Read in publication order ideally — Smile first — but the three books are loosely connected and can be read individually.
One arc
The shape of the series.
- ICreator arc
Raina's three memoirs
Three autobiographical graphic novels covering childhood injury, family friction and severe anxiety respectively.
Each book stands alone but together they form a loose memoir cycle of Raina's late-childhood and early-teen years. The art and storytelling pace are consistent; the emotional honesty escalates a touch (Guts is the most internal). The honesty about anxiety in Guts in particular has made the trilogy widely used in therapeutic and classroom contexts.
Fit check
Right for your reader?
Where the series lands by age
- 1
- 3
- 5
- 7
- 9
- 11
- 13
- 15
- 17
- 19
- Best fit · 8–13
- Read aloud · 8–12
- Independent · 8–13
Reluctant-reader friendliness
Very high
Read-aloud quality
Workable
Adult crossover
High
Grows with the reader
Not especially
Sensitivity envelope
Moderate overall, and consistent.
Content notes
- Mental health
About the author