SMILE is in the current issue of Diamond’s Previews Catalogue, which means you can now reserve a copy of the book through your local comic shop! It will ship on February 3, 2010.

SMILE’s Diamond Preview Order Code:
DEC09 0873

Softcover: $10.99
Hardcover: $21.99

Not only that, but the book is also a Staff Pick! Here’s the wonderful review:

From the moment that she trips and loses her two front incisors in the sixth grade to the day the braces finally come off in high school, young Raina Telgemeier endures casts, false teeth, headgear, bloody deep cleanings and extractions.  It’d be easy to write off Smile as a graphic novel about braces, but there’s more to this ordeal than orthodontics.

If anything, Raina’s braces serve as a framework for the larger coming-of-age narrative.  Covering everything from earthquakes to school dances (and how many of us could even tell the difference at 16?), Telgemeier recounts some very formative experiences with an in-the-moment frankness guided by intelligent reflection.

This story is smart enough to recognize that life-changing events can be unforeseen and abrupt, like Raina’s fall, or slow but inevitable, like an eventual split with her friends…  And as much as Raina’s literal smile is an object in this book, the ever-present suggestion to “smile!” is the real star and driving subject.  How do any of us—awkward, confused and insecure—come through the teen years smiling?  Telgemeier’s answer is in this excellent graphic novel.

Recommended by Kate Henning

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I’d also like to remind everyone that I have stacks and stacks of Baby-sitters Club ORIGINAL PAGES for sale, and that they make wonderful holiday presents! Please check out my STORE page for details and shopping cart, but I have two options for buying BSC pages:

–You can buy the page of your choice, which normally run between $50 and $100 (a bit more for the most detailed pages). I give discounts for multiple-page purchases, and am happy to personalize!

–You also have the option to buy a page from the book of your choice, where I get to choose the page itself, for $30 each plus shipping! I am also happy to personalize these pages.

For every page of art that I sell through my website, I will make a $5 donation to First Book, a fantastic non-profit organization that provides new books to children in need.

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Keep your eyes on my site over the next few weeks, as I’ll be making more announcements and sharing more info about the upcoming release of SMILE. It’s going to be a great holiday season!