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36th out of 91 books
—
545 voters
Smiles to Go
What is stargazer, skateboarder, chess champ, pepperoni pizza eater, older brother, sister hater, best friend, first kisser, science geek, control freak Will Tuppence so afraid of in this great big universe?
Jerry Spinelli knows.
Jerry Spinelli knows.
Hardcover, 256 pages
Published
April 29th 2008
by HarperCollins
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It all starts with the death of one proton.
Who knew?
I enjoyed it, but it wasn't what I was hoping for, which was more of what I saw with his 'Stargirl' books.
It's a sweet story with a tidy ending. A good representation of what the young adult book should be.
And I learned the meaning of 'solipsism'. Now to incorporate that in every day life. hmmm... I'm sure I'll find a way.
I did enjoy this part (dealing with the above death of proton)
Two hundred days since 10:15am that September Saturday mo...more
Who knew?
I enjoyed it, but it wasn't what I was hoping for, which was more of what I saw with his 'Stargirl' books.
It's a sweet story with a tidy ending. A good representation of what the young adult book should be.
And I learned the meaning of 'solipsism'. Now to incorporate that in every day life. hmmm... I'm sure I'll find a way.
I did enjoy this part (dealing with the above death of proton)
Two hundred days since 10:15am that September Saturday mo...more
I always think it's funny when books say "My first....", "My first ABC book", "My first book of rhymes", "my first book of Holiday's",etc. I mean how many "first's" are there before "first" isn't a big deal.
and yet, I think this book could marketed as "My first book of existential crisis" The main character realized protons die and questions the nature of everything while being with others for not recognizing the gravity of things."
I don't necessarily like the idea of introducing the idea of sel...more
and yet, I think this book could marketed as "My first book of existential crisis" The main character realized protons die and questions the nature of everything while being with others for not recognizing the gravity of things."
I don't necessarily like the idea of introducing the idea of sel...more
6 likes
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It wasn't until about 1/3 of the way into this book that I began to think any teenager would ever read it.
Having grown up believing protons to be an immortal part of the universe, 9th-grade chess whiz and future astronomer Will Tuppence's world is rocked when scientists witness a flash that marked the expiration of a proton. Will is so upset over this that he can barely function for a few days, and is genuinely shocked and surprised that no one else seems to care.
Once he finally accepted the d...more
Having grown up believing protons to be an immortal part of the universe, 9th-grade chess whiz and future astronomer Will Tuppence's world is rocked when scientists witness a flash that marked the expiration of a proton. Will is so upset over this that he can barely function for a few days, and is genuinely shocked and surprised that no one else seems to care.
Once he finally accepted the d...more
I'd have to put this title down as one of my favorite Spinelli novels. Will is a real person with a convincing and consistent internal voice. His obsession with planning and attention to minute details reveals a scientific and intellectual mind -- at the same time, he is slightly lacking in the "social intelligence" -- not being able to read the cues of his peers and more damagingly, not being able to decipher his little sister's actions as cries for attention in a somewhat positive way. Now......more
2 likes
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I absolutely love Jerry Spinelli (I feel like now that I've read, and loved, three of his books, I can "officially" say that I love him as an author instead of only loving his books). In Smiles to Go Will is so philosophical, he's so much more than the artificial, shallow guy found in so many YA books. He has a take on life that's way beyond his years, he asks questions and ponders things that wouldn't even occur to most people, and I absolutely loved listening to his thoughts.
Not being a guy,...more
Not being a guy,...more
"And smiles to go before I weep,
And Smiles to go before I weep."
--BT, "Smiles to Go", P. 44
"I feel like I'm playing chess underwater. The pieces keep floating away. I don't know where things are. I can't figure out tomorrow."
--Will Tuppence, "Smiles to Go", P. 140
Simply put, Jerry Spinelli never misses. HE...NEVER...MISSES. The beauty of this story really sneaks up on the reader, but it is as spendidly crafted as just about anything else that has been written. The love scenes are really, t...more
There is a teen who comes to the library who shares my enthusiasm for audio books. She has different taste then me, so I feel she is a valuable resource for titles I would otherwise overlook. I listen to what she’s read.
She recently read Smiles to Go so I checked it out. It’s about an eighth grade science geek boy, Will Tuppence, who starts a new calendar year after hearing that scientists proved that a proton died. It’s called "proton decay" and his journal is dated from PD1 (proton decay day...more
She recently read Smiles to Go so I checked it out. It’s about an eighth grade science geek boy, Will Tuppence, who starts a new calendar year after hearing that scientists proved that a proton died. It’s called "proton decay" and his journal is dated from PD1 (proton decay day...more
Smiles to go is about a kid named Will Tuppence who has life figured out, he plays Monopoly Saturday evening dates with his best friends, B.T. and Mi-Su, skateboarding on his Black Viper, and practicing chess strategies with his dad. The mystery begins when Will finds out the first proton has died.
I got really into the book when Will finds out that the first proton has died and he thought that everything in the far away future is going to disappear. With the annoying help of his sister, Tabby, W...more
I got really into the book when Will finds out that the first proton has died and he thought that everything in the far away future is going to disappear. With the annoying help of his sister, Tabby, W...more
There's a stack of books in my closet that I've owned for a while and never touched. There's a four story bookstore in Portland (Powell's, I adore you) that swaps used books for in-store credit. I'm headed to Portland soon, so I've decided to start reading the books and figuring out what's worth keeping, and what's probably going to get traded.
Sadly, Smiles to Go will probably be traded. I was initially struck by the first few chapters about the death of the Proton. For science geek Will Tuppenc...more
Sadly, Smiles to Go will probably be traded. I was initially struck by the first few chapters about the death of the Proton. For science geek Will Tuppenc...more
My mom told me to just read this and I'm glad I did! I quickly read through the first chapter to see what I’d think about it and after reading “Me and sock monkeys made of the same stuff? It was too much to digest.” It made me laugh and I had to keep reading. It wasn't an awesomely exciting book like I usually enjoy but it was sweet and helped me remember what’s really important. I found myself smiling and laughing throughout and cried through the last 1/4 of the book!
It was a simple story about...more
It was a simple story about...more
Will Tuppence begins documenting his daily life after a monumental event occurs: scientists confirm proton decay. Will revolves his journal notation and his life observations around this event. It’s as though, until the proton winked out of existence—Will didn’t exist. For all that obsession, Will is a pretty average freshman, with two best friends, an annoying little sister and a full set of parents. Filled with journal entries about skateboarding, Monopoly-playing, school, stargazing, and kiss...more
Will Tuppence is a quirky, chess-playing, list-making, skateboarding, stargazing character! When the book opens, he gets a phone call from one of his two best friends, Mi-Su, who tells him to turn on the radio. Listening, Will hears that in a research facility in Yellowknife, Canada, scientists have recorded data that proves that protons can be destroyed. This causes Will to have some concerns - -when will his protons up and die on him? At what point will all the particles of Will no longer exis...more
I was having a conversation about books the other day with one of my sisters. I was telling her how I prefer books (and movies too) with stories that center around people.... well-developed characters whose lives are changed by the events in the stories or their relationships with other people; people who learn about themselves and grow from their experiences... stories that are "human" regardless of whether it's science fiction, fantasy, romance, comedy, drama, etc. A book that is filled with a...more
Usually i don't read Jerry Spinelli's books because i think they are childish, but Smiles to go proved me wrong. The author kind of make the beginning of the book so uninteresting, but then it starts to pick up. But other than that, the book is pretty all right.
In the beginning of the book, it talks about how this kid Will Tuppence is interested in protons and science. But the story drags on like the author didn't have anything else to say, until the next chapter comes along.
The story talks abo...more
In the beginning of the book, it talks about how this kid Will Tuppence is interested in protons and science. But the story drags on like the author didn't have anything else to say, until the next chapter comes along.
The story talks abo...more
I enjoyed this book from Jerry Spinelli, a popular author among my students. I read it in fact, upon the recommendation of one of my 6th grade boys. Will Tuppence is a bit of an oddball; he's a great chess champion,and he's devastated by the news that the protons decay. This book is his personal journal. His entries are dated by the # of days past the news that scientists destroyed a proton. He is best friends with Mi-Su, with whom he shares a passion for astronomy, pizza, Monopoly, and B.T, the...more
I wasn't clear on if this was nonfiction, memoir, fiction, etc. or for what age group when I first picked it up. I think I got it on someone's recommendation, but couldn't remember who's. It was in my library book stack, so I read it :).
I liked the fun story. It's very YA fiction, but fun to read. I gained much needed perspective on my four-year-old's behavior.
I got a kick out of the 'obsessive' thought when he decided he liked a certain someone. I had forgotten that's how it was in junior high...more
I liked the fun story. It's very YA fiction, but fun to read. I gained much needed perspective on my four-year-old's behavior.
I got a kick out of the 'obsessive' thought when he decided he liked a certain someone. I had forgotten that's how it was in junior high...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
When I picked up this book and read the inside flap, I thought, "Oh, another quirky-adolescent-narrating-his-absolutely-ordinary-life-in-a-droll-and-entertaining-style type of book."
After the prologue "Unsmashable", though, I changed my opinion--this was actually a metaphysical contemplation (albiet in the voice of aforementioned quirky adolescant) on the transience of life! I settled in happily to read about the budding astrophysicist, devastated by the implications of proton decay (when he's n...more
After the prologue "Unsmashable", though, I changed my opinion--this was actually a metaphysical contemplation (albiet in the voice of aforementioned quirky adolescant) on the transience of life! I settled in happily to read about the budding astrophysicist, devastated by the implications of proton decay (when he's n...more
Sometimes it takes a tragedy to see things clearly. Will Tuppence, high school freshman, aspiring astrologer, science lover, chess champion has, without a doubt, the most annoying, bratty little sister anyone could ever have. But, she adores him, enough so to make his life miserable. Anyone who has ever had a little sibling will know exactly what this book is all about.
Will is just trying to figure out how his best friends, and the normalcy of their days together, could have gotten mixed up in...more
Will is just trying to figure out how his best friends, and the normalcy of their days together, could have gotten mixed up in...more
Seriously, what's the with weird summary? I've seen another summary, kinda weird as well.
Anyway, from the beginning to the middle part of the book, nothing was really happening, I kind of knew what was coming. But man, I was wrong! I even had the sub-genre wrong.
Spinelli at first focused on something, at some point though, he changed the focus. It was a surprise, but it wasn't too sudden that you can't accept it. The new focus was the sub-focus I guess, it was there all along, the author did a g...more
Anyway, from the beginning to the middle part of the book, nothing was really happening, I kind of knew what was coming. But man, I was wrong! I even had the sub-genre wrong.
Spinelli at first focused on something, at some point though, he changed the focus. It was a surprise, but it wasn't too sudden that you can't accept it. The new focus was the sub-focus I guess, it was there all along, the author did a g...more
I read Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli which is a fictional book about a pretty normal teenage boy who gets hung up on the decay of a proton. The main character’s name is Will Tuppence. Will is a freshman in high school. He has two best friends, Mi-Su and BT, and an annoying little sister named Tabby. The conflict of the story is Will and reality. He still can’t comprehend the fact that the proton died. Why does that matter, though? That’s such a stupid conflict. All Will is interested in is ches...more
1 like
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like
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Nov 14, 2011
Kate
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Kate by:
Teen Book Club selection
When Will Tuppence hears that a proton has died, his world is shattered. He used to think he was invincible, and now he knows that nothing lasts forever. His fears begin to consume him. When his best friends, Mi-Su and BT, end up kissing one night, Will begins to obsess over how to kiss Mi-Su. When BT manages to skateboard down Dead Man's Hill, Will finds himself standing at the top of the hill, wishing he had the courage to do it. But what is he actually afraid of?
It's a little hard to describe...more
It's a little hard to describe...more
Since everyone else gave the whole summary, let me just give you my opinion. Let me say I love this age group books: the Fudge books, Judy Blume, how to train your dragon, etc etc etc. But this book sucked. My favorite character was Jim, and he's there in a flashback for the prologue. Will seems really shallow, Mi-Su is such a slut/bitch, she hooks up with three guys and does it all so shallowy. BT is alright, Another character I liked, and Korbert is great too. But the whole Tuppence (Will's) f...more
Protons can decay. For science geek Will Tupence this means his world has radically shifted. Nothing is permanent. Everything can eventually disappear.
What shocks Will is that no-one else in his life seems to care. His little sister continues to torture him. His friends continue with their Monopoly ritual and his teachers barely mention the event.
And then he accepts it and moves on, and the book barely mentions the proton decay again. Instead it focuses on Will realizing that he has feelings for...more
What shocks Will is that no-one else in his life seems to care. His little sister continues to torture him. His friends continue with their Monopoly ritual and his teachers barely mention the event.
And then he accepts it and moves on, and the book barely mentions the proton decay again. Instead it focuses on Will realizing that he has feelings for...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
This book started slow, and about a third of the way through, I thought to myself, "Geez, you write one Newbery and then they'll publish anything you write." Luckily, it picked up right after that and it got really good. It even made me think, and it made me tear up a little. The main character was a bit more ordinary than the usual stars of his books, but I really appreciated a normal, genuine look at a teenage boy's life. I like fantasy and all, but it's nice when an author can write about mun...more
The book I will be blogging about today is called smiles to go.This one of my favorite books that I have read so far. A part in the book that I really pictured in my head was when the main character was at the star festival. One part of the book that made me sad was when Mikes sister went down dead man hill and ended up inthe hospital. While reading the book I made a prediction that Mike and Mi-su would kiss and I was right. A problem in the book was that after the decay of the first proton Mik...more
Will Tuppence has it all figured out, and that's just the way he likes it. Stability and predictability rule his world until the day he finds out that even protons - the smallest increment of matter - can be destroyed. This means that one day - however many millions of years away it may be - NOTHING will exist. This discovery initiates an unsettling realization in Will's life: Nothing stays the same, and profound change isn't as unavoidable as you may think. Can Will learn to accept the death of...more
This book did not click with me at all. Actually, I intensely disliked it though I reserve the possibility that there may be some readers who actually enjoy the false sentimentality of the story. The main message seemed to be that teenaged Will needed to see finally understand that his preschool little sister Tabby was not actually a pest but a cute little sister who loves him and whom he really secretly loves in return. Problem is that Tabby was an obnoxiously spoiled and completely out of cont...more
The beginning of this book was pretty interesting, flashing news! They have seen a proton disappear. It has died out, oh my a proton. This is a book that involves some science in it which makes it pretty realistic which is interesting to me. The main character name Will Tuppence and every saturday he plays Monopoly with his two friends B.T and Mi-Su. B.T and Will aren't really great friends and Will thinks B.T is a bad influence to his younger sister. In my opinion, I think B.T shouldn't be in t...more
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When Jerry Spinelli was a kid, he wanted to grow up to be either a cowboy or a baseball player. Lucky for us he became a writer instead.
He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his...more
More about Jerry Spinelli...
He grew up in rural Pennsylvania and went to college at Gettysburg College and Johns Hopkins University. He has published more than 25 books and has six children and 16 grandchildren.
Jerry Spinelli began writing when he was 16 — not much older than the hero of his...more
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“I feel like I'm playing chess underwater. The pieces keep floating away. I don't know where things are. I can't figure out tomorrow.”
—
14 people liked it
“And smiles to go before I weep,
And Smiles to go before I weep.”
—
12 people liked it
More quotes…
And Smiles to go before I weep.”
Sep 21, 2010 05:34am
I love you Jackie but I HATED St...more
Sep 21, 2010 07:15am