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Smiles to Go: A Coming-of-Age Story About Control, Friendship, and First Crush for Kids
Ninth grader Will Tuppence is in control. He plans everything obsessively, from the perfect stargazing night with his crush, Mi-Su, to the regular Saturday-night games of Monopoly with his friends. He's even planned his entire career as an astronomer; mint condition, black 1985 Jaguar XJS/12; two kids. . . . But everything changes the day Will learns one startling protons—those tiny atomic particles, the building blocks to the building blocks of life—can die. The one thing that was so certain in this world to Will has an expiration date. And Will's carefully planned-out life? Not so certain, either.
272 pages, Paperback
First published April 29, 2008
157 people are currently reading
2328 people want to read
About the author
Jerry Spinelli
113 books4,019 followersWhen 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 book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop.
In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.
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 book Maniac Magee. After his high school football team won a big game, his classmates ran cheering through the streets — all except Spinelli, who went home and wrote a poem about the victory. When his poem was published in the local paper, Spinelli decided to become a writer instead of a major-league shortstop.
In most of his books, Spinelli writes about events and feelings from his own childhood. He also gets a lot of material from his seven adventurous kids! Spinelli and his wife, Eileen, also a children's book author, live in Pennsylvania.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 686 reviews
November 19, 2024
"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 splendidly crafted as just about anything else that has been written. The love scenes are really, truly magical, and the ends to which the relationships bloom and are seen to their full potential is a work of real art. This must be viewed as one of the top works in the genre for 2009. I love this book. Jerry Spinelli is unbeatable.
"I'm that way, goofy as it sounds. Sometimes I don't want things to happen-I'm talking about good things, even wonderful things-because once they happen, I can't look forward to them anymore. But there's an upside, too. Once a wonderful thing is over, I'm not all that sad because then I can start thinking about it, reliving and reliving it in the virtual world in my head."
—Will, PP. 168-169
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 splendidly crafted as just about anything else that has been written. The love scenes are really, truly magical, and the ends to which the relationships bloom and are seen to their full potential is a work of real art. This must be viewed as one of the top works in the genre for 2009. I love this book. Jerry Spinelli is unbeatable.
"I'm that way, goofy as it sounds. Sometimes I don't want things to happen-I'm talking about good things, even wonderful things-because once they happen, I can't look forward to them anymore. But there's an upside, too. Once a wonderful thing is over, I'm not all that sad because then I can start thinking about it, reliving and reliving it in the virtual world in my head."
—Will, PP. 168-169
August 19, 2010
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 self doubt to kids and I probably would have given this book 3 stars but I had to move it to 5 because my son recommended, actually *insisted*, I read it.
The thing is, that being a divorced mom of a 10 year old boy can bring about a myriad of insecurities I'd not even considered. It's compounded by the fact that his dad shows up occasionally and sweeps him off to surf in SanDiego for weeks at a time or takes him backpacking around Mt. Hood, while I - - - ? um, read to him. That's some pretty stiff competition for me to compete with.
So the fact that he cares what I think about his book, that he wants to share the story with me and asked constantly "what page are you on?", and we shared bits we liked here and there means it's a 5 "sentimentally-starred" book for me.
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 self doubt to kids and I probably would have given this book 3 stars but I had to move it to 5 because my son recommended, actually *insisted*, I read it.
The thing is, that being a divorced mom of a 10 year old boy can bring about a myriad of insecurities I'd not even considered. It's compounded by the fact that his dad shows up occasionally and sweeps him off to surf in SanDiego for weeks at a time or takes him backpacking around Mt. Hood, while I - - - ? um, read to him. That's some pretty stiff competition for me to compete with.
So the fact that he cares what I think about his book, that he wants to share the story with me and asked constantly "what page are you on?", and we shared bits we liked here and there means it's a 5 "sentimentally-starred" book for me.
August 25, 2008
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 morning when Riley picked his nose and the phone rang and Mi-Su said turn on 98.5 FM and I learned that a proton had died in Yellowknife. How many have died since then across the universe? Are dying protons like roaches: for every one you see there's a hundred behind the wall? How many need to die before it starts to show? Before steel becomes transparent? And people? Ghost World. I feel a twitch. A blip. Was that a tine flash inside of me? Is my liver down one proton from yesterday?
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of these...
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 morning when Riley picked his nose and the phone rang and Mi-Su said turn on 98.5 FM and I learned that a proton had died in Yellowknife. How many have died since then across the universe? Are dying protons like roaches: for every one you see there's a hundred behind the wall? How many need to die before it starts to show? Before steel becomes transparent? And people? Ghost World. I feel a twitch. A blip. Was that a tine flash inside of me? Is my liver down one proton from yesterday?
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of these...
January 5, 2009
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 control brat and I had complete sympathy with Will’s frustration for the ways she interfered with his life and I never doubted that he loved her in spite of that. Perhaps Tabby came across as a kid who needed some major parental control and boundaries in place because I listened to the book rather than read it. Maybe my elder sister status influenced my view of the situation (though my brother was never so bratty and out of control and we were actually quite close growing up). I did appreciate that Will needed to learn that he could not control and plan every aspect of his life but I just didn’t buy the whole supposed transformation when Tabby almost dies, after completely trouncing Will’s attempt to defend his chess championship by stealing his skateboard and going down Deadman’s Hill because she was peeved she wouldn’t get to have any kind of ice cream she wanted as she did the year before after nearly ruining Will’s tournament.
August 7, 2021
I thought this was just okay. It was entertaining enough that I finished it in a day, but it didn’t hit me in the way that middle grade usually does (although this is more of the branch between middle grade and young adult). I think I would still recommend it to anyone who is interested though, as it is a quick read with wonderful character development.
✧ ✧ ✧
≪reading 31 books for 31 days of july≫
╰┈➤ 1. the ones we're meant to find by joan he
╰┈➤ 2. rise to the sun by leah johnson
╰┈➤ 3. some girls do by jennifer dugan
╰┈➤ 4. a heart in a body in the world by deb caletti
╰┈➤ 5. you've reached sam by dustin thao
╰┈➤ 6. radio silence by alice oseman
╰┈➤ 7. swimming in the dark by tomasz jedrowski
╰┈➤ 8. bruised by tanya boteju
╰┈➤ 9. ida b…and her plans to maximize fun, avoid disaster, and (possibly) save the world by katherine hannigan
╰┈➤ 10. razorblade tears by s. a. cosby
╰┈➤ 11. because of mr. terupt by rob buyea
╰┈➤ 12. smiles to go by jerry spinelli
✧ ✧ ✧
≪reading 31 books for 31 days of july≫
╰┈➤ 1. the ones we're meant to find by joan he
╰┈➤ 2. rise to the sun by leah johnson
╰┈➤ 3. some girls do by jennifer dugan
╰┈➤ 4. a heart in a body in the world by deb caletti
╰┈➤ 5. you've reached sam by dustin thao
╰┈➤ 6. radio silence by alice oseman
╰┈➤ 7. swimming in the dark by tomasz jedrowski
╰┈➤ 8. bruised by tanya boteju
╰┈➤ 9. ida b…and her plans to maximize fun, avoid disaster, and (possibly) save the world by katherine hannigan
╰┈➤ 10. razorblade tears by s. a. cosby
╰┈➤ 11. because of mr. terupt by rob buyea
╰┈➤ 12. smiles to go by jerry spinelli
March 10, 2011
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 about Will's best friends; BT and Mi-su. BT cares about nothing, and Mi-su is all about science and chess like Will. So they go to this star party to look in telescopes, well a little bit more happens then just looking into telescopes... BT and Mi-su kiss! Will totally freaks out! I mean yeah, if i caught my friends kissing, I'd freak out too! But then Will fires up this plan to kiss Mi-su for some odd but interesting reason.
Will ends up kissing Mi-su and more than one kiss. I think personally that Mi-su takes advantage of boys because the next day, she kisses some guy who's lead role in the play she's in, just to kiss him! Does Mi-su want to drive Will to insanity of jealousy? But of course, Will finds another way to get her back to him. Will has this annoying little sister that he has to deal with too. She throws away his favorite jelly beans, answers the phone and then hangs up, messes with Will's and she says things to him just to make Will snap. While all this stuff is happening with Will and his friends, his sister trys to make his life as miserable as she can possibly make it. During one of Will's most important chess games of his teenage life, Will's dad came in and told him that his little sister was in the hospital! I bet that Will felt bad that he was mean to his sister then!
I think this is one of the best Jerry Spinelli books i have ever read. He needs to make more books mature like this book is, instead of for like 10 year olds. This book is recamended to everyone who likes drama filled, confused boys in it (me)!
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 about Will's best friends; BT and Mi-su. BT cares about nothing, and Mi-su is all about science and chess like Will. So they go to this star party to look in telescopes, well a little bit more happens then just looking into telescopes... BT and Mi-su kiss! Will totally freaks out! I mean yeah, if i caught my friends kissing, I'd freak out too! But then Will fires up this plan to kiss Mi-su for some odd but interesting reason.
Will ends up kissing Mi-su and more than one kiss. I think personally that Mi-su takes advantage of boys because the next day, she kisses some guy who's lead role in the play she's in, just to kiss him! Does Mi-su want to drive Will to insanity of jealousy? But of course, Will finds another way to get her back to him. Will has this annoying little sister that he has to deal with too. She throws away his favorite jelly beans, answers the phone and then hangs up, messes with Will's and she says things to him just to make Will snap. While all this stuff is happening with Will and his friends, his sister trys to make his life as miserable as she can possibly make it. During one of Will's most important chess games of his teenage life, Will's dad came in and told him that his little sister was in the hospital! I bet that Will felt bad that he was mean to his sister then!
I think this is one of the best Jerry Spinelli books i have ever read. He needs to make more books mature like this book is, instead of for like 10 year olds. This book is recamended to everyone who likes drama filled, confused boys in it (me)!
April 2, 2009
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 chess, skateboarding, astronomy, Mi-Su and monopoly. It gets really boring and really uninteresting. At the end, Tabby takes Will’s skateboard and gets injured. Where does that ending even come from? It was so obnoxious.
I thought the quality of writing was pretty dreadful for this book. He couldn’t relate to the writer at all. Who has heard of a chess-playing-star-loving-skateboarding-super-geek? Last time I checked, no one has. I chose this book because it was by Jerry Spinelli and I loved Maniac Magee. I disliked this book because the lack of excitement, and that the author poorly connected to the reader.
If you compared this book to Maniac Magee, it’d be like comparing the 2003 Detroit Tigers, who were 43-119, to the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who were 116-46. Yeah, that’s how bad Smiles to Go compared to Maniac Magee. I would not recommend this book but I would recommend any other books by Jerry Spinelli.
I thought the quality of writing was pretty dreadful for this book. He couldn’t relate to the writer at all. Who has heard of a chess-playing-star-loving-skateboarding-super-geek? Last time I checked, no one has. I chose this book because it was by Jerry Spinelli and I loved Maniac Magee. I disliked this book because the lack of excitement, and that the author poorly connected to the reader.
If you compared this book to Maniac Magee, it’d be like comparing the 2003 Detroit Tigers, who were 43-119, to the 2001 Seattle Mariners, who were 116-46. Yeah, that’s how bad Smiles to Go compared to Maniac Magee. I would not recommend this book but I would recommend any other books by Jerry Spinelli.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 3, 2024
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, I have no idea if Will's thought processes are "normal" for guys, but I couldn't write this review without including something about how much I love his approach to the fact that he's "drawn to" Mi-Su. His careful planning of the perfect moment, and making everything exactly how she would want it was adorable, and it made me love him so much more.
On top of loving the book itself, I thought that the audiobook for Smiles to Go was fantastic. It was, without a doubt, the shortest audiobook I've ever listened to (only four hours on disks) and I finished it in a day. I thought Conor Donovan did a great job reading, and I would definitely recommend getting the audio version of this book!
Kit
Not being a guy, I have no idea if Will's thought processes are "normal" for guys, but I couldn't write this review without including something about how much I love his approach to the fact that he's "drawn to" Mi-Su. His careful planning of the perfect moment, and making everything exactly how she would want it was adorable, and it made me love him so much more.
On top of loving the book itself, I thought that the audiobook for Smiles to Go was fantastic. It was, without a doubt, the shortest audiobook I've ever listened to (only four hours on disks) and I finished it in a day. I thought Conor Donovan did a great job reading, and I would definitely recommend getting the audio version of this book!
Kit
May 25, 2021
I liked it! I went into it thinking it would just be ok, and the beginning wasn't the best, but by the 100th page I couldn't put it down. The romance was sweet and interesting, and the story with will's sister is nice too. I find it a bit unrealistic that her parents could let the sister be so bratty, but they say it's because she wants to be close to will, and I guess i'll take their word for it because i don't know much about little kids. The description didn't imply there would be so much romance as there was, but I was ok with it. It was a great book that made me happy.
December 4, 2020
I would recommend this book to people who enjoy learning about the 80s to the 90s. It also reflects on 9th-grade life which is pretty close to our lives. We are only 2 years apart. The story is set in the 80s to 90s and the character William faces the challenge that he wants his crush to like him. Later on (spoiler alert) they just become friends together. Another challenge is that his sister is bothering and annoying him but later, he finds out that she rides his skateboard and got into an accident. When she was busy in the ICU, he finds out that she has been saving a lot of black jelly beans (the ones he likes) and she has been hiding them in her toy octopus waiting to be given on his birthday. This is when the character William realizes she loves him. One thing that I disliked was that his crush was never really his girlfriend in the end. Despite kissing each other twice.
February 15, 2023
Middle grade books are so much fun, especially when they are narrated by slightly obsessive teenage boys. This story was heartfelt and cute and so real. I wouldn’t say anything major really happens until near the end but it’s one of those books that is interesting anyway. Everyone should pick up a book below their reading level every now and then because there are so many hidden gems in books we think we do not need to read.
June 18, 2008
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 death of the proton, it was like a different book. He almost completely forgot about it and was much more "normal" and the story picked up. He skateboarded, crushed on his best friend Mi-Su, and was combatant with his little sister (his incredibly annoying little sister who needed several spankings she never received). Much more normal.
I think 7th-9th graders will enjoy this book quite a bit if they'll stick with it past the Proton Part, but I'm not sure they'll hang in there that long.
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 death of the proton, it was like a different book. He almost completely forgot about it and was much more "normal" and the story picked up. He skateboarded, crushed on his best friend Mi-Su, and was combatant with his little sister (his incredibly annoying little sister who needed several spankings she never received). Much more normal.
I think 7th-9th graders will enjoy this book quite a bit if they'll stick with it past the Proton Part, but I'm not sure they'll hang in there that long.
August 9, 2008
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... I was not as convinced by the 5-year-old Tabby and all her super sophisticated ways and the parents' lack of intervention between the two siblings since they seem to be VERY aware and understanding of both Tabby and Will's emotional lives. Usually, this would have been ground enough for me to discredit the whole book -- but since Will is so well drawn, I am willing to suspend my disbelief for those dozens of pages.
April 22, 2009
I'm a nerd.
And yet as I read this book, I couldn't help but think, "Whoa. This kid's a real nerd. Like Percy." While not my favorite of Spinelli's books, definitely a reminder of why he is such a good author.
***SPOILER***First, I like to think that the relationship aspects of this story happen with 16 y/o, not high school freshmen. And second, I don't like that they have cell phones. But third, is a real plot point: Mi-Su struck me as unrealistic because although she is popular, she doesn't seem like a player but nor does she hook up with Will after they kiss. She dates around (or at least, doesn't fixate on Will as much as he does on her). Does this really happen with kid's today? MK & I have talked about this and don't know if we can tell our kids it's okay to kiss after 16, but they can't seriously date until college. Are those conflicting messages?
And yet as I read this book, I couldn't help but think, "Whoa. This kid's a real nerd. Like Percy." While not my favorite of Spinelli's books, definitely a reminder of why he is such a good author.
***SPOILER***First, I like to think that the relationship aspects of this story happen with 16 y/o, not high school freshmen. And second, I don't like that they have cell phones. But third, is a real plot point: Mi-Su struck me as unrealistic because although she is popular, she doesn't seem like a player but nor does she hook up with Will after they kiss. She dates around (or at least, doesn't fixate on Will as much as he does on her). Does this really happen with kid's today? MK & I have talked about this and don't know if we can tell our kids it's okay to kiss after 16, but they can't seriously date until college. Are those conflicting messages?
February 24, 2015
Smiles to go by Jerry Spinelli was in my opinion a very good book. The main character Will Tuppence is in 9th grade about to go into 10th. Will's two best friends are named BT. BT is a laid back kind of guy which is the complete oposite of Will. Will has a little sister named Tabitha Tuppence and he dispises her in every way. Tabitha looks up to BT and whatever he does she will follow. One day BT goes down a skateboarding hill called dead mans hill. It is the most dangerous and scary hill any onw could go down. One day Tabitha is left with her aunt while Will and his parents go to a chess compition and Tabby didnt get to go. So Tabby threw a fit and she took Will's skateboard and went down deadmans hill. She was put in a trauma center and soon recovered. All in all Smiles to go was a very amazing book.
October 4, 2012
Spinelli's back with a gem of a story. I loved the focus on relationships between friends and siblings. It seemed very true to life. Will is a believable character and one that both boys and girls will relate to.
I just re-read this for my teen book group. Still a great read; Will is a wonderful character, flaws and all.
I just re-read this for my teen book group. Still a great read; Will is a wonderful character, flaws and all.
September 14, 2020
2020
A pretty cute story about an older brother who loathes his younger sister (and, partly, for good reason. She can be a bit of a nuisance). She's constantly messing with his things. And throwing away the good candy. And screaming when he's playing chess (specifically, so he can't concentrate). She wants to hang out with his friends. And ride his coolest skateboard. She's always breaking into his room and moving his things around.
We watch Will get more and more frustrated with his sister. And, honestly, I was feeling second hand frustration at the things she would pull.
But, eventually, we get to see their relationship turn around. We get to see Will realize that he cares for her, even with her crazy nonsensical ways. Even with her annoyances. And it was a beautiful thing to watch; him starting to realize that maybe she wasn't all that bad.
A pretty cute story about an older brother who loathes his younger sister (and, partly, for good reason. She can be a bit of a nuisance). She's constantly messing with his things. And throwing away the good candy. And screaming when he's playing chess (specifically, so he can't concentrate). She wants to hang out with his friends. And ride his coolest skateboard. She's always breaking into his room and moving his things around.
We watch Will get more and more frustrated with his sister. And, honestly, I was feeling second hand frustration at the things she would pull.
But, eventually, we get to see their relationship turn around. We get to see Will realize that he cares for her, even with her crazy nonsensical ways. Even with her annoyances. And it was a beautiful thing to watch; him starting to realize that maybe she wasn't all that bad.
January 13, 2018
3.5/5 I think. Spinelli is so unique and refreshing. I love when "kids" books tell "adult" stories. If you liked Stargirl, you'll love this. Poignant, refreshing, and full of character - which is saying something considering that the novel is short. Spinelli manages to touch our hearts in so few words <3. Lovely!
July 25, 2022
3/5
This is one of the more memorable books that I read growing up. I reread it to see why I enjoyed it so much. It was a fun read. I was really into the love triangle that was forming and I was let down to see that the topic changed as quickly as it did. The twist/message at the end was really cool and creative.
This is one of the more memorable books that I read growing up. I reread it to see why I enjoyed it so much. It was a fun read. I was really into the love triangle that was forming and I was let down to see that the topic changed as quickly as it did. The twist/message at the end was really cool and creative.
May 25, 2025
Spinelli never disappoints; although nothing will ever quite compare to Stargirl. This book was funny, sad, hopeful, cute, and full of love. The characters were one of a kind (I am obsessed with BT and Korbet!). I was left feeling like a couple stories were still a little undeveloped in the book, but that's ok! It was an enjoyable read all in all! :)
July 19, 2022
Finished my second read through and this book is still just as special to me - my absolute favorite middle grade novel. I love Jerry Spinelli. I love stories about appreciating life. I love that this is the only book I've ever re-read and that I'll probably end up coming back to it again.
February 5, 2018
Cute audiobook. Not something I'd want to sit and read, but it was nice to listen to while working
October 2, 2018
A feel-good book centered around the importance of family. Not my favorite, but it was nice to read.
February 21, 2025
DNF - this was cute but not for me. I feel like it would definitely be good for some people but I just couldn’t get into it. The characters were too unrealistic and I just couldn’t do it.
*I read this book as part of my 2025 Take Down the TBR Challenge. It has been on my shelf for at least ten years*
*I read this book as part of my 2025 Take Down the TBR Challenge. It has been on my shelf for at least ten years*
February 22, 2017
Another home run for Jerry Spinelli. His characters are spot on.
May 22, 2014
The novel Smiles To Go revolves around a melodramatic high school freshman named Will. One day, Will Tuppence finds out that protons can decay, which is a shock for him, because he thought they can live forever. , and of course his annoying little sister, Tabby.
Will has a crush on his best friend Mi-Su, who is very self centered, and really doesn’t care about anybody but herself and her growing popularity as an actress and singer in the school play.
There mutual friend is BT, a so called skating legend that is known for skating down Dead Man’s Hill. He is an easy going and spirited boy.
Spinelli also touches on relationships between siblings. Tabby loves to annoy her older brother Will by screaming “Riley picked his nose” Tabby is an annoying, silly young sister, that wanted to be just like her big brother, but that came with a price.
This book develops ideas about the importance of friendship, family, and a little bit about love. When Will sees what Mi-Su and BT did when they were admiring the stars, he turns into a raging and jealous person.
I have read a few books from Jerry Spinelli, but I thought that the writing quality of this book was very low, especially when he writes a lot of sentences that don’t go into detail.
“I’m at the top of a hill. Dead Man’s Hill. Black Viper wobbles beneath me. Wind whistles.”
What I did really enjoy was that he made the characters have side conversations, which would tell us a little more about themselves, but also being detailed about the setting.
“Am I cheating on him? How much do I really know about him and Mi-Su? Mi-Su says it was the night, not BT. Is she telling the truth?”
The blurb on the back of the book concentrates on the themes of protons, when it is really more about skateboarding, love, and Saturday night monopoly. I’m not super hyped about this book. This is not a middle school book, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody other than elementary school children because of its lack of sophisticated vocabulary and poor plot development.
Will has a crush on his best friend Mi-Su, who is very self centered, and really doesn’t care about anybody but herself and her growing popularity as an actress and singer in the school play.
There mutual friend is BT, a so called skating legend that is known for skating down Dead Man’s Hill. He is an easy going and spirited boy.
Spinelli also touches on relationships between siblings. Tabby loves to annoy her older brother Will by screaming “Riley picked his nose” Tabby is an annoying, silly young sister, that wanted to be just like her big brother, but that came with a price.
This book develops ideas about the importance of friendship, family, and a little bit about love. When Will sees what Mi-Su and BT did when they were admiring the stars, he turns into a raging and jealous person.
I have read a few books from Jerry Spinelli, but I thought that the writing quality of this book was very low, especially when he writes a lot of sentences that don’t go into detail.
“I’m at the top of a hill. Dead Man’s Hill. Black Viper wobbles beneath me. Wind whistles.”
What I did really enjoy was that he made the characters have side conversations, which would tell us a little more about themselves, but also being detailed about the setting.
“Am I cheating on him? How much do I really know about him and Mi-Su? Mi-Su says it was the night, not BT. Is she telling the truth?”
The blurb on the back of the book concentrates on the themes of protons, when it is really more about skateboarding, love, and Saturday night monopoly. I’m not super hyped about this book. This is not a middle school book, and I wouldn’t recommend it to anybody other than elementary school children because of its lack of sophisticated vocabulary and poor plot development.
May 23, 2014
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The novel Smiles To Go is centered around Will, a freshmen in highschool and about Will’s obsessions that begin the day he learns of proton decay. This book takes you on a journey filled with teen crushes and Will’s emotions that flood him with problems.. Many themes of the book include melodramatic reactions, teen crushes, dealing with family, and the struggle between friends. The themes discussed are teen drama and struggle with friends. Another theme is science and astronomy/ protons and proton decay which is an irrelevant detail accept for the beginning of the book.
Will, the main character is an overly emotional kid that loves science and astronomy, with a crush on his best friend Mi-Su who, like Will, is interested in science.. He has trouble with his sister and is self centered. He does not think of how others feel and can’t cope with jealousy. Mi-Su is Will’s crush, she is very fickle and cannot make up her mind about those around her and her feelings towards them. She is an annoying brat and is oblivious to others’ feelings, especially Will. BT is Will and Mi-Su’s friend will gets jealous of BT, when they kiss. bt does not seem to care about wills obsession or the kiss. he is a lazy unreliable teenager, who doesn't care to try hard Tabby is wills younger sister and is the brattiest kid in the world, she is the worst and the author ran out of ideas making this character with making unnecessary, stupid characteristics, like eating with work tools.
This was a poor book it was horrible on levels that are indescribable. The book has no interesting plot, the title and description on the back of the book are misleading. This book is one that teachers might assign to their class, the book is filled with wills drama about his crush and friends. this book was not interesting and anyone who might consider reading it i highly suggest against it, it is a waste of time.
overall this book was horrible and I don’t recommend it to anyone.
overall rating 1/10
The novel Smiles To Go is centered around Will, a freshmen in highschool and about Will’s obsessions that begin the day he learns of proton decay. This book takes you on a journey filled with teen crushes and Will’s emotions that flood him with problems.. Many themes of the book include melodramatic reactions, teen crushes, dealing with family, and the struggle between friends. The themes discussed are teen drama and struggle with friends. Another theme is science and astronomy/ protons and proton decay which is an irrelevant detail accept for the beginning of the book.
Will, the main character is an overly emotional kid that loves science and astronomy, with a crush on his best friend Mi-Su who, like Will, is interested in science.. He has trouble with his sister and is self centered. He does not think of how others feel and can’t cope with jealousy. Mi-Su is Will’s crush, she is very fickle and cannot make up her mind about those around her and her feelings towards them. She is an annoying brat and is oblivious to others’ feelings, especially Will. BT is Will and Mi-Su’s friend will gets jealous of BT, when they kiss. bt does not seem to care about wills obsession or the kiss. he is a lazy unreliable teenager, who doesn't care to try hard Tabby is wills younger sister and is the brattiest kid in the world, she is the worst and the author ran out of ideas making this character with making unnecessary, stupid characteristics, like eating with work tools.
This was a poor book it was horrible on levels that are indescribable. The book has no interesting plot, the title and description on the back of the book are misleading. This book is one that teachers might assign to their class, the book is filled with wills drama about his crush and friends. this book was not interesting and anyone who might consider reading it i highly suggest against it, it is a waste of time.
overall this book was horrible and I don’t recommend it to anyone.
overall rating 1/10
November 5, 2019
Smiles to Go by Jerry Spinelli is a book about a kid Will Tuppence, a kid interested and has an annoying little sister named Tabbitha. One day, a girl named Mi-su calls him and tells him to turn to a radio channel, he then learns of a proton dying. Soon many things start happening, his friend named BT skates down a deadly hill, he gets worried of everything going to be gone, one tiny flash at a time. I really enjoyed this book, it was emotional, suspenseful, and interesting, sometimes I just couldn’t put the book down. I would definitely recommend this book and other books by this author, I personally came from MilkWeed yet anyways. This book is a realistic fiction with drama and sometimes it hit you hard, especially the ending, which was very powerful and sometimes you feel bad for Will, and Tabby, and what he learns really impacts him and his life.
April 6, 2011
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 romantic mayhem. He thinks he likes Mi-Su, but BT does too. How does this affect them all? Mi-Su and Will have known each other their whole lives and agreed to study science when they got older. But, Mi-Su falls in love with the theater after her performance in The Music Man at school...now she wants to be an actress! Say it isn't so! BT gives into Will's little sister, Tabby when she wants skateboarding lessons, or wants to hang with them on a Saturday, or watch movies. It's infuriating! After all, BT has his own little annoying siblings to cater to.
Life throws curve balls at us, just when we least expect it. But, life has a funny way of using these teachable moments as catalysts for changes. Will was certain his life was headed in the right direction and still probably is...only it is taking a different path to get there. In time, Will learns that there are many different kinds of love, not just love that is romantic feelings...it is also the love between a brother and sister for which holds a bond that can't be broken, no matter what. And, for all is lessons learned about love, science, and friendship, he knows he still has Smiles To Go.
Used for Hiawatha School Book Talk: April, 2011.
Will is just trying to figure out how his best friends, and the normalcy of their days together, could have gotten mixed up in romantic mayhem. He thinks he likes Mi-Su, but BT does too. How does this affect them all? Mi-Su and Will have known each other their whole lives and agreed to study science when they got older. But, Mi-Su falls in love with the theater after her performance in The Music Man at school...now she wants to be an actress! Say it isn't so! BT gives into Will's little sister, Tabby when she wants skateboarding lessons, or wants to hang with them on a Saturday, or watch movies. It's infuriating! After all, BT has his own little annoying siblings to cater to.
Life throws curve balls at us, just when we least expect it. But, life has a funny way of using these teachable moments as catalysts for changes. Will was certain his life was headed in the right direction and still probably is...only it is taking a different path to get there. In time, Will learns that there are many different kinds of love, not just love that is romantic feelings...it is also the love between a brother and sister for which holds a bond that can't be broken, no matter what. And, for all is lessons learned about love, science, and friendship, he knows he still has Smiles To Go.
Used for Hiawatha School Book Talk: April, 2011.
May 23, 2014
Smiles To Go
I just enjoyed reading Smiles To Go by Jerry Spinelli. This book discusses the lives of three 9th graders that are best friends. The main character is Will, an average 9th grader who likes to play Monopoly with his best friends Mi-Su and BT. He has a very annoying sister named Tabby who always wants to play monopoly with them on Saturday nights or go to their parties. One night they go to a special party where they can see different stars and galaxies, and Will catches Mi-Su and BT kissing. Then everything changes with their relationships. They still play the Monopoly games together but Will has a plan to try and kiss Mi-Su, and for much of the book is preoccupied thinking about Mi-Su. Jerry Spinelli focuses on themes like relationships and romance. For relationships, a main example is that BT and Mi-Su always meet on Saturday nights to play Monopoly and eat pizza. They have been doing that every Saturday since they all met. That shows that their relationships are very good and they are great friends. Another theme is romance. There was a lot of romance in this book, for example when Will plans how he will kiss Mi-Su, and also when BT kissed Mi-Su at the star party.
I really like Jerry Spinelli’s writing style because he writes the book like it is Will’s diary. I think that this book was ok. I think that it would be more enjoyable for kids when they are reading the book for fun and can stop at any page. This book wouldn’t be good for assigned reading, because the kids would have to stop at a specific page and if they were at a very exciting part of the book they couldn’t read on. This book is like a middle school or high school kids life, so I think that teens and kids would enjoy this book a lot because they can relate to it.
I just enjoyed reading Smiles To Go by Jerry Spinelli. This book discusses the lives of three 9th graders that are best friends. The main character is Will, an average 9th grader who likes to play Monopoly with his best friends Mi-Su and BT. He has a very annoying sister named Tabby who always wants to play monopoly with them on Saturday nights or go to their parties. One night they go to a special party where they can see different stars and galaxies, and Will catches Mi-Su and BT kissing. Then everything changes with their relationships. They still play the Monopoly games together but Will has a plan to try and kiss Mi-Su, and for much of the book is preoccupied thinking about Mi-Su. Jerry Spinelli focuses on themes like relationships and romance. For relationships, a main example is that BT and Mi-Su always meet on Saturday nights to play Monopoly and eat pizza. They have been doing that every Saturday since they all met. That shows that their relationships are very good and they are great friends. Another theme is romance. There was a lot of romance in this book, for example when Will plans how he will kiss Mi-Su, and also when BT kissed Mi-Su at the star party.
I really like Jerry Spinelli’s writing style because he writes the book like it is Will’s diary. I think that this book was ok. I think that it would be more enjoyable for kids when they are reading the book for fun and can stop at any page. This book wouldn’t be good for assigned reading, because the kids would have to stop at a specific page and if they were at a very exciting part of the book they couldn’t read on. This book is like a middle school or high school kids life, so I think that teens and kids would enjoy this book a lot because they can relate to it.
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