Smiles to Go

Written by Jerry Spinelli

Narrated by Conor Donovan

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.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Apr 29, 2008
• ISBN: 9780061632365

Jerry Spinelli

Jerry Spinelli received the Newbery Medal for Maniac Magee and a Newbery Honor for Wringer. His other books include Stargirl; Love, Stargirl; Smiles to Go; Loser; Jake and Lily; Hokey Pokey; and The Warden’s Daughter. His novels are recognized for their humor and poignancy, and his characters and situations are often drawn from his real-life experience as a father of six children. Jerry lives with his wife, Eileen, also a writer, in Wayne, Pennsylvania.

Reviews for Smiles to Go

[crayolacrayon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Um... a good book, overall. There were some not-so-good parts: WARNER!! SPOILER!!! DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE WHOLE THING!!!!At the end when his sister is in the hospital and he decides to "be Tabby for her" and rips up the old wedding presents (that will make no sense if you have not read the book) and does that whole "Riley picked his nose thing" was a fake sort of climax.SPOILER OVER!!!But it was OK- three and a half stars, I'll say.

[jennk-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'll start off saying that it took me two tries to get going with this book. Part of it could be that after starting it, I went on vacation for a week and lost the mood. The other part is the book itself. Even the second time, it took a bit for me to get interested in it. It's leisurely paced and calculated, like the main character Will Tuppence, who has a scientific mind and enjoys breaking life into measurable parts.

Will is obsessed with the proton; all his life he has believed that somethings existed that was indestructible. One morning he learns otherwise and it turns his world upside down. This event is the catalyst for all other events in the book. The death of the proton changes Will's view of his world. This provides a different backdrop for the typical teen experience of experiencing love for the first time, coming to terms with other people's choices and dealing with a bratty younger sister.

It took some time but toward the end of the book I decided I liked it. It's not going on my top ten list, but it was worth the read.

[salsabrarian · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Narrated by Conor Donovan. I listened to this at the same time as "Sleeping Freshmen Never Lie" and there were so many similarities, right down to the black jellybeans, that I got confused which story I was listening to! Will is obsessive about selected areas of his life: does Mi Su like me, what was that kiss between Mi Su and BT all about, plotting the minutiae of his Valentine's date, etc. I wanted to shake him and tell him to loosen up! The story and Will's character became more interesting with Tabby's accident and Will's interactions with Korbet, the 5-year-old neighbor crushing on Tabby.

[cheryl_in_cc_nv · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Only for true Spinelli fans. Felt contrived. Seemed as if Spinelli called up a guidance counselor because he was hunting for a problem, for an idea- his heart didn't seem to be in it.

[whitewavedarling · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

More serious than much of Spinelli's work, this novel still carries off his signature humor and style. The characters are both interesting and believable, and the story is engaging. More than sports, this novel also incorporates science and astronomy in a fashion that will add even more interest for young readers with a passing (or more than passing) interest in science. Simply, while I'm not sure that this is as quick-moving or humorous as Spinelli's shorter works, and while I'm not sure that it quite stands up to those other works, it is still quite wonderful and worthwhile.

[katie-2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First-person narrative. High school freshman boy, Will Tuppence -- has an annoying little five-year-old sister Tabby. His earth-shattering moments include the moment he realized (at age five) that everything is made of protons, the moment he discovered (at age fifteen) that a proton was dead, and the moment he realized his two best friends -- the ones he plays Monopoly with every Saturday night -- Mi-Su and BT (Anthony Bontempo) -- are in a relationship. BT is famous for being the first person to skateboard down Dead Man's Hill.

Eventually Will lays a plan and builds up his own courage to kiss Mi-Su, though frustratingly he's not sure he's really won the girl. Meanwhile, his sister Tabby makes his life miserable and while he does his best to ignore her, when she finally causes a family crisis by running away and skating down Dead Man's Hill on his Black Viper skateboard (which she's not allowed to touch) - and ends up in intensive care, he realizes that she desperately loves him and he loves her.

A kid focusing on the stars finally learns to see the people around him -- all of whom love him.

Sibling relationships... first love relationships...

[karenball_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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 exist? And though he will obviously be dead by then, will he be an angel or spirit and aware of it? You might think this is a serious book -- but then, this is Jerry Spinelli, who adds in plenty of real-life situations: skateboarding down the infamous Deadman's Hill, annoying little sister Tabby, the every-Saturday-night Monopoly games and pizza with Mi-Su and BT and the inevitable teenage romance problems their triangle presents, the teachers who are detention-slip gods, and where to hide the Christmas presents so no one finds them. Will's experiences are funny, especially when he asks the five-year-old neighbor boy who has a crush on Tabby for romantic advice! 6th grade and up.

[nateray_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My friend Ben recommended this and at first I was kinda like..uh...no. BUt when I forced myself to read it, I couldn't get away from it! My nose was stuck inside of it!

[prettypinkpony1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked the ending of this book because it surprised me when Tabby was doing stuff to annoy Will just because she wanted to be closer to him, but she didn't know how to show it. It also really surprised me when Tabby took Will's skateboard and rode it down dead Man's Hill.

[8f_sam · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book was very interessting. It sort of reminds me a little like my life near the end, where Will's sister, Tabby got hurt, and he realizes just how much he loves her...... Last, last winter, my sister had a brain injury, and had to be hospitalized. That's really when I realized how much I treasure her, and how much life'll be different without her, no matter how annoying she might be. This book was really cool though! A little on the normal side though, like...almost every book I've read is about a normal teenager, living their normal lives until something happens. In this book, Will falls in love. Really interessting though! I love Jerry Spinelli!!!

[booksandbosox · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At first, this book just seemed like a breezy, but still very enjoyable, read from the fantastic Jerry Spinelli. Then Will's obsessive ruminations started to get on my nerves a little bit and I was starting to feel over this book. And then, it socks me in the gut with a twist and gets all emotional and I'm almost crying. In the end, this was quite a good book. Spinelli continues to impress me. His books are simple yet spellbinding at the same time.

[ermasue44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's about a skateboarder who likes his best friend since childhood. He has another friend who he is afraid also likes his friend. He wants to be an star gazer. He keeps track of days in his diary by how many days after the first proton died.

[teacherddunn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Will has an incredibly annoying little sister, a crush on a girl he has been friends since kindergarten, and another friend who is a goof ball. As Will tries to deal with all of these factors, he comes to grips with who he really is.

[librariankristin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ninth-grader Will learns to deal with uncertainty in this quiet coming-of-age title. His best friendships get confusing when he realizes he has a crush on Mi-Su when he sees her kissing BT. His little sister will not leave him alone no matter what he does. When even the science he has learned to rely on fails him, he doesn't know where to turn.

[brainlair · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"I don't like not knowing what comes after Plan Part VII-G." Will Tuppence is obsessed with forever. That's how long he wants to be around. Will tries to control his life, his friend's lives, and everyone else's. Then the proton dies...and Will's live becomes the very thing he is so afraid - unpredictable.This story is funny and lyrical. You can't help writing down some of the lines or reading them to whoever happens to be near you! I can't wait to pass it on!