Max really, really wants to win the young journalist's competition, but this year it requires a video, not just an article she could write. Max doesn't want to be on camera, where people could see her severe overbite and make her life even more miserable that the school bullies do. Meanwhile, her family is on the verge of falling apart--she and her sister don't get along, and their parents are regularly fighting too. Max really needs a win, but there are just so many things working against her.

This seems an easy one to hand to readers of Smile, but besides the dental drama there's not a lot of overlap. Max's family issues are far larger than Telgemeier's, creating a much darker tone to the story (which, also, is a prose story and not a graphic novel).

Solid middle grades title about orthondontia, bullying, friends, family, sibling rivalry, and more. Max is dealing with major changes and her sister who used to be her best friend! When her sister joins her at middle school, suddenly she becomes a bully!