Read after

What to read after
"Smile"

Your kid finished Smile. Here are 8 books matched across 30 dimensions — not by what other people bought.

The book they finished

Smile

by Raina Telgemeier

The graphic memoir that helped a generation of kids feel less alone about being different

Kid 62 Parent 68 Teacher 68 Ages 9-13

8 books matched on the same reader profile

Each pick scored its match using the 30-dimension data we record on every book — interest hooks (e.g. epic worldbuilding, friendship arcs), character appeal, emotional core, tone, pacing. The "why it matches" line under each book tells you exactly why it should land.

1
Guts

by Raina Telgemeier

Kid 67 Parent 69 Teacher 66 Ages 9-11
Why it matches "Smile"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same pacing (steady clip)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
Full review →
2
El Deafo

by Cece Bell

Kid 69 Parent 75 Teacher 74 Ages 8-11
Why it matches "Smile"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
- • Same tension source (identity crisis)
Full review →
3
Real Friends

by Shannon Hale

Kid 56 Parent 66 Teacher 63 Ages 8-11
Why it matches "Smile"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Same pacing (steady clip)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
- • Both lean into school life + friendship crew
Full review →
4
Awkward

by Svetlana Chmakova

Kid 63 Parent 64 Teacher 61 Ages 9-12
Why it matches "Smile"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
- • Shared humor: situational
Full review →
5
Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks

by Jason Reynolds

Kid 71 Parent 82 Teacher 80 Ages 10-13
Why it matches "Smile"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same pacing (steady clip)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
Full review →
6
Chrysanthemum

by Kevin Henkes

Kid 59 Parent 67 Teacher 73 Ages Ages 4-6
Why it matches "Smile"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same pacing (steady clip)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
Full review →
7
EllRay Jakes Is a Rock Star!

by Sally Warner

Kid 53 Parent 47 Teacher 43 Ages 7-9
Why it matches "Smile"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Both warm in tone
- • Same pacing (steady clip)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
Full review →
8
Class Act

by Jerry Craft

Kid 69 Parent 75 Teacher 79 Ages 10-13
Why it matches "Smile"
- • Same genre (realistic fiction)
- • Same emotional weight (moderate)
- • Same tension source (identity crisis)
- • Shared humor: situational
Full review →

Want a match made for YOUR kid specifically?

These matches are profile-against-profile. Take the 2-minute SPARK quiz and we'll match a book to your kid's actual reading personality — interest, habits, what holds them.

Take the SPARK quiz →

How these matches are scored

We score every children's book on KidsBookCheck across 30 dimensions — kid-side (laugh-out-loud, plot twists, mental movie, heart-punch, character voice, etc.), parent-side (writing quality, moral reasoning, vocabulary, age-fit), and teacher-side (read-aloud power, discussion fuel, empathy building). Plus rich metadata: tone, pacing, emotional weight, interest hooks, character appeal, emotional core, tension source, humor style.

For every book, our profile-match algorithm finds others where the most heavily-weighted dimensions overlap. That's why these matches feel different from "readers also enjoyed" — we're matching by what hooks the same reader, not by who else bought it. More about our scoring →