A USA Today bestseller perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier’s Smile, this is a funny and fresh middle-grade debut novel about jawbreaking dental drama.

Max Plink’s life just got a lot more complicated. Trouble at home? Check—with money tight, her parents haven’t been getting along lately. School bullies? Double check—especially if you count her sister, who is the worst bully of them all. Dental drama? Oh, you have no idea. With a mismatched puzzle of a jaw, Max has a Class II malocclusion, otherwise known as a severe overbite. She already has braces, which means she lives on Advil and soft foods after each orthodontist appointment. But now Max has to wear totally awkward orthodontic headgear nicknamed “the jawbreaker.” Could things get any worse?

Yes, they could. The journalism competition Max wants to enter has a video component. But being on camera means showing her face not just to her junior high classmates, but possibly the whole city. Going viral is the last thing Max needs, but winning this competition is what she wants most. Turns out, following her dreams is complicated, too.

Inspired by Christina Wyman’s own experience with a Class II malocclusion, Jawbreaker is a humorous and refreshingly honest story perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Terri Libenson, Kelly Yang, Gordon Korman, and other endlessly funny and deeply heartfelt books that tackle big topics and universal coming-of-age experiences alike.

Don’t miss Slouch, the highly anticipated, stand-alone follow-up to Jawbreaker, about a tall girl navigating friends, family, self-esteem, and boundaries.

CHRISTINA WYMAN

Christina Wyman is a teacher and writer living in Michigan with her husband and their silly rescue cats named Alfred and Greta Cannoli—not to mention the raccoons, owls, and hummingbirds that occupy a tree outside their bedroom window. She grew up in a tiny apartment with her family in Brooklyn, New York, where she dreamed of becoming a writer. Her work has been published in New York Magazine, The Washington Post, Elle, Ms. Magazine, The Independent, and other outlets. Christina is also the USA Today bestselling author of the middle grade novels Jawbreaker and Slouch. When she’s not writing, you can find Christina stocking up on chocolate or trying to convince her husband to adopt more cats. Most recently, she’s developed a passion for eating strawberry jam straight out of the jar.