Raina Telgemeier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Raina Telgemeier |
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Telgemeier receiving an Inkpot Award in 2023
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| Born | Raina Diane Telgemeier May 26, 1977 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
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Notable works
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Smile (2010) Drama (2012) Sisters (2014) Ghosts (2016) Guts (2019) |
| Awards | Eisner: 2011 (Smile), 2015 (Sisters), 2017 (Ghosts), Dwayne McDuffie Award for Kids' Comics: 2017 (Ghosts), Inkpot Award: 2023 |
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Raina Telgemeier (born May 26, 1977) is a famous American cartoonist. She writes and draws graphic novels, which are like comic books but tell a longer story. Many of her books are very popular and have appeared on The New York Times Best Seller lists.
Her most well-known works include the graphic novels Smile, Sisters, Drama, Ghosts, and Guts. She also created graphic novel versions of some The Baby-Sitters Club stories by Ann M. Martin.
Contents
About Raina Telgemeier's Early Life
Raina Telgemeier was born in San Francisco, California, on May 26, 1977. She grew up in the same city with her two younger siblings, Amara and Will.
When Raina was in sixth grade, she had an accident where she knocked out her two front teeth. This meant she needed braces and several surgeries. These experiences later inspired her popular graphic novel, Smile.
She went to Lowell High School in San Francisco. After high school, she studied illustration at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She graduated from there in 2002.
Raina Telgemeier's Career as a Cartoonist
After finishing art school, Raina started her career by going to small comic festivals. She sold her own mini-comics, which were short, autobiographical stories about her life. Between 2002 and 2005, she made seven mini-comics in a series called Take-Out.
She also drew short stories for other comic books, like Bizarro World for DC Comics. She also contributed to Volume 4 of the Flight anthology.
How Raina Started Drawing Baby-Sitters Club Books
A big step in Raina's career was when she started making graphic novel versions of The Baby-Sitters Club books. In 2004, she met an editor from Scholastic, a big book publisher. They were planning to create a new section for graphic novels.
Raina told them she loved The Baby-Sitters Club series by Ann M. Martin. Scholastic then asked her to turn these popular books into graphic novels. She drew four books in the series: Kristy's Great Idea, The Truth About Stacey, Mary Anne Saves the Day, and Claudia and Mean Janine.
Working on these books allowed Raina to focus on her art full-time. She finished the fourth Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel in 2008.
Original Graphic Novels and Bestsellers
In February 2010, Raina released Smile as a full graphic novel. This book was based on her own experiences with dental work and growing up. Smile quickly became a huge success. It appeared on The New York Times bestseller list in 2011 and stayed there for a very long time.
After Smile, Raina created several other original graphic novels. All of these books also became New York Times bestsellers:
- Drama (2012): This book is about a middle school stage crew and performers. Even though it's fiction, Raina used her own experiences from school theater to write it.
- Sisters (2014): This graphic novel tells the story of Raina's life growing up with her younger sister.
- Ghosts (2016): This book is about a girl who can see ghosts. It follows her adventures in a new town during Day of the Dead celebrations.
- Guts (2019): This book explores Raina's own experiences with stomach problems, food, school, and changing friendships.
Raina has also contributed to other comic collections. These include Nursery Rhyme Comics (2011), Fairy Tale Comics (2013), and the Explorer graphic novel series (2012, 2013). She also worked on Comics Squad: Recess! (2014).
Raina wants her books to tell kids that "it's going to be O.K." She believes that by talking and understanding each other, people can find a lot in common.
In 2021, an ice cream company called Salt & Straw made special ice cream flavors based on Scholastic comics. Raina's flavor was called "Smile: Words & Pictures." It was inspired by pencils and notebook paper.
In 2023, Raina announced that she had finished drawing her next graphic novel. This new book, called The Cartoonists Club, is co-written with Scott McCloud. It is planned to be published on April 1, 2025.
Raina Telgemeier's Personal Life
Raina Telgemeier was married to another cartoonist named Dave Roman. They got married in 2006 but divorced in 2015.
She used to live in Astoria, New York. Currently, she lives in San Francisco, California.
See also
In Spanish: Raina Telgemeier para niños
