Smiles to Go

The novel focuses on Will Tuppence, a ninth grader and meticulous planner who loves stargazing and chess. He develops romantic feelings for his friend Mi-Su, who ends up preferring Will's other best friend, BT. Will's younger sister Tabby gets into an accident, and he realizes that by annoying him, she had been expressing her love.

Smiles to Go was published by the HarperCollins imprint Joanna Cotler^[1] on April 29, 2008.^[2] It was intended for middle-grade readers.^[1][3][4] Spinelli promoted the book by visiting Manchester Elementary and Middle School in Manchester, Vermont in May, 2008,^[5] and doing a reading at the Philadelphia Book Festival on May 18, 2008.^[6] An audiobook read by Conor Donovan was released the same year.^[7]

Smiles to Go received positive reviews from critics,^[8] who praised its voice,^[3][9] humor,^{[1][10][9][11]} and characterization,^{[1][10][3][9]} and emotional resonance,^{[1][3][12][13]} though some found the plot^[10][4] or themes heavy-handed.^[3]