  | Invisible boy Author: Ludwig, Trudy | |
| Price: $23.28 | ||
Summary:
Brian has always felt invisible at school, but when a new student, Justin, arrives, everything changes.
| Illustrator: | Barton, Patrice |
Download a Teacher's Guide| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: LG Reading Level: 2.80 Points: .5 Quiz: 161744 | Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: K-2 Reading Level: 3.20 Points: 1.0 Quiz: 61669 | |
Common Core Standards
Grade 1 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → 1.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 2 → Reading → RL Reading Literature → 2.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 3 → Reading → RL Literature → 3.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → 5.RL Key Ideas & Details
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (09/15/13)
School Library Journal (02/01/17)
Booklist (11/01/13)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 09/01/2013 K-Gr 2—Brian feels invisible. His teacher hardly notices him, the other kids never invite him to play, and he eats lunch alone. But he loves to draw, so at recess, he creates comics about greedy pirates, battling space aliens, and superheroes with the power to make friends everywhere. One day, a new boy, Justin, joins the class. The other children make fun of him for eating Bulgogi, a Korean dish, but Brian slips him a friendly note. When it is time to find partners for a class project, Justin asks Brian to join him and another boy. Brian's artistic talents come in handy, and finally he is no longer invisible. This is a simple yet heartfelt story about a boy who has been excluded for no apparent reason but finds a way to cope and eventually gains acceptance. Barton's scribbly illustrations look like something Brian may have made. Pencil sketches painted digitally are set against lots of white space, and sometimes atop a background of Brian's drawings on lined notebook paper. At the start of this picture book, Brian is shown in shades of gray while the rest of the world is in color, a visual reminder of his isolation. Color starts to creep in as he is noticed by Justin. Once he becomes part of the group, he is revealed in full color. The thought-provoking story includes questions for discussion and suggested reading lists for adults and children in the back matter. Pair this highly recommended book with Jacqueline Woodson's Each Kindness (Penguin, 2012) for units on friendship or feelings.—Martha Simpson, Stratford Library Association, CT - Copyright 2013 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
Booklist - 11/01/2013 For the first half of Ludwig’s picture book, a lonesome-looking boy appears rendered in gray and white. Even the teacher has no time for “invisible” Brian, as she is busy dealing with the noisy children in her class. Brian, with his big glasses and toothy smile, gets his hopes dashed when he isn’t picked for the kickball team. He finds solace in his drawings, where fire-breathing dragons scale tall buildings and superheroes have the power to make friends. When new student Justin arrives, Brian befriends him when the others don’t, and they become buddies and even add a third boy to become a trio. Now visible in glorious color, Brian and his new friends present a project to their newly appreciative classmates. The joyful last pages show Brian with the children playing happily in real and imaginary activities. Brian’s childlike drawings, done in ink and collage, are spot-on in representing the way children depict their imaginary world and their very real feelings. “Questions for Discussion” in the back matter provide guidelines for teachers and parents. - Copyright 2013 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 02/01/2017 EMPATHY; PERSPECTIVE-TAKING - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
