Invisible Emmie
by Terri Libenson
Graphic Novel
Realistic Fiction
* * * Stars (Pretty good)
Emmie is a 7th grader and despite her amazing art skills, she’s basically invisible to her peers. She’s not bullied or picked on, but she’s certainly not popular either. She has one good friend (Brianna), but they don’t have many classes together, so Emmie spends most of her school days feeling alone and somewhat anxious. One day at lunch Emmie and Brianna write fake love letters to their crushes, which is funny until Emmie drops hers and another kids finds it, reads it, and spreads it around the school. So.embarrassing. Emmie isn’t sure she’ll survive the humiliation. But when her crush finds out, he thinks it’s kind of funny, too, and he actually starts talking to Emmie. Suddenly she isn’t so invisible anymore.
Anyone who has ever been through middle school will be able to appreciate Emmie’s story – even if they haven’t felt invisible themselves. Just being thirteen has its own host of problems and being easily and horrifically embarrassed is definitely one of them. Told in alternating chapters from invisible Emmie’s and contrastingly popular and self-assured Katie’s points of view.
Reviewed by Young Adult Librarian
