The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

Reviewed by Lori

The Invisible Boy


 Title: The Invisible Boy

Author: Trudy Ludwig

Illustrator: Patrice Barton

Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 71464

Description: Brian has always felt invisible at school, but when a new student arrives, everything changes.




Curriculum Links: 
  • Anti-Bully
  • Art: Drawing
  • Character Education - Empathy, Kindness
  • Friendship
  • Social Studies: Developing a Sense of Self and Others
  • Reading: Transforming

Lori's Notes: 
I think this is a beautiful picture book and story.  Brian is an invisible boy, he doesn't take up much room, doesn't make a fuss, he's barely noticed by the teacher and ignored by the kids in his class. He isn't picked for the kickball team, isn't invited to birthday parties, and eats his lunch alone.  But when Justin begins school and is teased, Brian wonders whether it is better to be laughed at or ignored. Brian draws Justin a picture and just like that a friendship is born.  Justin can see Brian's talent in his drawings and includes Brian in his group work for school, as one person begins to see what Brian can do, everyone else begins to see Brian too.  I loved how the illustrations worked in this book.  Brian is a little boy in black and white but once he begins to build friendships he becomes more vibrant and colourful.  You don't need many friends, sometimes all it takes is one to make your world more special.  I really liked that we see Brian drawing with chalk on the ground on the front papers and the kids from his class on the end pages becoming part of his work.  There are  questions included in the back of the book useful for classroom discussion.

Recommended Audience: Kindergarten to Grade 2
  • Great title for quiet introverted kids
  • Good title for anti-bullying
  • Good title to include for art lessons

Inquiries and Activities: 
  • Create a picture using black and white for one feature and colour for everything else. Alternatively, create a black and white picture and use only one colour to draw attention to that item.
  • Do you think it would be better to be laughed at or ignored?
  • How does Brian help Justin and how does Justin help Brian?
  • Why and/or how is Brian invisible?
  • Have you ever felt invisible?  How did it make you feel?  What made you feel colourful again?
  • What happens when you feel left out?

Comments

Post a Comment

Thank you for Reading!

Popular posts from this blog

Bluffton by Matt Phelan

Reviewed by Lori
Image
Title:  Bluffton: My Summers with Buster Author:  Matt Phelan Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 138305 Description:    Henry bonds with a young Buster Keaton over games of baseball while the latter summers locally with a troupe of vaudeville performers. Rubric Rating:   Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It:  A growing interest in Graphic novels and a fascination with silent films. Notes:   I really liked this graphic novel.  The images are soft – softly coloured and softly focused.  This is the story of Henry Harrison and the summers that Buster Keaton and the Vaudeville troop come and stay at Bluffton.  While Henry is a fictional character Buster Keaton is not and the novel is based on his autobiography. The arrival of Buster brings excitement to Henry’s life.  They fill their summer days with baseball, pratfalls, and pranks. When Buster leaves for the show, Henry’s life returns to normal, helping his father at the har...
Read more

Cardturner by Louis Sachar

Reviewed by Lori
Image
Title: Cardturner Author: Louis Sachar Perma-Bound Catalogue #: 43908 Description: When his wealthy uncle, a champion bridge player who has lost his vision, asks seventeen-year-old Alton to be a cardturner for him, Alton has no idea how much he will ultimately learn from his eccentric relative.  Includes appendix by Syd Fox with information about bridge. Rubric Rating: Level 3 - Laud It Why I Read It: I really enjoyed the novel Holes and this book is by the same author. Lori's Notes: Alton's rich uncle, a champion bridge player, is blind and needs a cardturner for him to play.  A fantastic story about families and relationships, it weaves together the storylines of Alton and his uncle and first loves.  It does delve a little into the paranormal/ghostly but it wasn't distracting to the overall sense of the novel.  It also touches on the idea of how relationships change and change us.  I'm not a bridge player at all and had no idea how the game was p...
Read more

Finding Reading a Challenge During a Pandemic

Reviewed by Lori
Image
I love reading.  I have always loved reading.  But reading during a pandemic has been more than a little bit challenging.   Between worries and distractions my mind is constantly somewhere else.  I've found that I can't sustain my focus for more than a chapter or two.  I pick up a book, I put it down.  Then I struggle to remember what I just read, so I have to start all over again.  I've tried new books, old favourites, audio books, and ebooks.  The result is always the same, another book added to the "to be finished" pile.  And it isn't like I don't have the time to read, I have scads of it.  But then I'm never alone and the moment I pick up a book to try again, someone and/or something needs my attention and whatever little time I had to myself has now blown away like dandelion seeds in a stiff breeze.   You'd think given the situation, with multiple lockdowns and unending time at home, I would use reading as an escape -...
Read more