Invisible (English With Some Spanish)

by Christina Diaz Gonzalez (Author) Gabriela Epstein (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

For fans of Twins and Allergic, a must-have graphic novel about five very different students who are forced together by their school to complete community service... and may just have more in common than they thought.

Can five overlooked kids make one big difference?

There's George: the brain

Sara: the loner

Dayara: the tough kid

Nico: the rich kid

And Miguel: the athlete

And they're stuck together when they're forced to complete their school's community service hours. Although they're sure they have nothing in common with one another, some people see them as all the same . . . just five Spanish-speaking kids.

Then they meet someone who truly needs their help, and they must decide whether they are each willing to expose their own secrets to help . . . or if remaining invisible is the only way to survive middle school.

With text in English and Spanish, Invisible features a groundbreaking format paired with an engaging, accessible, and relatable storyline. This Breakfast Club-inspired story by Christina Diaz Gonzalez, award-winning author of Concealed, and Gabriela Epstein, illustrator of two Baby-Sitters Club graphic novel adaptations, is a must-have graphic novel about unexpected friendships and being seen for who you really are.

Select format:
Paperback
$12.99

Booklist

Starred Review
Illuminating and engaging. 

School Library Journal

Starred Review

Gr 4-7--When George, who is Puerto Rican, is assigned community service hours working in his middle school cafeteria with "other students like you," he expects to be with the gifted kids, but instead, he finds out that the only thing he has in common with the volunteer group is that they are all Latinx students being unfairly stereotyped by their educators. There's Miguel, the jock who secretly loves drawing, who is Dominican; Dayara, a Cuban girl who constantly gets in trouble and struggles in school; Sara, a loner, who is Mexican; and Nico, a Venezuelan boy with a reputation as a stuck-up rich kid. By the end of the week, they are all called into the principal's office to explain how the five of them "conspired to do something." As each student tells their portion of the story, readers are shown the complexity and individuality of each of their lives, shattering the stereotypes that the adults and other students in the story place on them. However, what makes this modern Breakfast Club story truly unique is the use of Spanish and English text to expose readers to the complexities of multi-language literacy. Each character has their own level of ability with English and Spanish, making their individual voices and communication methods unique, but ample translations of both languages make for an enjoyable reading experience. VERDICT A welcome addition to any graphic novel collection, Invisible skillfully explores the negative impact of stereotyping while also offering an entertaining and spirited reading experience.--Amanda Melilli

Copyright 2022 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"A story that shouldn't be missed." - Entertainment Weekly

"Invisible celebrates individuality and community while transcending language barriers." - Bookpage, starred review

Christina Diaz Gonzalez
CHRISTINA DIAZ GONZALEZ is the award-winning author of several books, including The Red Umbrella, A Thunderous Whisper, Moving Target, Return Fire, Concealed, and Invisible. Her books have received numerous honors, including the American Library Association's Best Fiction for Young Adults, the Florida Book Award, the Nebraska Book Award, and the International Latino Book Award. Christina currently lives in Miami, Florida, with her husband, sons, and a dog that can open doors.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781338194555
Lexile Measure
260
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Graphix
Publication date
August 20, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV008000 - Juvenile Fiction | Comics & Graphic Novels | General
JUV011030 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - Hispanic & Latino
Library of Congress categories
Friendship
Identity (Psychology)
Graphic novels
Middle schools
Cartoons and comics
Comics (Graphic works)
School comics
Children of minorities
Minority students

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