Emmie doesn’t enjoy school. She is quiet, shy and isn’t a talker. She’s fine when she’s with her bestie (Brianna), but 
hardly speaks a word in class or around others.
Emmie is a talented artist, spending hours drawing every day, in between classes or even in class when the teacher doesn’t notice.
She meets Brianna every day at lunch and breaks. One day they decide to write notes to the boys they like in school. They have no intention of showing these letters to another soul, but that’s when things go terribly wrong.
Instead of being invisible in class, Emmie is suddenly front and centre when her note is discovered by another. It seems the whole world is in on it and Emmie can’t hide her shame and horror.
Alongside Emmie’s story is another about a girl called Katie. She is the opposite of Emmie, and all Emmie wishes she could be. Popular, funny, pretty, wealthy, confident and smart. Katie is also kind, and she tries to help Emmie with her predicament.
The only person who can help Emmie though, is Emmie. When more upset is added to the mix, it begins to boil under her skin and it bursts with surprising results. Maybe staying invisible isn’t the only way to survive middle school.
This graphic novel is written in two viewpoints. One is in quiet, shy, Invisible Emmie’s point of view, and another in popular Katie’s point of view.
The author / illustrator has portrayed Emmie’s world in plain colours, and Katie’s in full, bright colour and bold backgrounds where Katie is always surrounded by others who like her.
The author shows how it really is in middle school, with all the challenges of fitting in, wanting to be liked, secret crushes, and mortification when suddenly everybody knows who you are – for the wrong reasons. I enjoyed both illustration styles portraying these ‘opposite’ girls.
The clever ending is thought provoking and can prompt discussion if desired, or just be enjoyed as read.
Author / Illustrator – Terri Libenson
Age – 10+
Graphic Novel
See more books in this series (Click on a Cover)
(Courage, Friendship, Growing up, Humour, Peer Pressure, School, Secret, Note, Love letter, Poem, Embarrassment, Mortification, Mortified, Fitting in, Popularity, Series, Graphic Novel)
Thanks so much for your great review. The power of story in our lives is great isn’t it!
Invisible Emmie is an amazing book. It shows readers how to stand up to bullies, overcome hard challenges, and most of all having the courage to express yourself. I’m an eleven year old girl in sixth grade and I really relate to Emmie because of how my social anxiety is.I get knots to and I start to get anxious and nervous. This astonishing book showed me that everyone has their own struggles and insecurities, and it’s okay to be yourself. Even though this is another book I also read Just Jamie and it talks about how on the last day of seventh grade has Jaime and Maya wondering who their real friends are. Jaime knows something is off with her friend group. They’ve started to exclude her and make fun of the way she dresses and the things she likes. At least she can count on her BFF, Maya, to have her back. I hope that I can read all of her books. Both of these books really inspired me and I hope that Terri Libenson comes out with a new book that can inspire other or new readers too.
This is amazing description makes me want to get all the books!