Isabel Beane is a shy girl who lives in a home full of havoc, hubbub, and hullabaloo. With five siblings, there is too much too much-ness.
At the same time, there’s a new girl at school, Monica, who is immediately popular, but she’s also not very nice to Isabel.
Isabel has never felt more invisible. She has so many fears: being abandoned by her old friends at school, having to speak to strangers in public, and taking the upcoming Extremely Important standardized test. Her fears feel like worry-moths that flutter in her belly. With every passing day, they seem to get stronger and stronger. How can Invisible Isabel make people listen?
I love this book! My only problem with it was that it got me all worked up. It brought back many anxious memories from my childhood, and I like to keep that can of worms closed. I’m thrilled to be seeing more and more books addressing anxiety and neurodiversity. I didn’t have books like this when I was a kid. I didn’t read a story where the main character had anxiety like mine until I was in my twenties. I’m happy that today’s kids will have the representation and hopefully accommodations that I didn’t.
What irritated me the most was how no one listened to Isabel. Isabel’s mother infuriated me the most. Every time Isabel tried to talk to her mother about her worries or problems, her mother would completely dismiss her. Here’s a list of all the things the mother says to Isabel that you should never say to an autistic person (kid or adult):
- It’s all in your head. (Just because it’s all in your head, it doesn’t make it any less real.)
- You worry for no reason.
- You let things bother you too much.
- You’ve just got to tell yourself, ‘My stomachache is all in my head,’ and get on with it.
- You are too sensitive. (It’s better to be overly sensitive than to be insensitive.)
- You worry too much.
- You should try to shrug it off. Be strong! (Easier said than done.)
When someone talks to you about their problems, take them seriously. Don’t dismiss their feelings like everyone in this book does to Isabel. It makes the person feel like their feelings don’t matter. Like they don’t matter. And if someone says their stomach hurts multiple times throughout a couple of weeks, it probably isn’t ‘all in their head.’
While most of the story is told from Isabel’s point of view, we also get to see from Monica’s perspective. She’s the new popular girl and quickly turns all the girls in class against Isabel. Isabel is such a sweet, caring girl who wants friends. It broke my heart how Monica purposely excluded her. It was intriguing to read from the bully’s point of view and how she justified her actions.
I’ve babbled on long enough, and there isn’t much else I can say without giving away more than I already have.
Overall, this quick-read illustrated novel perfectly represents anxiety and neurodiversity and should be required reading for kids, parents, and teachers. Another fantastic must-read story from the autism/neurodiversity advocate and author, Sally J. Pla.