Terri LibensonBesprekingen

Graphic novel about what happens when an embarrassing note falls into the wrong hands in the classroom and causes angst between a very shy girl and a very outgoing one.

Another fantastic Lieberson book. This time we follow Sarah, who is the daughter of a single mother. Her best friend happens to be a boy, and they have been friends for as long as she can remember. However, she at that age where she starting to have feelings, and it just so happens, she has feelings for her best friends other guy friend. Sarah must come to terms with where her friendship is with her current friend, and if she can or is willing to do anything about her crush on this other boy. As always, this book is told from two perspective, one of Sarah, and one of her best friends. It’s a mix of prose and graphic novels and like the rest of the series it just works. Kids love these novels for a reason so go check it out.

One of the reasons that I like these books is that even though they’re a series, they can all be read independently. Each book takes place at approximately the same time and a reader can see each of the kids the important events in their lives. In this case, Brianna has been asked by her mother to be bat-mitzvah. While she’s dreading it, she’s also finding out more about herself, and why she likes her family religion. And while this book is about a bat mitzvah, it is not a religious book. It is just like the other books, a look at the life of a middle schooler, and all their thoughts and feelings. It’s a mix of graphic, novel and prose and just all together works well. I was very interested in Brianna‘s story and can’t wait to read the next one.

Emmie wasn't the most endearing protagonist. Early in the book, she makes some jokes about kids with disabilities. It's realistic that a kid of Emmie's age and background would make those jokes, but it still rubbed me the wrong way.

This book is redeemed with an interesting ending that most young readers will not see coming. Overall, the author successfully captures the experience of a shy, insecure kid figuring out that she can be herself, make new friends, and have fun at school.

GOSH, this one got confusing. It has two alternate stories/timelines that ultimately end the same in the end. The narrative voice is still crisp; author’s in her bag with the middle school drama.

The author gets middle school shenanigans/politics so well.

That proved quite clever at the end. I like these autobiographical type graphic novels especially when the characters are portrayed as the little assholes kids are at that age.

My review of this book can be found on my YouTube Vlog at:

https://youtu.be/a1Q8NBEQdIs

Enjoy!

6/10, it was ok.

Remarkable Ruby is another in the Invisible Emmie series. Like the rest of the books in the series it can be read as a standalone. Ruby is a middle school girl who is very tall for her age, she is also very introverted. One of her best friends moved away and her other best friend is separated for now. We follow Ruby in the chapter parts as she’s going through her seventh-grade year of school feeling left out, alone, nervous, anxious, etc. In the comic part of the book, we follow Mia, who is the former friend of Ruby. Mia is an overachiever, and right now she’s trying to become class president. She forgets her friends, gets annoyed when they don’t want to help with her election Mia even worries that her friends are talking to the wrong people and will hurt her chances of winning the election. Overall, I like this series, but this is probably my least favorite book so far. For one, this book is the longest and it didn’t need to be. While the situations are very real to modern middle school, it feels both pushed and dragged like it’s trying to make a point instead of just being a story where someone can find the point on their own. Overall, I liked this book, but I didn’t love it.

This book makes me miss our middle school students so much! This is the first in the Emmie & Froends series that I’ve read, and I’ll definitely be reading the others. Similar to the Awkward, Brave, and Crush books by Chmakova, this is realistic fiction dealing with friend drama and issues in a middle school. It’s emotional, messy, funny, smart, kind, and mean in all the ways that we recognize, whether we are current or past middle-schoolers.

I’m a big fan of graphic novels, but this felt more like the outline of a story than the real thing. Every character and interaction was oversimplified and leaned heavily on stereotypes. For excellent realistic fiction in graphic novel format I would highly recommend Awkward, Brave, and Crush by Svetlana Chmakova.

A cute graphic novel with two different perspectives. I absolutely loved that the art style and layout changed between the two characters reflecting and highlighting their differences.
I related a lot to Emmie, I too was the quiet girl in middle school.

Invisible Emmie is an eye-opening chapter book that see's life through a middle school-aged girl, Emmie, who suffers with social anxiety. Invisible Emmie also provides a great example of how two people who think they are very different from one another (shy vs. outgoing, athletic vs. not-athletic, girly vs. tomboy, etc.) can still have an amazing friendship.

Well, I'm glad for the twist at the end, because I was hella confused as to why there were 2 points of view here. I'm not really sure they work, to be honest -- it's just too disconnected, and weaving the two points of view together implies a whole lot happening that isn't really there. At least it's a related book that you can hand to the kids who loved Drama, but I think it's at about 75% of the charm of that book.

I enjoyed this so much more then [b:Invisible Emmie|31371502|Invisible Emmie|Terri Libenson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1484930073l/31371502._SX50_.jpg|49458773], the main character is so much better, it's not so problematic and I can relate to the fake friend's aspect.
I relate to Bri being brainy and struggling with public speaking and I enjoyed her growing more confident, making new friends. Emmie wasn't as prominent and I could understand her warning Bri about new friends but her still being mad made no sense, it's ok for people to make new friends.
I relate to people using you and am glad Bri found real friends.

The book felt repetitive because every chapter was Bri worrying about the Bat Mitzvah, I did enjoy learning about the process of this Jewish tradition, however.
The time skips also annoyed me
Overall, a beautifully illustrated book but with nothing too special to offer.

2.5
Unfortunately, the negatives and controversial things outweighed the good.
The character's anxiety and need to hide behind a book was something I could relate to, however, she was very flawed but to a point that disgusted me.
In the first prologue, the author makes fun of people with disabilities, the book teases books like it that have characters with disabilities, how disgusting! That is rule number 1 in how not to be edgy, it's already trying to scream "I'm not like other books" but in the wrong way.
Also making fun of people's scent and eyes, no, I did not sign up to read this, I wanted to read what the blurb said, a story about a girl who is quiet, socially awkward and comes to change.
Not teasing.

"You Guys are great, you accept my math disablities"-
Excuse me???
A book for middle graders supposedly.
Emmie is quite selfish, she talks about great it was FOR HER when her BFF'S parents divorced.


The book needs a complete rewrite since it had potential.
Lucky I borrowed this at the library.

Slow beginning, casts a bad light on 'popular' girls, ending patchy and doesn't make great sense, but I can see how middle school girls would really enjoy it and find it relatable.

Very valuable story about learning who your true friends are. Having gone through some similar stuff as both a middle-schooler AND an adult, it's nice to know that I am not alone. (I wish I had more courage sometimes though!)

I get the ending, but I feel like it's slightly confusing. I anticipate having to explain it to my middle school students...

A relatable story about feeling ignored in middle school and embarrassing situations.

I didn't quite understand the "twist." Emmie had made up Jamie? But Jamie was a real person, with friends and a boy who asked her out! Did Emmie just wish she was Jamie? But Bri didn't know her when she saw Emmie's drawing!

A great graphic novel/novel hybrid abput friends, being shy, tween, and art.

children's middlegrade novel in graphic/diary format
Emmie goes to the same middle school as [b:Just Jaime|40402006|Just Jaime|Terri Libenson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1544273082l/40402006._SX50_.jpg|62718975] and experiences some of the same social anxiety, but a different type of middleschool conflict--she deals more with her own personal self-confidence. Both books are very relatable, dealing with very common middlegrade issues, and many kids will appreciate and seek out more (I've also heard good things about [b:Positively Izzy|35887167|Positively Izzy|Terri Libenson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511473377l/35887167._SX50_.jpg|57403687].

This one had a twist at the end--did not see that coming! and a very positive message overall. Would definitely recommend.

diverse children's middlegrade graphic novel /diary-like chapters
ugh, middle school is the worst! this story takes place over the last day of 7th grade--one best friend gets dumped by the other best friend when a new friend convinces them that they're not cool enough to stay in the group.
a relatable comic-heavy story that appeals to middlegraders in the vein of [b:Real Friends|31145178|Real Friends|Shannon Hale|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1503615816l/31145178._SX50_.jpg|51774817].