Invisible Isabel: Library Edition

by Sally J. Pla

Invisible Isabel has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Genres: Middle Grade, Realistic Fiction, Novel In Verse, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Friendship, Contemporary, Childrens

Audio CD

First published July 9, 2024

About the author

Sally J. Pla is the author of ALA Schneider Award-winning THE FIRE, THE WATER, AND MAUDIE McGINN, the Dolly Gray Award-winning THE SOMEDAY BIRDS, and other acclaimed novels and picture books. Her work has gained many awards and starred reviews, and has been included on many state awards lists and “best book” roundups.

Sally has appeared on television and radio as an author and neurodiversity advocate. She also runs A Novel Mind, an online resource for neurodiversity/mental-health/disability representation in children's lit.

Sally believes in the beauty of different brains. We are all stars shining with different lights.

For more, visit her website at sallyjpla.com .

Reviews

[Stephanie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that will grab your heart and have you rooting for Isabel Beane (and wanting to shake her classmates!)
Isabel can’t control the fire-dragons and moths in her stomach. When they make her feel sick, and scared, she wishes she could tell someone. But even her own mother says, “It’s all in your head”, and everyone else seems to think that, too. Until one day, Isabel’s insides are acting up so much that she can’t hide how sick she feels; will anybody believe her?
Very well-written, middle-grade novel in verse. Anyone who has ever felt like the proverbial outsider will certainly be able to relate to this one.

[Emily McKee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unexpectedly, this book hit really close to home. Isabel’s family has six kids and the youngests are twins. My youngests are triplets (yes, I’m serious. No, they were “natural;” Haha, maybe I should wear a cape). Isabel is fourth—in the position of my second daughter. The most middle child of middle children. That said, I was very eager to see what happens in Isabel’s life!

The premise is really so good. Is Isabel just shy or is there more to it? I hope kids will pick up on her differences and feel compassion, treating the Isabels in their lives with kindness. It reminded me a little of The Hundred Dresses.

So as much as I cared about Isabel and found her character well-developed, I can’t get past the verse style. It’s very difficult to critique a book about a topic or character facing a sensitive challenge. However, I’ve read like a dozen novels in verse this year alone, and this was particularly fragmented. My criticism is less of the content, more of the style.

Imagine you were reading
And then suddenly, distractingly
For no apparent reason
And with jarring clunkiness
There was a line break.

(These lines intentionally left blank to let the profoundness really sink in)

I can only imagine that this is
Somehow more marketable
To Reluctant Readers. (Note the alliteration! Poetry!)
Perhaps a step up from
Graphic novels
But not so intimidating
As a real novel.

But Shakespeare?!
Homer?!
Emily Dickinson?!
Right, this is totally the same.

Perhaps this was
A Style Choice
Meant to show us the awkwardness Isabel feels?
I can appreciate that.
Even be impressed with that.
Unfortunately, verse novels have become
so common
that it feels unoriginal.
So now are left with a style that only feels
Off-putting.

Writing like this is pretty easy
So I think I’ll continue
For
The entire
Review.
Let’s get into the content now.

Even with twins for youngests,
Having six children isn’t exactly accidental.
Careless? Maybe.
Isabel’s parents were apparently
okay with five children
and got one extra.
But they clearly have no time for all these kids.

Ignoring, avoiding, dismissing
All
Isabel’s differences, emotions, pain. (I’m good at this!)

With six kids of my own,
You can probably see
Why
I’m taking this
Personally.

When Isabel is ill, her classmates start to feel
Guilty
For excluding her.
The KIDS identify her “quirks,”
Which informed adult readers
Will easily recognize
as characteristics

of autism.

So now you know how outraged to be at her parents and teachers.

The class bully’s dad, a doctor, treats Isabel as his patient when she is ill
And then tells his daughter
ALL ABOUT IT.
(This could have been an opportunity for kids to learn about HIPAA, but I guess not today.)

Okay, enough.
Kids in this book learn their lessons.
Adults need some work.
None of the secondary characters’ development felt believable.

Back to the style.
Hope this trend
Will come to
An End.

[PS books ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute read. Brought back childhood trauma thooo 🤪

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent novel in verse for the middle grades. Isabel struggles with anxiety (worry-moths) and sensitivity to loud noises and stimuli. A new girl at school has taken all her friends away and no one listens when Isabel says her stomach hurts.

I definitely need this book in my fourth grade classroom, as I have many girls with severe anxiety. So many moments that will encourage readers to feel empathy for Isabel.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel Beane is a member of a large, noisy, busy family. She has two older sisters, an older brother and a younger sister and brother who are twins. They all have their own activities, along with her mom and dad who are distracted and simply consumed with getting through each day. Isabel, though she knows she is loved, feels like no one sees her or understands her. At school the girls ignore her and the boys make fun. Her teacher barely notices her. Her stomach almost always hurts and she blames worry moths. Isabel feels invisible wherever she goes. Will someone please listen to her thoughts and worries?

This early MG book is not only for middle graders, but for anyone wanting to better understand the life of a neurodivergent child. Isabel allows us to enter her world and to understand her feelings, her anxieties and the coping behaviors she has learned to help her get through each day.The short chapters, written in verse, invite even the most reluctant reader into her world, though the story may entice them to stay and read more. It will comfort neurodivergent children to know others experience the world as they do, and there are tools that will help them cope. It’s a book going on my forever shelf. Many thanks to @blue_slip_media and @sallyjpla for sharing this book with me.

[Jimi-carol Benton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for this book! My little sister was Isabel growing up. No one understood her stomach pains and anxiety and although she was suspected to be autistic there was no testing done.
I appreciate that this book so exactly detailed the struggle that anyone reading it can feel and understand what someone like this might be experiencing. I also greatly appreciate that not only does this book open your eyes to childhood anxiety but it offers ways to support and help someone that may struggle with it more the is typical. I absolutely recommend this book for everyone.

[Meg · Rating 5 out of 5]

The world needs Isabel’s story. Every parent and teacher should read this book (and all the kids too)! Isabel is struggling with anxiety, sensitivity to sound and overwhelming situations, and connecting with her classmates. This book will help kids feel less alone, give kids and families strategies for support, and it also helps normalize (and explain) evaluations that can help figure out how best to support kids. An outstanding book by an outstanding human! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Preorder immediately for everyone you know!

[TheNextGenLibrarian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lower MG illustrated novel in verse about speaking up and using your voice, even when it’s hard.
🫥
In the Beane family you have to be loud and love noise, but Isabel is the one family member who doesn’t like all their havoc and hubbub and hullabaloo. It’s simply too much with two parents and five siblings. Isabel is also struggling at school with her teacher who is always getting onto her about her school work and a new girl who has turned the other girls in class against Isabel. When the worry moths in Isabel’s belly increase day by day and no one is listening, it takes a medical incident and her finally using her voice to get the attention from those around her.
🫥
I can always count on @sallyjpla to write such insightful and knowledgeable books about neurodiversity but this one was explained in a way I have yet to read in middle grade literature. The doctor’s explanation of what being neurodivergent is was described in a way I think all kids will understand and connect to. The anxiety part of Isabel is something I recognized in myself and wish this was a book I had when I was younger to help me understand and cope with my anxious tendencies. Congrats on another amazing release coming out on Tuesday! Thanks @librofm for the ALC.

CW: bullying, death of a parent (discussed), hospitalization, surgery, anxiety, emesis

[Christina Ensling · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Invisible Isabel" is a middle grade novel in verse by Sally J. Pla with illustrations by Tania de Regil. Isabel Beane sometimes feels invisible in her house that she shares with her parents and 5 boisterous siblings. At school being invisible is a strategy she employs to try and seem less different, more attentive, and less fidgety. She tries to explain to her parents how she worries a lot, and how that worry causes stomachaches. The description of Isabel's anxiety as manifesting itself like "worry-moths" is really powerful. She worries about disappointing her stern teacher, Mrs. Pickel, especially now that they have started preparing for a big standardized test. One of those worries is her lack of friendships at school, This year a new popular girl, Monica, has created a clique which actively excludes her. Pla includes chapters that illuminate Monica's home life, shedding light on why she is angry and how that anger leads to meanness against Isabel. When Isabel has to go to the hospital for emergency surgery, Monica and Isabel's paths are brought together which results in important changes for both girls. Isabel is a wonderful portrayal of a young girl with neurodiversity, who learns to speak up for herself and ask for what she needs. As a teacher one of my favorite scenes is when the other children in Isabel's class are making her get well cards and they realize that are really seeing her for the first time. I recommend this book for school libraries, classroom collections, and home bookshelves. It is beautifully written and illustrated and also quite moving.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like how the story focuses on two girls who initially seem to be complete opposites. Isabel is quiet, timid and anxious, while Monica is outgoing, dislikes the silence of her house now that her mom passed away, and feels isolated. Additionally, it's heartwarming that Isabel's concerns and stomach pains were finally acknowledged by her mother and that she came to understand that she needs to listen to her daughter more, that there were valid reasons for her worries and stomachaches.

I appreciated the transformation that Isabel's classmates made, specifically how the girls in her class regretted excluding Isabel from the party, and how Monica began to realize that she'd been pretty mean. The story includes multiple strategies and tangible, practical tips to help with anxiety, like implementing a quiet time hour at home, and particular actions Isabel could take to prevent her from feeling overwhelmed at school.

Creating the get-well card, was a special moment in the book. Isabel's classmates realized that they didn't really know much about her and that they should because they've been together since kindergarden. As they started to talk about her more and more, they discovered her interests and preferences and began to see that she's an important part of their class. Isabel's teacher even makes a change by throwing a winter party and making an effort to smile more. This is a wonderful story told in verse, featuring beautiful illustrations and a powerful message about the importance of self-advocacy, truly not to be overlooked. The book concludes with valuable resources on anxiety and autism, including specific links to organizations' websites.

**A huge thank you to Blue Slip Media for the E-ARC in exchange for an honest review**

[Sarah W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sally J. Pla has easily become my favorite middle grade author.

[Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

[elise (the petite punk)]

this gave me war flashbacks to being cornered in the computer lab in grade school by some guy so he could harass me about never talking

10/10 book, probably a good thing it didn’t exist when i was a kid otherwise i would have hit people in the hallways with my copy

[Melanie Dulaney · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabel’s home is filled with “five rowdy brothers and sisters who shook the very walls of the little gray house with havoc and hubbub and hullabaloo.” Add to that a demanding, pinched face teacher and the girls in her classroom now traveling as a posse with new mean-girl Monica leading them and poor Isabel has worry-moths galore giving her stomachaches and sending her to the quiet closet in her room to get some relief. An inflamed appendix sends her to the hospital where a sensitive doctor, who happens to be Monica’s father, explains that her worry moths do not require surgery, but they are truly causing her real pain that can be addressed. With her parents now on board with Isabel’s neuro-divergence and seeking accommodations for her at home and at school plus Monica dealing with her unhappiness since her mother’s death and subsequent overly quiet household and finding a friend in Isabel, things are looking up for this sweet young girl.

Sally J Pla’s NIV format is augmented with frequent drawings by Tania de Rigel, making this book move more swiftly than its 192 pages would indicate. So much figurative language and vivid word pictures, such as the worry-moths in Isabel’s stomach making it an ELA teacher’s dream! The doctor explains neuro-divergent thinking in simple terms making this book perfect for helping a child who may have leanings that way to understand the pros and cons of the workings of their brain and to assist those who are not neuro-divergent to understand others who are. And more importantly, maybe reading about how Isabel finally found her voice to express what she was feeling will encourage other children to find theirs, even when parents do not listen at first.

Main characters Isabel and Monica are well-developed and provided a great contrast to one another. Clearly, Isabel’s family is full of love but completely missed what one of them needed (except for brother Ian until he hits jr high and becomes popular) and certainly Teacher Pickel is clueless providing a realistic view of what may happen in life but with a subtle message of “Speak up!”

Isabel’s grade level/age is never stated but the text reads simply and is likely geared to grades 2-5. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and violence. Representation: illustrations and name conventions indicate a classroom with at least Black, Caucasian and AAPI students; single parent home as well as traditional 2 parent family included.

A 2025-2026 Texas Bluebonnet Award nominee.


Thanks for pricing books like this low enough for me to purchase them for my Little Free Library, First Book Marketplace!

[Bonnie Grover · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well-written novel in verse that every parent and teacher should read. Isabel has sensitively to loud noises and overwhelming situations. Her anxiety makes it difficult to communicate with her classmates and her teacher. She has a large, loud family which creates even more anxiety that she does not know how to handle. I think this will be a great book to help students feel less alone and will help to normalize neurodivergent behavior. It is an excellent example of a window, a mirror, and a sliding glass door type of book.

[Chrissy Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel is a neurodivergent girl living in a loud, hectic family. She is being bullying at school by Monica and would like to desperately like to be one of Monica’s friends. . She complains of stomach aches that her mother brushes aside until it gets bad at school. The doctor treating Isabel is none other than Monica’s father. Follow Isabel as she tries to cope with issues at home and at school.

This is a definite must for libraries and middle grade classrooms! It is a definite read for everyone for 4/5th grade up and adult. I highly recommend this book!!

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Elementary school aged Isabel Beane comes from a large family that includes older brother Ian and sisters Irene and Iliana, as well as younger twin siblings Ivy and Isaac. She is not fond of the hustle and bustle of her household, preferring quiet and solitude, but her mother brushes off her concerns. She is also uncomfortable at school, where Mrs. Pickel, her teacher, is a brusque, demanding woman who has no time for Isabel'd delicate constitution because she wants all of her students to work nonstop on preparing for testing, on which she expects they will get perfect scores. All of these things make Isabel have "worry moths" in her stomach, not that her mother believes that she is really ill. Isabel used to have friends, but they have all moved on, urged in part by Monica to avoid Isabel because she is too quiet and sensitive. Monica's mother is gone, and her busy father isn't coping well, so Monica's life is all TOO quiet for her. When she is allowed to have a birthday party, her father insists that she invite all the girls in her class, but Monica gets around inviting Isabel by talking to her and encouraging her to say that she doesn't like parties. Thinking that this conversation was a friendly overature and that if she drew pictures of all of the girls, they might be her friends, Isabel works hard on these and puts them on the girls' lockers. She forgets to sign her name, and Monica is dismissive, but it does make a difference to the other girls, who are becoming weary of Monica's abrasive personality. When Isabel doesn't feel well on the day of testing, her mother and Mrs. Pickel once again tell her it is all in her head (where Isabel is quite sure the pain is NOT), but once testing is over and she is found curled up in a ball under her desk, with a high fever, it turns out that she has appendicitis. The doctor who operates turns out to be Monica's father, and her ruse about inviting Isabel to the birthday party is uncovered. After talking to Isabel, he tells her parents that having worry moths is not something to be taken lightly, and suggests that maybe Isabel is neurodivergent. Her parents finally listen to her concerns, and she gets some help with coping strategies from Counselor Wanda. At the end of the book, Isabel is referred to as autistic.
Strengths: There are many students in middle school who exhibit symptoms of anxiety, and I'm sure that there are many at the elementary students as well. Isabel seemed to be in second or third grade, so it is very likely that she has not yet been identified as needing to be evaluating for her neurodivergent qualities. The girl drama is very true to life, and being the only child not invited to a birthday party is very disheartening. The illustrations by de Regil are a nice touch.
Weaknesses: The combination of the "worry moths" of anxiety and the physical symptons of appendicitis might confuse some readers and cause them to worry that their psychosomatic pain, as real as it is, might be more serious. While I'm glad that Isabel's symptoms were eventually taken seriously, I almost wish that the precipitating event hadn't been apendicitis. Also, I think you would be hard pressed to find any elementary teacher who supports testing as must as Mrs. Pickel seems to.
What I really think: This is a bit too young for middle school, but would be an excellent addition to an elementary library for students who enjoyed Gennari's Muffled, Mackler's Not If I Can Help It, or Kapit's Get a Grip, Vivy Cohen!

[Lesley · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Why couldn’t Mama understand?
For a girl like Isabel, ‘Speaking Up’
felt as impossible as sprouting wings,
or a bushy tail,
or being launched into deepest darkest space.
‘Speaking Up’
was something
that made her stomach hurt.” (40)

Many times Isabel felt invisible, and many times she wished she were more invisible. Isabel was different from the kids she knew. She didn’t like too-loud sounds, too-bright lights, and too-strong smells, but she lived in a small house with her very large, loud, active family with five brothers and sisters. Isabel was afraid of many things—giving the wrong answer, missing her bus home from school, doing her schoolwork correctly and without smudges, making her teacher mad, and most of all, speaking up. And when a new girl, Monica, moves to town and joins their class, she bullies Isabel and takes charge of the 5 other girls in the class with whom Isabel has grown up.
“Every day at recess,
Isabel aimed for the perfect distance:
far enough away from the other girls,
so she didn’t bug them,
yet close enough to hear them talk.
She’d pretend in her head that she was part of the group,
the troop, the squad,
the pack posse pod—
close enough to pretend she was a Monica-Girl
like all the rest.” (16)

While Isabel is carefully and lovingly drawing pictures of her former friends—and for Monica who she wants to be a friend—to try to win them back, Monica is throwing a birthday party, inviting all the girls but Isabel.

Isabel tries to tell her mother that she has stomach-aches and doesn’t want to go to school, but her mother doesn’t understand her anxiety and says it is all in her head. When she actually does have appendicitis and is rushed to the hospital, her mother finally listens that her other stomach-aches feel just as real—and with the help of her surgeon (who happens to be Monica’s father), she learns that Isabel is neurodivergent and that she can be taught ways to cope. Monica also discovers that Isabel and her family can offer a refuge that she needs, having lost her mother and living in an empty, quiet house.

Approximately 9.4% or 5.8 million children aged 3-17 years were diagnosed in 2016-19 with ANXIETY. (CDC) AUTISM—also referred to as autism spectrum disorder—constitutes a diverse group of conditions related to development of the brain. The latest research in 2023 from the CDC shows that one in 36 children is now diagnosed with autism. (Autism Parenting Magazine). And In a comprehensive overview of current BULLYING prevention research conducted by government and higher education agencies (National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Dept of Education and the Cyberbullying Research Center), it was found one out of every five (20.2%) students report being bullied in school; a higher percentage of female than of male students reported being the subjects of rumors and being excluded from activities on purpose.

Therefore, this is a crucial book for all children, grades 3-8, and their teachers and parents. It is a story of anxiety, an autistic child, and bullying and, as such, can provide some readers with a mirror and a map to navigate challenges and can serve to generate empathy in others as they gain insight to Isabel (and some of their own peers).

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really sweet, thought provoking book. I think it's a valuable read. I think those who experience life in similar ways will love having Isabel to resonate with. I also believe it could be really useful for those who live with or care about a person who might experience anxiety or who is neurodivergent; being told mostly from Isabel's perspective, I think it could give great insight to those who may never have experienced these kinds of things firsthand. I applaud the author for creating a narrative that touches on these things in an informative way without feeling preachy or overly technical in the explanations. And it's written in a format that I think could make it very accessible from kids in middle/older grades, to kids even as young as 2nd or 3rd grade if they are good readers. My teenage son (in high school) read a few pages because I had the book open on the counter, and he actually got sucked in and ended up reading the whole thing. He seemed to be surprised how much he liked it, and I think his hesitancy at first is due to the illustrations. I felt the illustrations were not only unnecessary, but were stylistically a bit too cutesy and "young" for this book. My son was even more brutal: "It made me think it's probably kind of a dumb book." That's more harsh than I would phrase it, but they definitely do make the book seem geared for a younger crowd than it might be intended, and maybe make the book seem more lighthearted or silly than it actually is. And, if they're keeping part of the audience from being willing to read an otherwise great book, I feel like that's a disservice from the production standpoint. One thing I really loved about the story: Pla didn't demonize or excuse the bully. She inserted some personal details which made Monica's perspective more comprehensible, but the adults around her still held Monica responsible at the end and expected her to make up for her meanness (and they did so kindly, which was a lovely example to see). One last critique: I fear that for some readers who experience life more like Isabel does, the fact that she is ignored until her life is literally in danger could send the wrong message. It can already feel so overwhelming or dismissive to be told that "it's all in your head," that I am concerned this book might subtly convince some children toward unhealthy actions in hopes that it will get them taken more seriously. I'm absolutely sure that wasn't the author's intent, but I do worry that the message of acceptance and curiosity might be obscured by the plot trajectory of the book.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel is one of six children in her family. Two older sisters are teenagers and mostly ignore her. Her two youngest siblings are twin terrors. Then she has an older middle-school brother who just wants to play his video games. Her house is chaotic and loud and Isabel feels mostly invisible.

At school, her teacher, Mrs. Pickel, has a stern face and frequently seems to be disappointed in Isabel. Isabel used to have friends. Even though several of her classmates have been in school with her since Kindergarten, they seem to mostly ignore her. Especially since the new girl, Monica, arrived. Isabel also feels invisible at school.

Sometimes when Isabel feels overwhelmed by noises, homework, or teasing, she starts to rock back and forth in her chair and her stomach starts to hurt. One day, after so much disappointment and pressure to do well on a test, her stomach starts to really hurt, but no one seems to be listening.

Kids who have difficulty with social situations or struggle to make friends will relate to Isabel. Kids who identify as neurodivergent will find Isabel’s struggles similar to their own. Most importantly, every child should read this to learn how to be kind, sensitive to others, and, be a good friend.

Pla writes so realistically from the mind of an elementary school kid. I felt like I could imagine a girl like Isabel in a classroom at school. Illustrations pop up throughout the book to keep the reader engaged and give the reader an image to identify. The characters looked just as I imagined they would, especially Mrs. Pickel.

Schools across the United States are in their first few days and weeks of school and I can’t think of a better book to read aloud to a classroom or purchase for a child in your family. Reading this book as a family and then discussing how we treat classmates who have a hard time at school, sit alone at lunch, or struggle with playing at recess is such a great way to encourage kindness.

[Sarah-Lyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this beautiful story, written in verse and from the perspective of our main character, Isabel.

𝗦𝘆𝗻𝗼𝗽𝘀𝗶𝘀: Isabel likes the quiet, but living with a household full of loud siblings doesn’t help. She feels invisible at home and at school, where she is often bullied by the new girl, Monica Hicks. Isabel is nervous about testing at school. Worst of all, her tummy is often hurting, and she doesn’t understand why. Her parents and teacher dismiss her feelings, chalking it up to nerves, but during testing day Isabel’s pain only worsens, and she is rushed to the hospital. After receiving urgent medical treatment, her parents finally give her the attention she desperately seeks, and Isabel takes the opportunity to finally speak up about everything she has been going through. With the help of her mom and the doctor, Isabel learns that she is neurodivergent, which is why learning and being around people feels very different for her.

I loved that this story is entirely shared from Isabel’s perspective and written in verse. As the reader, you gain insight into her thoughts, feelings, struggles, and personal anguish. It’s difficult not to feel frustrated for Isabel, but you also feel hopeful for her, hopeful that someone will listen and understand what she is going through.

The one thing that frustrated me, especially as a mother, was how long it took Isabel's parents to listen to her and that it took her becoming severely ill with appendicitis before they finally did. As a parent, I can relate to and appreciate this. It is far too often that we become overwhelmed and over consumed by our own busy lives that we overlook what is happening right in front of us.

[Katie Reilley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An illustrated middle grade novel in verse for younger readers that I absolutely loved! Highly recommend grades 3+.

Isabel feels invisible, both at home with her busy parents and 5 boisterous siblings, and at school, where new girl Monica has worked to exclude her from her classmates.

Her feelings of invisibility cause her to worry, resulting in her stomach feeling “worry moths” (delightfully illustrated) about things like missing the bus, forgetting her homework, raising her hand, or eating alone.

When the worry moths increase, Isabel tries to tell her family, but no one listens. When a medical emergency forces her to go to the hospital, Isabel and Monica’s families are brought together and results in positive changes for both girls.

As a classroom teacher, I appreciated the doctor’s explanations of neurodivergence and anxiety.

Favorite lines:

Page 162:
“It’s not real, it’s in your mind, it doesn’t count,
it’s invisible,
Isabel,”
they say.
“You shouldn’t feel that way!
Just stop it!”

But how can I stop it?
How can I control it?
What controls your pain?
Your body? Or your brain?

Page 166:
“When I say my stomach hurts,
maybe it’s in my head, but
it still hurts IN MY STOMACH.

“If worry is only in my head,
how can it make my stomach feel
like there is moths and wasps in there?
How can it make me run to the bathroom?”

From the cover: Being seen is harder than it seems.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabel feels invisible because she's overstimulated by the busyness of her household between her siblings and parents. She's starting to notice these stomachaches appearing more frequently and that ramp up now that school has started. She's just not clicking with the girl friend group in her classroom and ends up being left out of a birthday party of Monica's though because it's a middle grade story, ends with a hopefulness that warms the heart including how to get help and keep focused rather than letting overwhelming feelings get in the way.

Not only was the stomachache a part of her neurodiversity but she ended up actually have surgery because of a burst appendix that coincided with her needing to get some help.

It's sweet and inclusive and written in a verse format to make it even more palatable.

"Isabel told Mama even more. / She explained about the Too-Muchness- / when all the sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and touches / of the world / did a dizzy dance in her head / and unbalanced her into bewilderment. / Mama listened / and listened / and listened some more."

And the brainstorm pages about things she could do like moving her desk or writing down homework, belly-breathing, or teaching about sportsmanship and having assigned seating at lunch are all applicable in so many ways without the intensity even that Isabel has to need them. They're all useful strategies for everyone.

[Karen Mazzaferri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Isabel Beane is a preteen girl that experiences the world in a different way than her friends. She worries about many things that causes her stomach to hurt and that she calls worry moths. She has had the same group of friends since kindergarten that accept her as she is, but when a new girl comes to her school, she, Monica, convinces Isabel’s friends to ignore her and act like she is invisible. The adults in her life never listen to her and just tell her to “get over it, it’s all in her head”. Until one day, her pain is real and she ends up in surgery with appendicitis. During this time, her mom listens to her worries and her very kind doctor, the dad to the new girl, explains to her that she has a neurodivergent brain that is extra sensitive.
As a speech pathologist, I really rooted for Isabel. But I was very disappointed with the adults in her life that chose to ignore her needs. As it all worked out in the end, early intervention to help children on the spectrum is so critical to their overall emotional development.
I think this book does a great job of explaining Isabel’s differences and her needs when she gets overstimulated. I also like how the kids started talking about their own stemming behaviors as it is true, we all do something to help calm us.
I would like to thanks #netgalley and #harpercollinspublisher for the advanced ARC.

[Sally Kruger]

Isabel doesn't enjoy havoc and hullabaloo. It isn't easy to avoid it though with five siblings squeezed into a tiny house. Things aren't any better at school where the bell rings so loudly she has to cover her ears, and the lunchroom is chaotic with nowhere to sit. She sometimes finds quiet under the trees at the edge of the school grounds, but she's still nervous and her stomach hurts.

A new girl named Monica is making Isabel even more uncomfortable. All the girls she used to pal around with are hanging out with Monica who has made it clear that Isabel doesn't fit in their group. When Isabel tries to talk to her mother about how uncomfortable she feels, her mother is too busy with her job and parenting Isabel's siblings.

Isabel believes her stomach pains are caused by the worry-moths she feels fluttering in her tummy. There's the homework worry-moth, the don't miss the bus worry-moth, and the eating-alone worry-moth, just to name a few. It isn't until a real physical pain accompanied by a raging fever lands Isabel in the hospital that people begin to take her seriously.

Author Sally J. Pla takes readers into the life of neuro-divergent Isabel where they will begin to understand how other people think and feel. INVISIBLE ISABEL should be in every classroom and library!

[SOYAMRG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone in Isabel’s family has a super power – except her. Quiet most of the time, she feels unseen at home in all the noisy hustle and bustle of family life. She doesn’t feel like she fits in at school as she is the last to be picked for playground games and the popular new girl Monica doesn’t want to be her friend. It takes a trip to the emergency room for an appendectomy for Isabel’s exceptionality to be identified and her life turn around.

Pla delivers a quiet, thoughtful novel in verse about a girl who experiences life as neurodiverse. Loud noises bother her, pressures on her to perform certain actions trigger anxiety, and her safe spaces are few and far between. Isabel is a very lovable character. Her intents are genuine and giving, however because anxieties hold her back few people can see and understand them. Isabel grows by leaps and bounds once she understands why she feels as she does. Pla certainly understands her.

Occasional digital B&W illustrations by Tania de Regil add clarity, humor, and lightness to the story.
This would be a useful title for counselors and therapists to use with clients. Teachers should include in their collections as it is a quality story featuring the main character as neurodiverse.

Highly Recommended for grades 3-7.

S.B.
Children's Literature Consultant

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone in Isabel’s family has a super power – except her. Quiet most of the time, she feels unseen at home in all the noisy hustle and bustle of family life. She doesn’t feel like she fits in at school as she is the last to be picked for playground games and the popular new girl Monica doesn’t want to be her friend. It takes a trip to the emergency room for an appendectomy for Isabel’s exceptionality to be identified and her life turn around.

Pla delivers a quiet, thoughtful novel in verse about a girl who experiences life as neurodiverse. Loud noises bother her, pressures on her to perform certain actions trigger anxiety, and her safe spaces are few and far between. Isabel is a very lovable character. Her intents are genuine and giving, however because anxieties hold her back few people can see and understand them. Isabel grows by leaps and bounds once she understands why she feels as she does. Pla certainly understands her.

Occasional digital B&W illustrations by Tania de Regil add clarity, humor, and lightness to the story.

This would be a useful title for counselors and therapists to use with clients. Teachers should include in their collections as it is a quality story featuring the main character as neurodiverse.

Highly Recommended for grades 3-7.

[Holly Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I can see why others gave this higher rating, I just can't. In general, I enjoyed the story about a neurodivergent elementary student in a large and chaotic family trying to make friends and be a friend while feeling overwhelmed and underseen by just about everyone and everything. There were just one too many "huh?'s" for me to go along. First, why novel in verse? The whole book it seemed like it should just be prose. All the way to the end, I was left questioning. I really enjoy the genre, but this was the first time I read one and thought, 'Nope, not right for this story.' Secondly, the details about the school setting were just so far from anything I have ever experienced in 15 years teaching elementary students. First, lockers for what I assumed were either third or fourth graders? What? And a teacher that adds stress about testing. What? Never ever did I experience that. The nastiness of the girls toward each other seemed completely plausible. I like the worry moths. And it seemed feasible that she could have developed an appendicitis for all her worry. Overall, worth reading, but with flaws. We need more books for this age group.

[Katie Keridan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have to stop reading books by Sally J. Pla on planes because there is a 100% guarantee I’m going to break down in gut-wrenching, soul-touched sobs that come from deep within my most vulnerable inner child…that’s how much her books touch me and speak to pieces of me I’m still working to heal. I read “Invisible Isabel” on a flight back to California from Baton Rouge, and as usual, I was blown away.

This is one of the best books with neurodivergent rep I’ve ever read (probably because I see so much of myself in Isabel, so be warned, I’m biased), and when I got to the end, I pulled my hoodie over my head and just wept. I loved the ending and wished I would have gotten the acknowledgment and support I so desperately needed as a kid. I became a pediatric neuropsychologist first and foremost to understand my own brain, because there is nothing worse than knowing you’re different but not understanding why and not having a name for it. It might have come years later, but it is such a joy and so reassuring to see parts of me represented in a character in a book. I truly can’t recommend “Invisible Isabel” enough.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Isabel struggles as she feels invisible in her family and at school. Sadly, a new girl has targeted her and isolated her from the other girls in her class which adds to the "worry-moths" in her stomach. I'm not impressed with the adults in this book who definitely add to Isabel's lack of confidence and feelings of invisibility. Her mom, in particular, ignores so much of what she shares. Granted, there are six kids and two parents, but Isabel gets lost in the chaos. The same happens with her teacher. When she ends up needing surgery for the stomach pains she was told to ignore, her mom finally takes time to listen to what she has been saying and to validate how she feels. She finds the courage to share with her surgeon and he starts the process to get her help for her neuro-divergency. I also appreciate how he handles his own daughter when he discovers she is the mean girl who has caused so much grief. His approach is subtle and allows her to think through her actions and change them.
So, my 3-star review reflects the early portion of the book which does get better as it progresses.