The Invisible Boy by Alyssa Hollingsworth
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source: copy from publisher; all opinions are my own
Official Summary: Nadia finds adventure in the pages of her Superman comic books, until a mysterious boy saves her dog from drowning during a storm and then disappears. Now she finds herself in the role of Lois Lane, hunting down the scoop of the Invisible Boy, and suddenly she’s in a real-life adventure that’s far more dangerous than anything in her comic books.
Review: This middle grade novel tackles a really big, serious, topic, but it does it in a way that younger readers can understand. That topic? Child labor trafficking.
Nadia loves superhero comics, and she wants to be an investigative reporter like Lois Lane someday. The big story in her neighborhood is a boy who rescues her dog and then disappears. She dubs him The Invisible Boy. As the book progresses, and Nadia actually befriends this boy, she realizes that maybe he isn’t a superhero…but there’s still a story surrounding him.
The Invisible Boy is an MG novel that tackles child labor trafficking...see how it's done in my book review #ontheblog! #theinvisibleboy #middlegradefiction Share on XChild labor trafficking is a terrifying topic. Unfortunately, it’s something that happens all over – yes, even in the United States. I think Hollingsworth does a great job of explaining what child labor trafficking is, and signs to look out for, without completely scaring readers. Yes, it’s a scary topic, but Nadia shows that being brave really is about doing the scary things anyway.
Another aspect I really loved about this book are the comics throughout. Nadia’s story, or idea of what she’s seeing (aka superheroes and super villains exist, etc.) are shown through comic panels. These are done by Deborah Lee. I had an ARC, which still included these, but I’m very curious what the final version looks like! Someone will have to grab a copy and let me know.
Would you read this book – or recommend it to MG readers? Do you know of other MG novels that tackle tough topics well?
Oh that is a really serious topic, but that’s cool that someone has written a middle grade book about it. I’m glad to hear this was good and that it seemed to balance the seriousness and didn’t get too scary.
This sounds so intriguing! I’m glad the topic was handled gently for younger readers while still highlighting the seriousness of the situation. Thanks for the review!
What an interesting mix – taking on such a heavy topic and making it accessible for MG readers. Sounds like the author did a great job with it.
Wow, what an intense topic! I’m glad someone was able to break it down for kids.
Oh wow, what a serious but very important topic to talk about these days. Thanks for sharing this book with us.
This book sounds good
I don’t think I’ve ever scene this subject aimed at younger readers but it makes sense to do – if done well.
Karen @ For What It’s Worth
This has to be the first middle grade book dealing with this horrible topic. I enjoy finding books at this reading level because kids should be made aware of the truth, not matter how awful. It must have been difficult for this author to write about this topic as far as emotionally draining to research kids in pain.
First I’m hearing of this one, but it sounds really good. I’ll have to share it with the middle school librarians in my school district. Great review!
This sounds really interesting!
This book does sound interesting but I’m still not getting about the trfficing.
@tisonlyme143