Invisible Isabel

Pla, Sally and de Regil, Tania (Illus.) Invisible Isabel

July 9, 2024 by Quill Tree Books

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 few elementary teachers who support testing as much as Mrs. Pickel.
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!