Positively Izzy

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.

This was enjoyable for 2 reasons. The first reason was because of the message of friendships and the issues surrounding it as they focus on how to better understand others. For example, there is a pivotal moment in the book where the characters are working together by comforting and motivating each other through their hardships. It really allows the message of friendship and how to better understand others shine. The second reason why this book was so enjoyable was because of the illustrations, mainly the color. Terri Libenson does a phenomenal job of incorporating color to narrate different characters. It is always very easy to see when the perspective is shifted to another character solely based on the pigment of colors and the show more variety of color choices. For example, Izzy’s perspective is always more minimalistic and less colorful while Brianna’s perspective is always bold and pigmented with color as she fills the whole page with her words and actions. show less

Izzy can't seem to focus on school but absolutely loves things that use her creative side, so she cannot wait for the school's talent show. On the flip side, Brianna is nicknamed "the Brain" and would much rather be studying than on stage. Both girls are put to the test when their mothers interfere and push them outside their comfort zones.

This was an engrossing middle-grade read that deals with a lot of common issues tweens deal with (balancing school work, making new friends, having crushes, etc.). It does so deftly, highlighting positive responses without being overly didactic. The two stories converge in an epilogue that is rather surprising. If you really want the big spoiler, here it is: It turns out the two stories are not show more happening simultaneously as the reader is lead to believe, and that in actuality Izzy is Brianna's mother. However, I think working towards that conclusion is much better.

The illustrations are great. I keep seeing this book referred to as a "hybrid" between chapter book and graphic novel, and that seems fair. Brianna's story is told more in a traditional comics panel style, while Izzy's story looks like a hand-written diary accompanied by some sketches.

This book is a sort-of sequel to Invisible Emmie, although I did not feel lost without having read that book prior. (There may be some Easter eggs that readers of both books might spot.) In terms of diversity, there are definitely secondary characters of color, although the main ones appear to be Caucasian. Izzy's mother is a single parent while Brianna is being raised by divorced parents. show less

This book holds two stories, which are evenly distributed in a pattern of story one to story two to story one, etc. The first story is about Bri, a character labeled as "the brain" whom has long, blond hair and wears leggings and short/long sleeved shirts. The second is about "Izzy"( This is her nickname, her real name is not revealed in the story), a girl with ADHD who loves acting. Though the two girls never meet, their stories take place in the same setting, eighth grade. In Bri's story, conflict arises when her mother(Mrs. D, the drama teacher) asks her to play a role in the talent show. She works with her friend, Dev, to memorize her lines. Meanwhile, Izzy wants to act in the talent show, but is grounded for bad grades. She and her show more younger sister sneak out but get caught during rehearsal. She convinces her Mom to let her act and the conflict resolves.
I think that this book was clever and had good commentary on the middle school spirit of labeling. I personally enjoyed the character development shown for Izzy's older sister, Dani. At first, she was shown as the bossy older sister, but later, she's shown to be the person who has to clean up the mess of her younger siblings. I also liked the contrast between the two main characters. Izzy and Bri are opposites, yet they both went through some very similar experiences. It's a short read(~220 pages), but a good read. If I could give this a grade, I'd give it an 87. show less

Wonderful funny warm novel with lots of great illustrations--it's part comic book, part prose, ala Diary of a Wimpy Kid but it's in color, yay! Great story for middle schoolers about family, siblings, friendship, and self-confidence. And did I mention it's FUNNY?! Love it!

A readable middle school graphic novel hybrid featuring characters first introduced in Libenson's first book Invisible Emmie. I didn't think this one was as strong as the first and the twist ending here left me a bit confused. An enjoyable read but not as successful as the first.

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