Positively Izzy

by Terri Libenson

Overview

Award-winning comics creator and author of the bestselling Invisible Emmie Terri Libenson returns with a companion graphic novel that captures the drama, angst, and humor of middle-school life. Perfect for fans of Raina Telgemeier, Jennifer Holm, and Victoria Jamieson.

Middle school is all about labels.

Izzy is the dreamer. There’s nothing Izzy loves more than acting in skits and making up funny stories. The downside? She can never quite focus enough to get her schoolwork done.

Bri is the brain. But she wants people to see there’s more to her than just a report card full of As. At the same time, she wishes her mom would accept her the way she is and stop bugging her to “break out of her shell” and join drama club.

The girls’ lives converge in unexpected ways on the day of a school talent show, which turns out to be even more dramatic than either Bri or Izzy could have imagined.

Plus don't miss Terri Libenson's Invisible Emmie, Just Jaime, and Becoming Brianna!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062484963
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	05/01/2018
Series:	Emmie & Friends Series
Pages:	224
Sales rank:	26,492
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 7.90(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Terri Libenson grew up in Kingston, Pennsylvania, where she made up puzzles and games and forced her friends to solve them (her mazes were the talk of town!). Sadly, she set aside these mad skills in order to build a cartooning career. Terri is the award-winning cartoonist of the syndicated comic strip The Pajama Diaries and the bestselling author of the Emmie & Friends series. Terri lives with her husband and two daughters in Cleveland, Ohio. You can find her online at www.terrilibenson.com.

Terri Libenson grew up in Kingston, Pennsylvania, where she made up puzzles and games and forced her friends to solve them (her mazes were the talk of town!). Sadly, she set aside these mad skills in order to build a cartooning career. Terri is the award-winning cartoonist of the syndicated comic strip The Pajama Diaries and the bestselling author of the Emmie & Friends series. Terri lives with her husband and two daughters in Cleveland, Ohio. You can find her online at www.terrilibenson.com.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for INVISIBLE EMMIE: “Clever, funny work by a great cartoonist. Reading INVISIBLE EMMIE sums up middle school: You laugh, you cry, you get beaned in the head with a volleyball.

Stephan Pastis

Praise for INVISIBLE EMMIE: “This is middle grade fiction at its best. A fantastic debut novel with plenty of laughs and tons of heart. INVISIBLE EMMIE is unforgettable!

Lincoln Peirce

Praise for INVISIBLE EMMIE: “This funny and heartfelt tale will ring true for anyone who’s ever felt invisible.

Victoria Jamieson

Praise for INVISIBLE EMMIE: “Libenson’s clever tale will entertain readers in the throes of middle school as well as younger students both wary of and intrigued by their near future.

The Horn Book

Praise for INVISIBLE EMMIE: “With all-too-familiar middle-school drama and an empowering lesson about speaking up and bravely facing down embarrassment, this should find an easy audience among fans of Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries books.

Booklist

Praise for INVISIBLE EMMIE: “With all-too-familiar middle-school drama and an empowering lesson about speaking up and bravely facing down embarrassment, this should find an easy audience among fans of Wimpy Kid or Dork Diaries books.

Booklist

03/01/2018
Gr 4–6—This charming book tells parallel stories of two very different girls, using graphic novel format to follow studious, introverted Brianna and a mix of handwritten prose and illustrations for creative daydreamer Izzy. The girls prepare for their middle school's talent show, which turns out to be a pivotal moment in both of their lives. Fans of Libenson's Invisible Emmie will be delighted to revisit some familiar characters. Like the previous title, this tale features a clever ending in which the two girls' stories converge. Some may be frustrated that the big reveal doesn't come until the very last page, but the twist is a satisfying one that invites readers to turn back and revisit earlier chapters. Funny details of Brianna and Izzy's lives ring true as the author explores relatable topics such as middle school friendships, self-discovery, and family dynamics. Libenson stresses the importance of being true to oneself, and readers will root for the characters to succeed. VERDICT A strong purchase for libraries where realistic graphic novels are in demand.—Allison Tran, Mission Viejo Library, CA

School Library Journal

2018-02-13
This reader-friendly graphic/prose hybrid explores the lives of two very different girls who have an unexpected connection.Izzy and Brianna both, separately, navigate difficult middle school experiences. Brianna, whose story is told entirely in sequential panels, is studious, reserved, and a little lonely. Izzy, who tells her story in paragraphs broken up by illustrations, is an unreliable middle sister with a love for performance and a lot of indifference toward schoolwork. Izzy sneaks out against her mother's wishes to perform in the school talent show, while Bri's mother (also a teacher at her school) convinces her to fill in for a sick actor. Both girls juggle complex family dynamics, shifting friend groups, and boys in the hours leading up to their performances. The story is light but resonant for middle graders, with constant comedic asides in the illustrations. Both girls appear white (based on the color cover), with multiracial supporting casts, and both threads of the story skirt larger issues. The opening pages, in which Bri complains about labels, hint at a larger theme that recedes into the background as the two girls struggle with their interpersonal relationships. Readers primed by the back-cover blurb will spend the whole book waiting for the two stories to intersect, with a surprise reveal at the end that may call for an immediate reread.A solid, not particularly daring addition to the hybrid format for middle-grade readers, mixing drama with heart. (Graphic/fiction hybrid. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews

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