Andrew Clements is the author of several children's books. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature fromNorthwestern Universityand a Masters of Arts in Elementary Education fromNational Louis University, he worked as a teacher sharing his love of reading with elementary, middle, and high school students andstarted his literary career by writing songs. He has worked for several publishing companies where he published, acquired, edited, marketed, and developed quality children's books. His first novel was the award-winningFrindle, which won sixteen state book awards, as well as theChristopher Award.
"A readable, thought-provoking tour de force, alive with
stimulating ideas, hard choices, and young people discovering
bright possibilities ahead. "-Kirkus Reviews
"Written in a more serious tone than Clements's popular Frindle
(Simon & Schuster, 1996), this novel will prove thought-provoking
as it asks the reader to consider all the "things not
seen."--VOYA
"Clements's story is full of life; it's poignant, funny, scary, and
seemingly all too possible. The author successfully blends reality
with fantasy in a tale that keeps his audience in suspense until
the very end."--School Library Journal
"A readable, thought-provoking tour de force, alive with
stimulating ideas, hard choices, and young people discovering
bright possibilities ahead. "-Kirkus Reviews
"Written in a more serious tone than Clements's popular
Frindle (Simon & Schuster, 1996), this novel will prove
thought-provoking as it asks the reader to consider all the "things
not seen."--VOYA
"Clements's story is full of life; it's poignant, funny, scary, and
seemingly all too possible. The author successfully blends reality
with fantasy in a tale that keeps his audience in suspense until
the very end."--School Library Journal
The earnest and likable 15-year-old narrator is the principal thing not seen in Clements's (Frindle; The Jacket) fast-paced novel, set in Chicago. As the book opens, the boy discovers that he has turned invisible overnight. Bobby breaks the news to his parents who, afraid of being hounded by the media, instruct him to share his dilemma with no one. But when Bobby ventures out of the house and visits the library, he meets Alicia, a blind girl to whom he confides his secret. Their blossoming friendship injects a double meaning into the book's title. As preposterous as the teen's predicament may be, the author spins a convincing and affecting story, giving Bobby's feeling of helplessness and his frustration with his parents an achingly real edge. As his physicist father struggles to find a scientific explanation for and a solution to his son's condition, husband and wife decide that they will tell the investigating truancy officials and police that Bobby has run away. Bobby, however, becomes increasingly determined to take control of the situation and of his own destiny: "And I want to yell, It's my life! You can't leave me out of the decisions about my own life! You are not in charge here!" Equally credible is the boy's deepening connection to Alicia, who helps Bobby figure out a solution to his problem. Ages 10-14. (Mar.) Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
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