“The challenges that [Isabel] faces in navigating mounting anxieties are sensitively depicted in this touching story by Pla that celebrates identity, friendship, and finding inner strength.” — Publishers Weekly
“A compassionate insider’s perspective of neurodivergence [where] a shy, quiet girl finds her voice” — Kirkus
“A definite must for libraries and middle grade classrooms.
It is a definite read for everyone for 4/5th grade up and adult.
I highly recommend this book!!” — Chrissy C., Educator⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“A wonderful portrayal of a young girl with neurodiversity, who learns to speak up for herself and ask for what she needs. As a teacher one of my favorite scenes is when the other children in Isabel’s class are making her get well cards and they realize that are really seeing her for the first time. I recommend this book for school libraries, classroom collections, and home bookshelves. It is beautifully written and illustrated and also quite moving. ” –Christina J., Educator
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Sally J. Pla has given us a beautiful story about being different. Isabelle is a character you can’t help but root for . . . Pla empowers her characters to change, to be seen, to be heard, to forgive and to love in authentic ways.” –Amy C., Librarian
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“The world needs Isabel’s story. Every parent and teacher should read this book (and all the kids too)! … This book will help kids feel less alone, give kids and families strategies for support, and it also helps normalize (and explain) evaluations that can help figure out how best to support kids. ” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — M. Lewitin, Educator
“This just might be one of my favorite chapter books ever!! From themes around friendship, to mean girls, to autism, to anxiety, to kindness…this novel in verse hits it all AND has a great story. I love love love Isabel!!
Isabel is a quiet girl, with a huge family, who is often overwhelmed by the “too muchness” of home and school. She has never really had many friends, but the girls were never mean to her- until Monica moves to town and encourages everyone to leave out Isabel. Isabel feels invisible, and the worry moths in her stomach keep getting worse, and no one seems to listen to her when she reaches out for help. And then things go from bad to worse…
This novel is verse is outstanding. We read it together before bed and the girls BEGGED for it every night. One of them said, “My favorite part is that Isabel wasn’t identified as autistic from the beginning, so it really drove home that she’s a person first, and autism describes the way her brain works.”
The description of anxiety, coping strategies, testing at school to figure out how your brain works best, accommodations, problems with friends/exclusion are all so amazing. Can’t wait to share Isabel with kids, as I can think of so so many who are going to LOVE Isabel!!” — Reading Specialist Amanda Elgert. R