Have you ever stopped to think about the impact that exclusion can have on children, especially in school life? The book “ The Invisible Boy ”, written by the American author Trudy Ludwig , is a portrait of childhood through the eyes of Brian, a little boy who is left out by his classmates. This book was chosen to be read with children in the 2nd year of Elementary School, in the International Studies subject!
Brian, the protagonist of the book “ The Invisible Boy ”, is a talented boy: a natural artist, full of imagination and creativity, but who hides behind a pair of glasses and shyness. This lack of social skills prevents Brian from developing friendships. Added to this, his classmates end up forgetting about the boy, who barely takes up any space in the classroom.
While the teacher, Ms. Carlotti, is busy with the classmate who can't control the volume of his voice or the girl who wants everything her way, Brian is not noticed.
The boy's story changes with the arrival of a new student, Justin. After seeing Justin interact with his classmates, Brian leaves a note in his backpack and an interaction takes place. The boys start to get to know each other and with Justin's kindness, combined with the respect for the limits that Brian's shyness imposes, the two become friends.
Through the narrative, we are invited to reflect on what it means to be ignored and not included and how small gestures of kindness can transform the life of an isolated person.
Trudy Ludwig's book has a lot in common with another story, written by Brazilian author Tino Freitas and illustrated by artist Odilon Moraes: " The Invisibles" . In this book, the boy and protagonist has a superpower: in his family, only he can see the people who are invisible. These people pass by the adults, but in the rush of everyday life, they are not seen.
While Tino and Odilon's book addresses the invisibility of individuals in a more social way, Trudy's book focuses on school life and the impact it has on children's moral development. The author uses simple but profound language that touches on themes such as empathy, friendship and acceptance. In addition, the illustrations that accompany the text, made by Patrice Barton , connect with the young reader: the character Brian gains color as he begins to feel like he belongs to the group of friends after Justin arrives.
Furthermore, the story has a very significant impact on children and highlights how inclusion can make a difference, not only for those who feel excluded, but also for those who demonstrate kindness in their actions.
The Invisible Boy was chosen for the biannual reading of 2nd grade students in the International Studies class , in its original language. This gives even more breadth to the text, which, by being written in the language in which it was written, ensures that the reading done by the children and the teacher is complete: that is, nothing is lost in the translation. We are reading what the author really wanted to say.
This book is an invitation for readers, whether children or adults, to reflect on the impact of their daily actions on the world around us.
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