The Last Invisible Boy

Last updated
The Last Invisible Boy
The Last Invisible Boy.jpg
First edition
Author Evan Kuhlman
Illustrator J.P. Coovert
CountryUnited States of America
LanguageEnglish
Genre Realistic fiction
Published2008 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Pages234 pages
AwardsDeutscher Jugendliteraturpreis Nominee for Kinderbuch (2011)
ISBN 1416957979
LC Class PZ7.K9490113 Las 2008

The Last Invisible Boy is a 2008 children's novel by Evan Kuhlman. [1] The book was first published in hardback on October 21, 2008 through Atheneum Books for Young Readers. The work follows Finn, a young boy dealing with the sudden death of his father.

Contents

Synopsis

Finn Garret is slowly turning invisible. After the sudden death of his beloved father, Finn notices that his skin and hair are growing steadily paler, which convinces him that he is on his way to becoming completely invisible. His mother has taken Finn to several doctors, who believe that his new appearance is due to stress and grief over the family's recent loss. Matters are made worse when Finn returns to school and is cruelly mocked for his appearance by his classmates. But as time goes on, Finn finds that his "invisibility" might not be as permanent and inevitable as he might believe it to be.

Reception

Critical reception has been positive. [2] Publishers Weekly and Booklist both gave positive reviews for The Last Invisible Boy, [3] and Publishers Weekly commented "Precise in his metaphors and his characterizations, Kuhlman delivers a study in coping with loss that middle-schoolers will want to absorb and empathize with." [4] Kirkus Reviews also gave the book praise, as they felt that Kuhlman's treatment of Finn's grief was well written and believable. [5]

Awards

Related Research Articles

<i>Flotsam</i> (David Wiesner book)

Flotsam is a children's wordless picture book written and illustrated by David Wiesner. Published by Clarion/Houghton Mifflin in 2006, it was the 2007 winner of the Caldecott Medal; the third win for David Wiesner. The book contains illustrations of underwater life with no text to accompany them.

Iain Lawrence is a bestselling Canadian author for children and young adults. In 2007 he won a Governor General’s Literary Award in Children’s Literature for Gemini Summer.

The Boy at War trilogy is a series of young adult historical novels by Harry Mazer. The first book, A Boy at War was released on April 3, 2001 and is based on the events of the attack on Pearl Harbor that initiated the United States' involvement in World War II. The books follow Adam Pelko, the son of a navy commander stationed at Pearl Harbor, during the Japanese attack of December 7, 1941.

Hannah Moskowitz is an American author of young adult and middle grade novels.

<i>Die Wolke</i>

Die Wolke is a German novel for young adults by German author Gudrun Pausewang, published in 1987. The story was written after the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in Ukraine, with a 14-year-old girl having to deal with the consequences of a fictional similar disaster in Germany. It was translated into English by Patricia Crampton, published in 1997, as Fall-Out. Die Wolke, which received several awards, became a popular book for reading in class and was adapted for film and stage, has been regarded as Pausewang's signature work.

Paul Catanese is an American author and advertising writer that writes under the pseudonym P. W. Catanese. Catanese is best known for his Books of Umber series, which has been mostly well received. As a teenager, Catanese attended Trumbull High School in Trumbull, Connecticut, later attending the University of Connecticut and taking a job with an advertising company in Glastonbury, Connecticut.

Elvira Woodruff is an American children's writer known for books that include elements of fantasy and history.

Gemini Summer Canadian writer

Gemini Summer is a children's book by Canadian author Iain Lawrence. It won the 2007 Governor General's Awards in Children's Literature among other awards.

<i>Malice</i> (series)

Malice is a two-book young adult series that was written by British author Chris Wooding and illustrated by Dan Chernett. The first book, Malice, was released on October 1, 2009 and the second work, Havoc, was released in October of the following year.

Evan Kuhlman is an American author of children's novels. Prior to becoming a full-time writer, Kuhlman attended the University of Notre Dame and worked as a restaurant manager and a reporter. Kuhlman has written for various publications such as Glimmer Train and the Notre Dame Review.

Adi Alsaid is a Mexican-born author of young adult fiction. His debut novel, Let's Get Lost, was a YALSA Teens' Top Ten Nominee in 2015. His second stand-alone novel, Never Always Sometimes, was nominated as a Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2015.

<i>Me and My Cat?</i>

Me and My Cat? is a 1999 children's picture book by Satoshi Kitamura. It is about a boy, Nicholas, who switches bodies with his cat, Leonardo.

<i>Tough Boris</i> Book by Mem Fox

Tough Boris is a 1994 Children's picture book by Mem Fox. It is about a pirate who grieves when his parrot dies and a boy who helps him through this difficult time.

<i>Hello, Universe</i> 2017 novel written by Erin Entrada Kelly

Hello, Universe is a 2017 novel written by Erin Entrada Kelly. The novel is told from the perspectives of four middle school students as one of them becomes trapped in a well. Hello, Universe won the 2018 Newbery Medal.

<i>A Different Pond</i> 2017 picture book by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui

A Different Pond is a 2017 children's picture book by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui. The book tells the story of a boy and his father going fishing. Phi created the book because of his desire to have books about people like himself to read to his daughter. Bui's detailed illustrations allowed Phi to remove elements of the prose. Bui, who had never illustrated a traditional picture book before, won praise for her use of colors and was recognized with a 2018 Caldecott Honor. The book received positive reviews and appeared on best of 2017 book lists.

<i>The Rough Patch</i> (book) 2018 picture book

The Rough Patch is a 2018 picture book by Brian Lies. An idea of Lies' for more than ten years, when it was published it was well received and was named a 2019 Caldecott Honor book. The story tells of a fox named Evan whose dog dies. Evan then experiences various emotions while grieving before adopting a new dog at the end of the book. The book was praised for Lies' mixed media illustrations, in particular the way he used light and shadow.

<i>The Twelve-Fingered Boy</i> Paranormal novel

The Twelve-Fingered Boy is a 2013 young adult novel by John Hornor Jacobs. It is about teenagers, Shreve Cannon, and Jack Graves, who have psychic abilities.

<i>All Thirteen</i> 2020 childrens book by Christina Soontornvat

All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys' Soccer Team is a 2020 nonfiction children's book by American author Christina Soontornvat. It describes the 2018 Tham Luang cave rescue. The book received positive reviews from critics and was awarded a Newbery Honor and a Sibert Honor in 2021.

Hello, Baby! is a 2009 Children's picture book by Mem Fox, and illustrated by Steve Jenkins. In this book the narrator asks the reader whether they are various animals.

<i>Dragon Hoops</i> 2020 graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang

Dragon Hoops is a nonfiction graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, illustrated by Gene Luen Yang and Lark Pien, and published by March 17, 2020, by First Second.

References

  1. Horn Book Guide, School Library Journal. "The Last Invisible Boy (reviews)". Horn Book Guide, School Library Journal (BV). Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  2. Raetzel, Katrin. "Evan Kuhlman: Der letzte unsichtbare Junge". Fachbuch Journal (in German). Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  3. "The Last Invisible Boy (Review)". Booklist. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  4. "The Last Invisible Boy (review)". Publishers Weekly. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  5. "The Last Invisible Boy (review)". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 23 February 2014.
  6. "Der letzte unsichtbare Junge". Deutscher Jugendliteraturpreis. Retrieved 23 February 2014.