Do your students struggle with making friends? Read on to find The Invisible Boy activities and comprehension questions to promote discussions on inclusion, making friends, kindness and empathy.
Brian struggles with making himself stand out in school until a new student helps him grow in confidence and feel visible. The book’s themes include how one person can make a difference to someone else feeling included and small acts of kindness help others feel valued.
The book gives you the opportunity to teach and discuss:
You can also use the book to teach:
Scroll down for The Invisible Boy activities, discussion questions and videos.
The Invisible Boy Activities and Resources
Brian is a quiet boy who feels invisible. Even his teacher has trouble noticing him. He feels alone and left out when the other children don’t invite him to parties or don’t pick him for games at recess.
When a new student, Justin, arrives, things change for Brian. The other students make fun of Justin’s Korean food. Brian wants him to feel welcome, so he writes him a letter. In the playground, Justin thanks Brian and compliments his artwork.
Brian wants to work with Justin during a group activity, but Emilio asks him first. A devastated Brian wants the floor to swallow him up, but Justin includes Brian, and the three boys work together. Because of Justin’s kindness, Brian no longer feels invisible.
The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig
Illustrator: Patrice Barton
Publisher: Knopf Books for Young Readers (2013)
ISBN: 9781582464503
Take a look inside
Related Books
- Zero by Kathryn Otoshi
- Be Kind by Pat Zietlow-Miller
- The Cool Bean by Jory John
- All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold
- The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
- A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon
- The Proudest Blue: A Story of Hijab and Family by Ibtihaj Muhammad
- The Smallest Girl in the Smallest Grade by Justin Roberts
The Invisible Boy Story Activities and Resources
I have created literacy graphic organizers for The Invisible Boy. You can find them at my Teachers Pay Teachers store. There are many activities for each literacy area to differentiate depending on your student’s ability/age. They include activities for:
- Author’s Purpose
- Cause & Effect
- Character Traits and Analysis
- Comprehension Questions and Writing Prompts
- Inferring and Predicting
- Main Idea and Theme
- Making Connections
- Point of View
- Problem and Solution
- Retelling, Sequencing and Summarizing
*Click on these links to discover book recommendations on these topics.
The Invisible Boy Activities and Links
- BookPagez: The Invisible Boy Lesson Plans, Resources, and Activities
- The Highland Council: ‘The Invisible Boy’ – Lesson Plan
- The Ned Show: Lesson Plan
- Patrice Barton Official Website
- Random House: Educator Guide
- Trudy Ludwig Website: The Invisible Boy Lesson Plans
- WITS Program: Lesson Plan, Questions and Activities
FREE The Invisible Boy Activities
Would you like free graphic organisers for The Invisible Boy?
I have a freebie that is part of a larger resource, so you can try it out before buying anything!
Fill in the form below to get access to the FREE pack. Click on the image to see the full pack on Teachers Pay Teachers.
The Invisible Boy Read-Aloud Questions
Read-aloud sessions are a wonderful way for children to understand the connection between written text and spoken language. You can model reading habits, strategies, fluency, tone, and eye contact. You can also introduce different genres, authors and illustrators.
- How would you describe Brian/Justin/Madison and J.T?
- How do the author and illustrator make it clear that Brian is shy, lonely and feels excluded?
- What do you think of the way Micha and J.T picked their teams for kickball? Could they have used a fairer way?
- Do you think J.T and Micha realised they hurt Brian when they left him out of the game?
- Why do you think Brian drew superheroes whose superpower was making friends?
- Describe how Madison could have handled discussing her birthday party differently.
- How did Patrice Barton make Brian stand out from the other characters? Why is this important?
- How does Justin treat Brian differently from the other students?
- How did Brian and Justin show kindness toward each other? What can you learn from their actions?
- What special skill/interest do you have that could help someone feel welcome?
You can find a full set of discussion cards in The Invisible Boy Activity Bundle or as a separate pack.
The Invisible Boy Video
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