Nominated for Cybils Award 2020
A Julia Eccleshare Pick of the Month September 2020
James Reckitt Hull Children’s Book Award KS3 Shortlist 2022
“The Invisible Boy addresses a serious topic through an engaging story, encouraging a conversation around a difficult and important subject.” – LoveReading4Kids (full review)
“Topical subplots involving children’s right to privacy in parenting blogs and health care for veterans are thoughtfully incorporated, while Nadia’s frequently humorous denseness imparts levity, echoed in Lee’s single-page comics-style panels. A layered exploration of a challenging subject, including an epilogue detailing warning signs of child trafficking and an author’s note.” – Publisher’s Weekly (full review)
“A grim reality approachably and even engagingly presented.” – Kirkus (full review)
“Addressing the serious subject of modern slavery, this engaging story encourages the difficult conversations that need to happen if we are to have any chance of exposing and eliminating it.” – Booktrust (full review)
“[The Invisible Boy] handles difficult real-world issues such as child labour trafficking and seeing the ‘invisible’ people that surround us with an impressive lightness of touch.” – Teach Primary Magazine: Book Club (print)
“Powerful and moving, this is essential reading. Alyssa Hollingsworth skillfully interweaves the story of a lonely girl with the horrific reality of human trafficking happening in the here and now.” – North Somerset Teachers’ Book Awards (FCBG) (full review)
“Full of hope and adventure, whilst never avoiding difficult truths, this is a beautifully crafted story of friendship and survival, complete with well-drawn characters to fall in love with. Humanitarian themes are wielded with grace, never weighing too heavily on the story. In turn, the story deftly peels away a layer of injustice, revealing an often heartbreaking scene beneath — but in doing so, letting the light in.” – Sarah Driver, author of The Huntress Trilogy (full review)
“The Invisible Boy brings the issue of human trafficking into the hands of the middle-grade set, allowing my son and I to talk about this issue.” – New Market Today (full review)
“It’s a book that is full of hope and adventure, but also handles difficult real-world issues such as child labour trafficking and seeing the ‘invisible’ people that surround us with an impressive lightness of touch.” – TeachWire (full review)
“This tremendous book walks the fine line between didacticism and entertainment with absolute precision, illuminating the issue of modern slavery with urgency and clarity.” – Books for Keeps (full review)
“How Nadia pieces together the real story of her new friend is a well-crafted drama. Nadia’s shock and horror is powerfully conveyed.” – Julia Eccleshare, Pick of the Month (full review)
