Invisible Lines Paperback – May 24, 2011

After reading 9 good reviews(only one Verified Purchase, and that person gave TheBook Thief one star), I purchased this book in hardback. I've come back to study reviews. No one has mentioned the print in the hardback, which could almost be labeled Large Print. It makes the book seem more juvenile than it is, and I know my 7th grade grandson wouldn't consider reading it, though it's been called suitable for middle school or young adult collections. It might be a good find for those whose eyes need larger print, or for those with reading difficulties. My copy will be at the library book sale.

Fantistic book! The narration takes you right back to what is feels like to be a youth of a certain age, and the book deals cleverly with questions of poverty, socio-economic division, and domestic violence without being heavy handed. An especially good read for boys who might not always find themselves reflected in children's literature.

I am only half way through this book.

This is a great story with an imagination one could only hope to have. The art graphics are wonderful and amusing. The best of reading for all up to 80 years old.

very good book!

I haven't read a MG book in so long and I'm so glad that I got the chance to read this one!Mary Amato writes in a way that captures the voice of a preteen boy so well that it feels as if you are witnessing the real thing. I absolutely loved reading about Trevor. He's living with his younger brother & sister and mother. They live in these bad apartments and don't have a lot of money. I loved that this book dealt with real life issues and all of which were written in a way that a younger audience can deal with.One of the issues in the book is Trevor doesn't have enough money to be on a club soccer team. You can tell that he has a passion for the sport and as I was reading the book, I just felt bad for him and the things he went through. Also, I envied Trevor's artistic talents. Drawing was another passion of his and he used it wisely. He started his own little business around school and drew stuff for his little brother. And at the start of each chapter there are illustrations and I thought those were nice!Another big aspect of the book is Trevor's science class. He is put in Summit Science -an advanced class- by mistake. His science teacher is one of those teachers that always keeps the class interesting and fun instead of the more common reading out of the textbook type as well as being a teacher that really cared about his students.I really enjoyed the character of Diamond. She lives in the same apartment building as Trevor and is always singing throughout the book as she has dreams of becoming a famous singer one day. Amato does a great job describing a situation that Diamond and Trevor face. My only problem is I wished there had been more of this character!

I love soccer. I've been playing on teams since I was four and now play on a club team so when a book came along that had a soccer player as a protagonist, I was happy to dive in. While not my usual urban fantasy read, I wasn't disappointed.I like the way that Ms. Amato combines art, soccer and science (learning about mushrooms, of all things) into an endearing story that takes you through a roller coaster of emotions with an interesting cast of characters.Trevor has a gift for drawing and playing soccer. He's very poor so he makes money by drawing awesome designs on people shoes in order to pay for cleats for the club soccer team he wants to join, but can't afford.His mom is struggling to make ends meet and support the family but it isn't easy. Trevor deals with one bad break after another. Life just isn't fair. The one positive thing he has in his life is his science teacher who is pretty cool. I wish I had him for my teacher.Invisible Lines is a well written contemporary. So well written that it can be hard to read, emotionally. This kid has it rough. At times it seems like nothing can go right for him. And since you like Trevor, you connect with Trevor, and it's difficult to read about his trials and pain.But ultimately Invisible Lines is a book about hope, perseverance and the beauty and strength of the human spirit. This is a great inspirational middle grade novel.

I picked up this novel the other night and completely devoured it! I found that I could relate to Trevor completely because I had a similar life to his when I was about his age. The different characters touched me so much! From Langston to his mother; they were just so passionate and heartwarming. I loved the fact that he had Mr. Ferguson because he was just the kind of teacher that I would've loved to have when I was growing up in Dallas before I moved to Frisco. He was one that actually cared about his students; he made learning so much fun! Especially since all he could seem to talk about would be Fungus or Mushrooms actually. It's so awesome the way the author mixed in the mushrooms to relate to everyday life. Like his Mycelium notes, he states that the universe talks like that; they don't talk with words but with actions in a sort. Maybe everyone's and everything is connected together in some way. His love for soccer was like my love for cross country; he would do anything for it and he was talented. There were moments in this novel where I like cried my heart out because what the conversations were about just hit a little too close to home. Heartwarming, funny and very touching; I have to give this novel 4 out of 5 paws.