Things Not Seen

Things Not Seen is a compelling, interesting, and imaginative story about the idea of becoming invisible. The story is told from the eyes of a teenage boy, Bobby, who wakes up one day to find that he is invisible. The story follows his struggle of dealing with everyday life being invisible and trying to figure out the cause of his mysterious invisibility. Along the way he meets a blind girl, Alicia, who becomes a friend and is the only one understands Bobby.

Having read many Andrew Clements books, I must say this is a very different book than any others of his. It's not a "school story" in any sense. It's also not just a "kid story" but one that is interesting and exciting for all ages. The concept of becoming invisible is handled on multiple levels; exciting, mysterious, humorous and emotional. It's not simply some science fiction novel of a boy trying to discover the cause of his invisibility; its a journey of discovery of the meaning of being invisible and it's literal and figurative interpretations. Bobby learns many things during his adventure, and at the end of the story has a new look at people, and how they make choices and deal with other hard struggles (such as becoming blind).

Along with this emotional side, this book is cleverly written. There are many funny moments, and a bit of suspense, which is not scary, but intriguing. The simple, easy to read format of the book, encourages you to read and comprehend at nearly any level, taking in the simplicity of the novel, or the deeper aspects, at your choice. This is truly an amazing, well-written book for readers to enjoy.

Things Not Seen

This book is written by Andrew Clements, It is nominated for a 2005 Nutmeg award. Its genre is science fiction.

It starts with a boy named Bobby who wakes up invisible. His mom and dad who happens to be a physicist are bewildered by this event and all of them agree not to tell anyone, but soon bobby starts getting cabin fever and starts making invisible trips to a library. One day he bumps into a girl and is mortified but only to find that she is blind, he feels safe talking to her and soon befriends he but when she learns of his secret their friendship gets a bit shaky. At the same time people are starting to wonder what happened to Bobby and are getting suspicious about his parents and the parents can only hold the investigations off for so long. It's a race against the law for bobby to reverse this effect and clear his parents' name.

I rate this 3 stars because their is some interesting and even suspenseful parts to the story but the whole idea of a kid going invisible is kind of too fantastic for me. If you are the type who likes a story with good characters and can stand a bit of fantasy then this game is for you.

Things Not Seen is an intriguing work of science fiction by Andrew Clements that grabs your attention and keeps you captivated. He is an experienced author, having written more than ten novels such as Frindle, The School Story, The Report Card, and A Week in the Woods.

When 15 year old Bobby Phillips woke up one day, his life had changed. He was invisible! His parents decided to keep him at home until he became normal again. Things kept getting worse. First his parents were hospitalized as a result of a car accident. Then, the authorities became concerned when Bobby didn't show up in school. The family had to keep making up stories and playing hide and seek to keep the authorities away. Meanwhile Bobby had met Alicia, a blind girl at the library who figured out his secret. Alicia and Bobby got together and researched people who disappeared. Eventually Bobby's parents learned that someone else knew Bobby's secret, so they joined forces with Alicia's parents to discover what caused the absurd incident that made Bobby invisible. Would Bobby ever be normal again?

Things Not Seen was written in first person, which makes the reader feel more involved with the story. The sentence structure and fluency is clear, concise and leads you to the main points. Andrew Clements has a vast word choice that utilizes descriptive language thoroughly. Most of all Andrew Clements has a colorful and realistic voice that brings out the main characters.

This novel is aimed for someone with a wide imagination and who likes to curl up and read. The unique science-fiction style was right for this intended audience. For the most part the story line was gripping and the ending was weak. Out of all of Andrew Clements books Things Not Seen is definitely my favorite. He has created another masterpiece.

What would you do if you were invisible? Well, I sure know what Bobby Phillips would do of Chicago, Illinois wakes up one day and is invisible. Before the day he was REALLY invisible, in a way he was invisible to his parents. He was there in a solid figure but his parent just won't pay attention to him. Later on that week something tragic happened. Bobby's parents got into a terrible accident. With his parents in jeopardy he realizes how much he really loves them. After the accident Mr. And Mrs. Phillips were put under intense care wing. Bobby isn't allowed to visit them. But being invisible he visits them both. After he visits them he goes to the library and meets a girl, no ordinary girl, a special girl. Clements teaches you that even if you are special you can help in many ways. In the book it's like The Phillips vs. Officer Padgett. I'd give this book five stars because it's interesting and different in many ways. If you want to know who this "special girl" is and if and when Bobby turns visible read Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements. Published by Philomel books in 2002 at New York, New York.

From the very first page, I connected with this book. I'm not sure if it was the sarcastic humor, witty insight, or how hilariously unrealistic it was but, whatever the case, I was hooked. Andrew Clements delved so far into Bobby Phillips' mind, feeling, and personal life that sometimes I felt the same emotions as he did. There was a part about fear and how, once you're afraid, you can't get rid of that agonizing feeling. The initial fear is fed by more fear and the vicious cycle just continues. I thought that was such a strong and important part of the book.
There were some parts of this book where I was a little confused (but, then again, so were the characters) and had NO idea where Andrew Clements was taking the story line, but it always seemed to straighten itself out in the end and return to its seamless, chuckle-worthy plot.
I think the strongest part of the book was Alicia Van Dorn. I love how the author incorporated her into the book and I honestly believe it wouldn't have been half as good without her. In a way, she and Bobby went through the same struggles and the bond that formed between them was extremely enviable. I felt I could really relate to the book (obviously some parts more than others) and it didn't seem to matter that the main character was a boy. All that mattered were the words on the page, the feelings they brought, and how perfectly every part of it seemed to match with what I wanted from it, regardless of the day.
I loved this book for so many reasons, some indescribable, and I hope you find the time to read it and enjoy it as much as I did.

Reading Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements is like knowing that all the dogs in the world are safe. It is satisfying.

Bobby (the main character) became invisible one day and ran into a blind girl (Alicia), who became his friend. His and her dad find the cause of his invisibility, but do not know how to make him change back to normal. So Bobby and Alicia go on lots of adventures trying to make him visible again. Will his friendship with Alicia lead to the cure to his invisibility?

This book is really good because it is suspenseful, action packed, nail biting and satisfying. Everything flows well and is interesting. The only bad part was the end because it was predictable. There were also other parts that were predictable. Like when Bobby's and Alicia's dads found the cure to Bobby's invisibility. He could have put some twists and turns to make it seem like they will not find the cure.

An example of the suspense in the book is when Bobby went to Sear's. Andrew Clements drew the before the event stuff over a couple pages.I think that suspense is another way to make something less predictable. Because when there is suspense it makes you feel that the bad thing is going to happen but the good thing still happens. Or the other way. He could have made it a paragraph but then it would be predictable.

Also, it was action packed. It practically never had uninteresting parts. It went from one interesting part to another ,unexpected interesting part. For example, when Bobby came back from the library he ran into Alicia ( for the first time) and almost showed his invisibility but sice she is blind she could not. Then, he went into his house and his dad got all mad at him for having gone outside. Next, Bobby won the argument with his Dad because he stated that his parents should be with him at all times. So his Dad went to pick-up his mom and his parents got in a car crash.

I thought Andrew Clements made Bobby really life like. Bobby liked lots of normal stuff, but disliked things that other kids didn't dislike. He liked the trumpet and playing band, but did not like being by himself. "I turn off the set, but then the house feels too quiet, and bad pictures are bouncing around my head. All three lamps are on, but it still feels dark." That shows that he is scared of being by himself. That is not normal for a 15 year old. That makes him real life like.

I would recommend this book to fourth and fifth graders. I would recommend it to them because that is the age when you are interested in invisibility and stealth, and that is what Things not Seen is about.

You well get strapped in once you start reading this book. It is like a long rollercoaster , you cant get off.

I love the exciting book Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements. He makes you feel like you are there. This book is about Bobby a regular teenager who wakes up one morning, walks to the bathroom, looks in the mirror, and doesn't see himself. He spits on the mirror and he can see it. But... What happened to Bobby? He.....he .....Turned invisible!

This wonderful book tells all about how Bobby lives. You think getting to the library is easy- try doing it invisible without touching talking or being noticed....not so easy. This book will make you nervous and you will never be able to put the book down, like me.

The main characters of this book are Bobby, Mom, Dad, Alisha. Alisha is Bobby's blind friend whom he meets in the library. She helps Bobby live with his problem and she gives him advice. Bobby's mom is very easy going but his dad uh not so much.

So do you want to find out what happens to Bobby and everyone else? Well then buy your copy today at the store.com.

Things Not Seen is a fun and thought-provoking read, although not without a few gaping plot holes. The story of a boy who wakes up invisible one day raises a lot of interesting topics for discussion and his eventual friendship with a blind girl deepens the issues even further. The resolution to the story is where things start to fall apart, and I'll try to explain without giving too much away. The boy believes that a defective electric blanket has caused his invisibility so he decides to contact other owners of that type of blanket to see if they might also secretly be invisible. He steals a list of people who complained about the blanket and tracks down the parents of a girl who just disappeared one day and they don't know why. They figured she ran away since she had been a troubled kid. Here's the problem. If they figured she just ran away, why did they complain about the electric blanket, putting them on the list of complainers and allowing the boy to contact them? Doesn't make much sense. Still this is a good read and even plot holes (and that's not the only one) can be worthy topics for discussion. I plan to use this book with my class this fall.

Have you ever wished you were invisible? That you could go around without anyone knowing that you were there? Well, without wishing....Bobby Phillips actually DOES turn invisible!
One morning fifteen-year-old Bobby Phillips wakes up...and he looks in the mirror after his shower, but his reflection isn't there! He rushes to tell his parents, but they don't believe him! It takes a while, but eventually his parents do believe him, but the question is...what are they going to do?
Bobby's parents both go of to their jobs and leave him home alone for the day, and he decides to go to the library and just "chill out." While heading out of the library, he bumps into a girl, and he's SURE she's going to notice that, hey, there isn't a person under all the clothes, because his face (or, where his face is, anyway) is exposed. And then, he realizes something. The girl that he bumped into...she's blind.
Bobby and Alicia (the blind girl from the library) soon form a friendship, and eventually Bobby's family and Alicia's family both pull together to solve Bobby's problem. But will it be possible to turn him visible again?!
This book is good, and recommended for light, escapist reading. It doesn't require much attention/thinking, but it's definately fun, and worth the time spent reading it.
Overall grade: B

For months I avoided reading this book because I thought I'd hate it. For years I've seen Andrew Clements, the former teacher who has written so many terrific contemporary upbeat works of fiction for preteens, as something of a role model. And here, I thought, he's gone over to the dark side and written a fantasy. But when I finally got around to reading it, it surprised me. The science behind the sudden onset of invisibility in the main character might be just a little suspect, but Bobby is such a believable kid, we suspend that disbelief with little difficulty. Then, we're immersed in a very interesting thought experiment that gets us thinking about all kinds of what-ifs. The story probes issues of trust and gives us a sensitive look at life as experienced by a blind teenager. It's a fun and fascinating read that can prompt discussions about what it might be like if we had a condition that made us irrevocably unlike the "normal" people around us. Good job, Mr. Clements!
Janet Gingold
author of Finch Goes Wild

Anyone who likes to read about invisible boys should read Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements. Bobby and Alicia are the main characters in the book. Bobby is kind and friendly and Alicia is kind and loyal. The book takes place in Illinois. The problem in this book is Bobby woke up invisible one morning and can't figure out why he is invisible or how to become visible again.

In the beginning of the book Bobby wakes up invisible and then his parents get into an accident. They had to go to the hospital. In the middle of the book Bobby meets Alicia [a blind girl] who begins to help him with his problem. Also Bobby locates Sheila, another person, who is also invisible. To find out if Bobby ever becomes visible again read Things Not Seen.

The theme in this book is to have an open mind to friendships with someone you might not have as a friend. Bobby reminded me of me because Bobby is smart like me. Boys in 4th through 6th grade would love this book.

K.L.R.D. in Annapolis

The great book "Things Not Seen" is written by Andrew Clements. The Main character in this book is named Bobby. Bobby is a regular teenager, who isn't very popular, and just try's really "not to be seen" but one day when he comes out of the shower, he really won't be seen. The Main story is about Bobby Phillips who has to go through being invisible. He has to not go to school, and go around and live his life "invisible", until he can finaly turn back, the way he was. The Story takes place mostly in Bobby's house and sometimes and the University Library that Bobby goes to.
The Main theme of this story is friendship and trust, because Bobby developes a strong friendship with a blind girl name Alycia, who helps him stay safe and strong, and also trust of not letting the word spread about Bobby.
Overall, I did like this book, and I rate it a "4" because there are still some areas where it seemed a bit odd to me. I do recommend this book to anyone who is interested! It really has character!

15 year old Bobby Phillips is a normal boy living in Chicago, that is, until the morning of February 23. He wakes up and can't see himself in the mirror, but he isn't dreaming. He is just invisible! He can't tell anyone, but his parents until he meets a blind girl named Alicia. She finds out and so do her parents, but they keep it quiet and help figure out how Bobby can become normal again. The State Department of Children and Family begin to wonder where Bobby is. They give Mr. and Mrs. Phillips 5 days to confirm where Bobby is otherwise they will be arrested. Will anyone figure out how to cure Bobby before it's too late? Read Things Not Seen to figure out.

The book Things Not Seen is a book that keeps you thinking. It gives clues on why he is invisible so you can try to figure it out. It is for kids in the fifth grade and up that like science and mysteries. So read Things Not Seen because you will love it.

Very exciting!

Things Not Seen is a Fictional book that takes place in February. It doesn't tell you a date it just says February, but I can infer that it takes place in present day.

The characters are Bobby Phillips who wakes up one morning and sees in the mirror he is invisible, there is this also this girl named Alicia who he meets in the library and tries to help him get back to normal.

The problem of the story is that Bobby Phillips is invisible and he wants to get back to normal. With the help of a blind friend named Alicia he tries many different solutions and formulas. Will he ever get back to normal? Will his parents think he is missing? To find out read the book

I recommend this book for kids ages 8-15. This is really a good book because it was a very exciting and adventurous for example when he does all the formulas and it is exciting to see if this one will finally work. I give it 5 stars.

In the book "Things Not Seen" the inital incident started out with this normal kid named Bobby Phillips. He started his day out normal or like any other da, prying himself out of bed, then taking a shower in the dark. His day was normal that was at least until he looked into the mirror to see nothing but a floating towel. The rising action in "Things Not Seen" would be when he tells his mother that he is invisible.There are two orher parts that I can tell you without runing the book. One of them is when he bumps into this girl oa the library and his scarf falls off, the bad thing about that is he is invisible. But it turns out that the girl is blind so it doesn't matter. The other one would be when he calls this girl Sheila.

The thing that I liked about the book was that there was not so many characters that you loose track who is talking! Thank you for reading my review and for your time! Hope you like it! Enjoy!

Anyone who likes to read about invisible boys should read Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements. Bobby and Alicia are the main characters in the book. Bobby is kind and friendly and Alicia is kind and loyal. The book takes place in Illinois. The problem in this book is Bobby woke up invisible one morning and can't figure out why he is invisible or how to become visible again.

In the beginning of the book Bobby wakes up invisible and then his parents get into an accident. They had to go to the hospital. In the middle of the book Bobby meets Alicia [a blind girl] who begins to help him with his problem. Also Bobby locates Sheila, another person, who is also invisible. To find out if Bobby ever becomes visible again read Things Not Seen.

The theme in this book is to have an open mind to friendships with someone you might not have as a friend. Bobby reminded me of me because Bobby is smart like me. Boys in 4th through 6th grade would love this book.

K.L.R.D. in Annapolis

The great book "Things Not Seen" is written by Andrew Clements. The Main character in this book is named Bobby. Bobby is a regular teenager, who isn't very popular, and just try's really "not to be seen" but one day when he comes out of the shower, he really won't be seen. The Main story is about Bobby Phillips who has to go through being invisible. He has to not go to school, and go around and live his life "invisible", until he can finaly turn back, the way he was. The Story takes place mostly in Bobby's house and sometimes and the University Library that Bobby goes to.
The Main theme of this story is friendship and trust, because Bobby developes a strong friendship with a blind girl name Alycia, who helps him stay safe and strong, and also trust of not letting the word spread about Bobby.
Overall, I did like this book, and I rate it a "4" because there are still some areas where it seemed a bit odd to me. I do recommend this book to anyone who is interested! It really has character!

15 year old Bobby Phillips is a normal boy living in Chicago, that is, until the morning of February 23. He wakes up and can't see himself in the mirror, but he isn't dreaming. He is just invisible! He can't tell anyone, but his parents until he meets a blind girl named Alicia. She finds out and so do her parents, but they keep it quiet and help figure out how Bobby can become normal again. The State Department of Children and Family begin to wonder where Bobby is. They give Mr. and Mrs. Phillips 5 days to confirm where Bobby is otherwise they will be arrested. Will anyone figure out how to cure Bobby before it's too late? Read Things Not Seen to figure out.

The book Things Not Seen is a book that keeps you thinking. It gives clues on why he is invisible so you can try to figure it out. It is for kids in the fifth grade and up that like science and mysteries. So read Things Not Seen because you will love it.

Very exciting!

Things Not Seen is a Fictional book that takes place in February. It doesn't tell you a date it just says February, but I can infer that it takes place in present day.

The characters are Bobby Phillips who wakes up one morning and sees in the mirror he is invisible, there is this also this girl named Alicia who he meets in the library and tries to help him get back to normal.

The problem of the story is that Bobby Phillips is invisible and he wants to get back to normal. With the help of a blind friend named Alicia he tries many different solutions and formulas. Will he ever get back to normal? Will his parents think he is missing? To find out read the book

I recommend this book for kids ages 8-15. This is really a good book because it was a very exciting and adventurous for example when he does all the formulas and it is exciting to see if this one will finally work. I give it 5 stars.

In the book "Things Not Seen" the inital incident started out with this normal kid named Bobby Phillips. He started his day out normal or like any other da, prying himself out of bed, then taking a shower in the dark. His day was normal that was at least until he looked into the mirror to see nothing but a floating towel. The rising action in "Things Not Seen" would be when he tells his mother that he is invisible.There are two orher parts that I can tell you without runing the book. One of them is when he bumps into this girl oa the library and his scarf falls off, the bad thing about that is he is invisible. But it turns out that the girl is blind so it doesn't matter. The other one would be when he calls this girl Sheila.

The thing that I liked about the book was that there was not so many characters that you loose track who is talking! Thank you for reading my review and for your time! Hope you like it! Enjoy!

Bobby Phillips wakes up, takes a shower, looks in the mirror and only sees things around him. He's INVISIBLE! As time goes by, Bobby realizes that he might be invisible forever, seeing as though he has not gone back to normal yet. Somehow Bobby has to be turned back to normal because being invisible is causing some trouble in his life. Already the school has had someone come to check in on Bobby to make sure he's there, but when they don't "see" him a big problem errupts and the children's department of the state tells Bobby's parents that if he doesn't show up in five days, they will be charged with criminal charges.

I would recommend reading this book because it's so interesting. It gets your attention and keeps you wondering. The characters were realistic (except for the fact that Bobby's invisible) because their personalities match a normal teenagers. If your looking for a fabulous fantasy, here it is.

Clements, Andrew. (2002). Things not seen. New York:

Scholastic books, ISBN # 0-439-45620-7

Adventure

Synopsis: Bobby is a teenager that lives in a downtown community of Chicago. He is a normal teen, a lot of friends, but there is one thing, HE IS INVISIBLE!!! He used 2 be normal until one morning. This book shows that being invisible in Chicago isn't very fun or easy. Will he overcome this strange happening or will he be left the way he is, forever?

Review:Things not seen

Critic: I like this book because it had a lot of suspense to it. Although it did take awhile to get to the main part, I still liked it. This book was also kind of bland and boring and it took awhile to get to the ending of the book. I didn't really get the point to this book. If you liked the book "Frindle" you will like this book. I gave this book 3 out of 5 stars.

Jorge Sanchez

What would you do if you were invisible? Well, I sure know what Bobby Phillips would do of Chicago, Illinois wakes up one day and is invisible. Before the day he was REALLY invisible, in a way he was invisible to his parents. He was there in a solid figure but his parent just won't pay attention to him. Later on that week something tragic happened. Bobby's parents got into a terrible accident. With his parents in jeopardy he realizes how much he really loves them. After the accident Mr. And Mrs. Phillips were put under intense care wing. Bobby isn't allowed to visit them. But being invisible he visits them both. After he visits them he goes to the library and meets a girl, no ordinary girl, a special girl. Clements teaches you that even if you are special you can help in many ways. In the book it's like The Phillips vs. Officer Padgett. I'd give this book five stars because it's interesting and different in many ways. If you want to know who this "special girl" is and if and when Bobby turns visible read Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements. Published by Philomel books in 2002 at New York, New York.

I usually read murder mystery books and this one didn't really interest me the first time i picked it up about a year ago.

So i gave up on it thinking that a book about an invisible boy was not for me.

but then the other day while lying in bed sick from school i got bored and had nothing to do or read. i had read all the books i had by richie tankersley cusick who i also recamend. and i picked thois one up and decided to give it another try

so i started reading. and couldn't stop although it wasn't as suspensful as i had hoped it was hard to put down. the whole plot and all the scientific stuff that i didn't understand was actually exiteing. the reason i kept reading was probably so i could find out how they turn him back to normal.

I think that the andrew must've givin this book lots and lotss of thought. everything came together good and the part i was most impressed with was when he broke into the sears place to get the phone numbers and how the 59th call was sheila and how he put together there conversation. he made it sound realistic , it was more then just saying " Im invisibal are you?? " hahaa

I reccamendd this book even if you think it may be slow for you. it was slow for me but in the end i thought it was really good.

The book " Things Not Seen" is a great book because it makes me want to read more. Bobby is a great character but a little too ambitious because he goes out in the city while he is invisible not knowing how he can get around people, and his parents didn't even know where he was. He was in a tight spot because the cops searched his house but right before his mom made him clean everything so it looked like he hadn't been there.

I think that it was a bad idea for Bobby to sleep with his electric blanket because he called someone who had the same blanket that became invisible from it and they became invisible and when he woke up he was visible but something wrong could have happed from doing that. I would recommend this book to middle school aged kids because it's at their grade level and for kids who like fiction.

By: Gina

"Things Not Seen" represents a departure for Andrew Clements. Clements is famous for his short, thoughtful, humorously exaggerated but essentially realistic school stories, such as "Frindle." "Things Not Seen" aims for a more sophisticated audience, and it falls into the genre of science fiction.

The novel opens with fifteen-year-old Bobby waking up one morning to the discovery that he has become invisible. His father, a scientist, takes an intellectual interest in his son's condition but also warns him to keep it a secret. Bobby refuses to be confined to the house, however, and he becomes quite adept at sneaking around in public undetected. When he meets a blind girl named Alicia, they become fast friends and he shares his secret with her, and later, with her parents. Alicia's father is also a scientist, and he and Bobby's father team up to study the mysterious phenomenon. Meanwhile, Bobby grows into a new independence and a deeper relationship with his parents - but is he doomed to spend the rest of his life sneaking around and hiding? Will the involvement of the Department of Children and Family Services force him to reveal the truth?

"Things Not Seen" is an entertaining novel, but lacks the vital energy of Clements's school stories. This is the first Andrew Clements novel I've read that I wouldn't have been able to identify immediately as an Andrew Clements novel even without the author's name on the cover. Clements clearly did his research to create a scenario which, if not exactly plausible, allows the reader to suspend disbelief, and he clearly spent a lot of time imagining just what it would be like to be invisible. Unfortunately, he bogs down the story with unnecessary subplots and repeated mundane observations that drag the book out much longer than it needs to be. The ending was almost too simple, too pat and convenient - could this really be the same author who has so often delighted me with the twists and turns of his cleverness, resolving the conflict with an unexpected twist just when the situation seemed hopeless?

Young readers will surely enjoy "Things Not Seen," but I'd rather see Andrew Clements stick to the genre he does so well.

I remember reading this book quite some time ago, back when it first came out around the year 2000. My school's book club had read his other books, which I adored and still continue to list as some of my favorite books, so I thought I should go ahead and read this one as well. If you're an Andrew Clements fan and the only other books you've read by him are his typical "school stories", you're in for a surprise, and it's up to the individual reader to determine whether the surprise is a good one or not. I was personally underwhelmed by this book and series overall. While the premise of a young boy who suddenly goes invisible is an intriguing one, the storyline flops around all over the place, even more so with the next two books, but in this one as well, between the supernatural and well, natural. I wish Clements had picked one or the other, instead of trying to make spontaneous human invisibility explainable by basic elements of physics. A lot about the stories is steeped in convenience--in this particular book, the fact that both of the main character's parents are well-versed scholars. I would have enjoyed a deeper exploration of Bobby's inner reflections, rather than falsified scientific jargon. Both the science and the emotions of the book fell flat, moved along slowly, and seemed chaotically disorganized. Where there could have been a meaningful discussion on what it means to be human, instead we got an awkward paranormal attempt at a feel-good book.

Rating: 2/5

If you have ever wanted to be invisible read "Things Not Seen" by Andrew Clements. You might want too stick to flying.

In the book "Things Not Seen", Bobby, (the main character) turns invisible. Bobby promised his parents he wouldn't tell anyone so the government would not get involved. Although Bobby tells this new, blind girl named Alicia. Bobby, Alicia, and both of their parents are trying not to get the government involved, not getting Bobby's parents arrested, trying to keep everybody else out of it, and most importantly turning Bobby back to his original self, visible.

I didn't like the book "Things Not Seen". It just didn't click with me. A lot of it didn't make sinse like a monkey not liking bannanas. It just doesn't make sinse! It had some things I like but there were so few of them that they were almost invisible!

Most of the time Bobby was sitting inside worrying, eating, sleeping, and other activities. He went to some places but not a lot. It doesn't make for a very exciting book to read about him. There are paragraphs in the book that go, "Wake up. Shower. Eat. Read. Talk to Mom. Watch TV. Talk to Mom. Eat. Nap. Listen to jazz." Just on and on like that. It's like the auther was trying to put in fillers.

Also the main character wasn't very believable to me. He got all upset and uptight about not very important things. Though he seemed to be so happy sometimes then he isn't and on and on and on like that. I think the author tried to make him more believable but didn't really make him act 15.

The ending was very predictable to me. I picked up the book and after the first paragraph I knew exactly what the ending was going to be. The athor needed more of a twist. He needs to add something like "Alicia and Bobby were wrong. The police car just pulled into the driveway. What were they to do!" instead of "Dad was right!". They were never wrong about anything!

Another thing was that characters were not very relatable. They were either adults, to old, or invisible. Bobby did a few things you could relate to but not much at all. For example, you could relate to him watching television, him playing an instrument, or having an aunt. You couldn't relate to the big things like, him being invisible, him staying home alone while his parents were in the hospital, him walking around town naked in the middle of February. You couldn't relate to the big things. I also couldn't relate to Alisha. Mostly because she was blind and people acted different around her but she wasn't as big as Bobby.

I would recommend this book for third through fifth graders. It seemed like younger people would enjoy this book. I also think it is mostly for boys because boys seem to like more super natural stuff like this.

I say good luck finding your way through invisibility with Bobby and Alisha. Try not to fall asleep.

Meet Bobby Phillips. An average, brave, and clever fifteen year old. He lives with his two parents in Chicago, Illinois, with the most ordinary lifestyle he could ask for. One day, Bobby wakes up, trudges to his bathroom and is about to brush his teeth, when he looks in the mirror and finds himself invisible. As you would imagine, Bobby is confused and totally freaked out.

After he and his parents decide to keep this news from the public and try to figure out a solution on their own, Bobby takes matters into his own hands. He and his new friend Alicia spring at every clue and opportunity they get to bring him back to his real self. As much fun they are having playing detective, Bobby's parents begin to worry. A fifteen year old who has been missing for a month does not fly by the police and Child Protection services that easily. Bobby must find a way to bring himself back to normality before it's too late.

I think that Andrew Clements had a good idea for the plot and story line, but his characters are very dull. The middle of the book was really slow for me as well, and unlike a good book should, this one doesn't really have any problems. I mean sure he becomes invisible, but when trying to solve his mystery, everything seemed to just fall into place. I felt myself expecting something exciting to happen, but it never did. What would have really grabbed me would be a twist or turn or something I didn't expect.

Over all, this book is about digging deep for answers you are determined to find. No matter what, there has to be a clue or hint, and you will most certainly find one as long as you keep looking.

This is a captivating fantasy about a teenager, Bobby, who awakes one morning to discover that he is invisible. Unlike the central figure in _The Invisible Man_, Bobby does not go mad, but instead finds himself.

I generally like, but do not love, Andrew Clements books. They're a little too sunshiney, crossing the line into unreality. This book does not start like that. Clements hits exactly the right tone with Bobby's voice on the very first page--a convincingly bitter teenager who's frustrated with his life. I also found the detailed description of the limits to Bobby's invisibility to enhance the believability of the plot. The relationship with Alicia is psychologically insightful.

The reason this review is not a 5-star one is that about two-thirds of the way through the book falls into the pattern of Clements' other books. The voice changes so distinctly, Bobby loses his cynical tone so suddenly and so completely, the book loses its sincerity. Plus, the tension and suspense present at the beginning of the book is lost. And exception is the wonderful interaction with Sheila(avoiding spoilers here).

Fortunately, the psychological depth in the denouement salvages the book. I recommend it for ages 12 and up.

One morning Bobby, the main character in the book Things Not Seen, woke up and thought it was just another normal day of a kid's life. That is, until he looked in the mirror and saw he wasn't there. He waited to wake up but he already was awake. Bobby is a normal kid but he is hardworking, and no matter what happens in the book he never gives up. He also has common sense, and no matter what happens he always makes the right choices, which makes the book kind of boring. Bobby is also very personable; he made a good friend with a blind girl he just bumped into at the library. In the book the time period it is modern, and there are modern cars and modern businesses, like Sears. The setting of the book takes place near Chicago, Illinois. Bobby lives in an urban neighborhood, with public libraries, cabs, and business headquarters.

The book starts with Bobby waking up invisible and continues with Bobby going on adventures trying to find out how he became invisible. In the book, Bobby goes through many problems and it always turns out alright, which makes the book cheesy. For example, when Bobby's parents get in a car crash everything is fine. When he steals stuff everything is okay too, and his parents are even proud of him. The plot is very exciting in some places in the book, but I also thought it went slow because the author described every single little detail. The plot in those places were very thrilling because the author made it extremely vivid so you can really imagine it. The theme of the book is to persevere and never give up because you never know what you might do. If you like short reads and slow and exciting plots, this would be a great book for you.

This book "Things Not Seen" has alot of twists and turns, along with a few unexpected parts including the ending.The characters in this book are Bobby Philips, his mom and dad, Alecia Von Dorn, and her mom and dad. My favorite character is Alecia because she is nice and sweet and cares about people other than herself.

I gve this book 4 stars because it had a great plot but I didnt really like the ending. Some of the parts were boring but most of the book was exciting and funny at the same time.

I would recommend this book to anyone who like stories in which people start out sad and lonley and in the end find someone who makes them happy.Overall I loved this book and if I got the chance to read it again I would.

THINGS NOT SEEN cannot be judged by a summary. The plot is simple: boy wakes up invisible, makes friends with blind girl, learns how to cope with situation. It's a Kindergarten idea...we've all talked about what we'd do if, for one day, we could be invisible. But Andrew Clements takes the idea further. Suppose it wasn't just one day? Suppose you still had substance? Suppose you had to keep it a secret? Suppose you had to keep yourself hidden from the world for weeks on end? THINGS NOT SEEN is the story of a boy who begins to see who he really is when no one can see him at all. Andrew Clements once again amazes us with his powerful way of making his readers part of the story, questioning what they thought they knew all alog.

Things not seen by Andrew Climents is a fantastic book about a boy named Bobby, 15 years old, who lives in Chicago, Illinois.He has two parents and is an only child.He wakes up one morning finding himself invisible,completely invisible.His dad is a scientist and tries to figure out why Bobby is this way.Bobby meets a friend who is blind and cant see that Bobby is invisible.That friend is a girl and her name is Alicia.Bobby tells Alicia about his invisibility.Finally Bobbys dad finds out that there is something wrong with Bobbys electric blanket...

Want to know the rest?Well thats just to bad, get the book and read the rest because I am not about to tell you.Its a really good book.Get it and you will enjoy it.

This book is great if you love imagination. In these lines "It's what I see in the mirror. It's what I don't see. I look a second time, and then rub at the mirror again. I'm not there. That's what I'm saying. I'm. Not. There." it is talking about a person not being able to see himself. First of all you have to have a great imagination to believe in this. Second, this is just not possible. I don't really like imaginary books so this is my first reason. My second reason is that I don't like the ending. In the end Bobby tries to write to Alicia "Hi Alicia it's me." "Nothing I try six more greetings. Nothing." Then Alicia replies with a poem and thats it. The ending is just cut off. That is my opinion on this story.

Andrew Clements is well-known for a series of "school stories," novels about students and situations in school. In this book, "Things Not Seen," he takes a departure from that path for a unique and moving story about a boy who wakes up, takes a shower and finds that he's gone completely invisible.

This story has a fantastic premise, but it also has a deep feeling of realness. You may have fantasized about being invisible, but what if you didn't know to make it stop and had to deal with it all the time? The boy, Bobby, in this story, confronts this situation --- he can no longer go to school, he's afraid of being found and studied by the government and he can't even go out and hang with his friends. As he begins to deal with the realities of his new life, he finds himself doing and thinking things he never would have thought of before. And when his parents are hurt in a car crash, he's left alone at home and has to start fending for himself.

As Bobby ventures out, he meets a friend --- someone with whom he can share his experiences and open up to as he's never to anyone before. I won't spoil for you just how this happens, you'll have to read this and find out for yourself.

"...when something impossible happens, everything else comes unglued... `You're, you're really -- ` `Yeah,' I say. "Invisible."
When Bobby Phillips wakes up one morning, invisible, his whole life changes in a minute. He has to stay home, hidden, while his physicist father searches for a way to make him visible again. The only other people who can know about Bobby's condition are his new blind friend Alicia and her family. When his parents are in a car crash, Bobby's life gets even worse. But it's not over yet.
After three weeks of being missing, his school, neighbors, and even a fierce government officer are after Bobby. To save his family, he takes an incredible risk.
During the book, Bobby learns about friendship, love, family, and precious gifts, like sight and life itself. The reader learns these lessons too through this beautiful and terrifying book. It was an exciting science fiction story, but it also had a deep meaning that made it a fabulous book for people like me who are not into science fiction. Things Not Seen is impossible to put down, and it leaves you with a lot to think about afterwards.

What Andrew Clements is very good at is getting into a child's world view, in this case a teenager named Bobby Phillips who accidentally becomes invisible. There is an interesting contrast between Bobby and a girl who is blind, and the relationship that develops between two people who see themselves as damaged, one who cannot be seen, and like every teenager feels his parents are out to run his life, and one who people choose to look away from.

I did find it slightly creepy that Bobby wanders around naked with Alicia, and gets close to her physically. Just because she can't see him and nobody else can doesn't make it less creepy. I almost wish he'd gotten to wear invisible boxers, but they wouldn't work for plot reasons. I kept expecting it to bother Bobby more, too: hello, he is a teenage boy! So that part didn't quite ring true.

Despite its flaws, this is a book worth reading.

Fifteen year old Bobby wakes up one morning and finds out he is invisible when he looks in the mirror. He freaks out, and his parents think he is playing a trick. Then he has to find a way to travel around outside because it's winter and he can't walk around without clothes. He wants to go to the library to research why this happened to him. While he's there, he meets Alicia, a blind girl. They become best friends, but she gets scared when she finds out he is invisible. She decides to help him with his problem, though. Bobby and Alicia's adventure is thrilling, and will keep you guessing right until the end. Would you like to be invisible? I don't think I would!

Many kids feel insignificant, overlooked, and invisible to those around them. Bobby feels all of that. Life as usual -- until he wakes up and finds that he really HAS become invisible. So starts the struggle to find a way to reverse his condition without creating front page news - and sending his parents off to jail as key suspects when officials decide that Bobby has been the victim of foul play.
The enigma of learning to see what is not visible, while walking through life unseen, becomes Bobby's challenge, even when he is drawn to the one person who accepts him - a blind girl who sees Bobby for all the things he can't see himself.
This story premise could have revolved around cheap humor but instead evolves into a touching story of the struggles of adolescence, self-acceptance, control, and compromise. First person perspective give Bobby's feelings and frustrations aching realism. A good read, especially for those struggling with the transformation from parental control to independence.

In this book, it was really exciting and entertaining.

I like mystery books about kids around my age,

alot and this book was just really good.

It told about a teenage friendship & how

Bobby solves his problem on his own, without

his dad trying to solve it, with help from a girl

he meets named Alicia. His dad is a scientist at

a college. His parents end up getting in a wreck,

so his on his own for about three weeks, with his condition.

To know more just read it!

It is actually a really good entertaining book,

from time to time.

My book is Things Not Seen by Andrew Clements. This book is about a boy named Bobby who wakes up one day and finds out he is invisilve.So his dad who is a science professor tries to make Bobby visible again. Bobby is sworn to secrecy but runs into a blind girl who he likes so he tells her his secret. Bobby has been invisible for 3 weeks and the State of Chicago thinks his parents have murdered him.

I think this book is very interesting. It has a good plot and plenty of surprises. Also it has many moods sometimes it's depressing,angry,and happy. I would recommend this book to a friend. If you like fantasy then this is the book for you.

Bobby wakes up one morning to discover he's invisible. I know that sounds like a silly beginning to a story, but it's actually a very thought provoking and well written novel. The story follows Bobby and his parents as they struggle to find out how it happened. It was interesting to watch the family dynamics, as they struggled to cope with the problem. There's some teenage angst, but overall I thought it was a great novel.

You're probably wondering why my title is the way it is. Well, since there are already two-hundred some odd reviews, mine will be on the bottom. And who ever looks there? Oh, the book, right. So, this is my first time reading Andrew Clement's work, and his character traits blow me away. I mean, I wouldn't have thought to use the perfect combonation of a blind person and an invisible person. Until Bobby (invisible) told Alicia (blind). I did not see that coming! Also, the author gives such extensive thought to Bobby. It wouldn't surprise me if Bobby thinks more than he talks in the book. However, the ending is a bit abrupt.All in all one of the better boks I've read.

Don't disappear
Have you ever wondered how it would be if you were invisible? Well Bobby has. This book will have you reading all day and night, all 24 hours. You feel like you are seeing this story because, it has such good detail. This has 251 pages of awesome invisibility! If this sounds interesting to you, go to the nearest library near you and get this book called, Things not seen by Andrew Clements this book will change the way you look at life.
This is about how a boy named Bobby is getting up one morning takes a shower and he goes to the merrier and he's not there! I mean you can't see him! So he tells his mom and dad, but they think that they are trying to trick them or something like that. Later in the story he meets this girl, they became very good friends. They meet up again and try to figure out how he is in his condition. Bobby goes to the store that had the blanket. Oh! And if I did not tell you he thinks that his electric blanket turned him invisible. So he gets the list of the names homes and called them. Bobby finds a girl 0020with the same thing that happened to him. Will Bobby ever be the same again or will he stay invisible forever? Read the book for yourself.
I liked part when Bobby finds another person that has that same condition as him. You feel so excited that you just cry tears of joy. He finally can find a solution to his problem. He can compare and contrast the events that happened to him and his new friend. They try to figure out how to make them back hoe they keep talking about how they think it happened and how to fix the problem.
The most important thing I learned was that to never under estimate your mom and dad the police the government and everyone. And to tell your mom and dad your ideas, thoughts, and don't lie.
Other awesome books by this very talented author are, Things that are, Things happened, The reporter, Frindle, Lunch money, School story, and Landry paper are all awesome books!
This is a must read book all day and night! You will try to around the ways that this will happen to you. Go get this book at the nearest library to where you are. Hope the best for Bobby!

This book is about a teenager named Bobby, who became invisible. It all started when Bobby used an electric blanket which was not working correctly and turned him invisible.
The best part of the book was when Bobby turned invisible and his friend found a way to make him visible again. I didn't like the fact that the book was too short. I would like to see this book turn into a series. My favorite scene was the look on Bobby's parents face when he was drinking orange juice.
I would highly recommend this book to other kids my age. The book was very exciting and you won't be able to put the book down.

I picked up this book because the title was intriguing, and I ended up reading the book rather quickly because the story line was so interesting. The young boy wakes up, takes a shower in the dark (because he feels like he can sleep an extra few minutes that way), steps out of the shower, and discovers he cannot see his reflection in the mirror. This is the book that gives insight to the average person about "What if I were invisible?" I would recommend this book to anyone at a fifth grade reading level or higher, also a great read for adults looking to break the monotony of pre-fabricated novels of today.

Things not seen is a fantastic book of sorrow, melancholy, trustworthiness, and happiness. This book will catch you from the beginning, and leave you in suspense after every chapter. Things not seen will help you understand more about friendship in such a way. I loved this book because I wasn't able to put it down--ever! This book let me understand how much trust you put into all of your friends. If you love heart-filled drama, Things Not Seen is the perfect page-turner. The characters respond to each other so much like we all do in real life, it is shocking. Things not seen is a perfect read.

One morning, a normal morning. All until Bobby realizedhe was invisible. Rubbing his eyes in the mirror, he was scared. While he is invisible,he meets is new best friend Alicia. She is blind and doesnt know Bobby is invisible. She finds out the news and helps him to be visible again. In the second halk of the book Bobby remembers that the morning he turned invisible he slept on an electric blanket that night. He finds people who has the same problem. This helps him find out how he can get visible again. Alicia told him to sleep on the blanket and it turned him visible again.

I thought this book THINGS NOT SEEN by Andrew Clements was a 5 star book because it shows how working together gets you farther than working alone. Yes I would recommend it to anyone who wants to read it. Another message the author would be trying to tell you would be that people with disabilities are people too, so don't judge someone until you get to know them they may be pretty cool people. Although there were some parts I didnt like, it was still a pretty cool book. One part I didn't like was when Bobby ran around naked. But you'll have to read the book to find out why!

Of course the subject is interesting - waking up invisible; and the way main character deals with his crisis carries the story along; and I like the way he meets up - and strikes up a "more-than-friendship"- with just the person who can't at first tell he's invisible. The conclusion - how he became invisible in the first place, and how he overcomes his problem - is rather dumb, but it didn't really matter to me. For me, the book was really about how two people who FEEL invisible come together and see each other. So - even though the plot device of invisibility drives the book, and the reason was rather silly, I thought the book was good overall.

I thought that this book was exciting, and I couldn't get my eyes off the words. I felt like I was a spy following Bobby's life. I recommend this book to poeple who like adventure and people that are clever. In this book Bobby was clever and also calm at the same time. I also thought that the protagonist was also careful.For me, I thought that the antagonist, Bobby, was causing problems for himself. I thought that the antagonist was dumb because everyone wants a happy life. The antogonist is making his life harker and people want their life to be easier.

Bobby Phillips wakes up on a February morning and takes a shower just like every other day in his life. Today is different, Bobby looks in the mirror and he's not there!

I rate this book 4 stars. At the beginning it sounded like it was going to be based on a science theory, but I was wrong. Andrew Clements does a fantastic job writing with great detail to the point I was crying.

I would recommend this book to anyone. It has outstanding detail and some great snapshots. At points I did not want to put it down. I was hooked.