TERRI LIBENSON ’ S

EDUCATORS’
GUIDE
Art © by Terri Libenson

Includes discussion questions, extension activities,

and graphic novel reading strategies.
HarperStacks.com
 Crushes. Humiliation. Drama. Friends. Frenemies.
O U T
AB RIES
SE
T H E
MIDDLE SCHOOL. Grades
3—7

I nvis ible Emmi e is the story In P osi t i vely Izzy, we J us t J aime introduces us to
of quiet, shy, artistic Emmie and meet Bri, the brain, and Izzy, Maya and Jaime, who have been
popular, outgoing, athletic Katie, the dreamer. On the day of BFFs since forever. But on the last
and how their lives unexpectedly the school talent show, the girls’ day of seventh grade, Maya caves
intersect one day, when an lives converge in ways more in to peer pressure and ditches
embarrassing note falls dramatic than either of them Jaime for the “popular” girls. What
into the wrong hands. could have imagined. happens next surprises them both.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

T er r i L i b en son is the bestselling author of Invisible Emmie, Positively Izzy, and
Just Jaime. She is also the Reuben Award–winning cartoonist of the internationally
syndicated comic strip The Pajama Diaries and was a longtime writer of humorous
cards for American Greetings. Terri lives with her husband and two daughters
in Cleveland, Ohio. You can find her online at www.terrilibenson.com.

PRAISE FOR TERRI LIBENSON’S ADVENTURES IN MIDDLE SCHOOL

INVISIBLE EMMIE: “Many readers will recognize themselves in Emmie and her
friends, who are at once self-conscious and eager to be seen for who they are. A highly
relatable middle grade drama.” —School Library Journal
POSITIVELY IZZY: “Libenson captures middle-school dramas—family, friendships,
crushes, stereotypes, grades, self-discovery—with candor, fast pacing, and authentic,
relatable characters. Positively satisfying.” —The Horn Book
JUST JAIME: “A delightful tale that navigates the precarious ebb and flow of
friendship dynamics.”  —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
 INVISIBLE EMMIE
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Compare Emmie’s and Katie’s characters. 4. N
 otice how the color
Consider why Emmie’s narrative was as a mixture of of the Emmie chapters
prose and illustration, while Katie’s was in all-graphic changes from the
format. Was the author trying to show the depth of beginning of the book
Emmie’s character by using prose narrative and Katie’s to the end. Why do
character as more superficial with the visual narrative? you think Terri Libenson
Why did she have Emmie’s and Katie’s perspectives chose to do this? Is
look different? there a change in the
Katie chapters as well?
2. D
 iscuss how the narrative style,
illustration, and format match 5. D
 iscuss other graphic novels with a similar style.
the characters’ personalities. Is Why do you think they think these books are
one approach more effective so appealing. Are you more captivated by the
than the other? Ask which comics panels or the illustrations, or a
style the readers prefer. combination of the two?

3. E
 xplore the palette used 6. E
 xamine the ending. Did you find the twist at
to illustrate each character. the end of the story surprising? Discuss some
Why did Terri Libenson alternative endings the readers would like to have
use bright colors for seen. Did you feel sorry for Katie’s character?
Katie’s chapters and What are some possible story lines for Katie’s
neutral, subdued colors character after Emmie’s ending?
for Emmie’s?

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
T w i st En d i n gs . Stories with twist endings are always fascinating.
Terri Libenson did a great job keeping the reveal a surprise. Ask
readers if or when they realized the true nature of Katie’s character.
Discuss other books that have shocking endings. Do the other stories
keep their reveal a surprise?

N a r r a t i n g P oi n t o f V ie w. Point of view and characterization

are two literary elements that help the reader understand the characters.
Ask the readers to go back and reread Emmie’s and Katie’s stories
separately. Does Emmie’s story work without Katie’s and vice versa? Ask
the readers to consider some of the other characters’ points of view. For
example, imagine why Joe Lungo behaves the way that he does toward
Emmie, or consider Bri’s point of view on her friendship with Emmie.

Illustrations © 2018 by Terri Libenson

 POSITIVELY IZZY
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. There is an adage that says a 3. C
 onsider the quote: “Ms. Bloom’s voice is so bland
person’s eyes are the window to that it’s like I’m listening to the hum of an electric fan”
their soul. By placing hearts (pg. 43). The accompanying image shows Ms. Bloom
over Brianna’s eyes, Libenson with a fan where her head should be. A figure of
shows the reader that Brianna speech such as a simile or metaphor may seem more
has a crush on Anthony Randall outlandish when drawn out and can be a helpful way
(pg. 20). Examine other ways of emphasizing the graphic novelist’s point. Can you
an image can reflect emotions find other examples of this in Positively Izzy? Ask
or actions through a character’s readers to draw some common figures of speech.
eyes. For example, what does it
mean if character has “X” over 4. C
 olor is a helpful tool with which an artist can
their eyes, or if a character’s eyes accentuate a character’s mood. For example, red
are exaggerated in size to be is often used to indicate anger or anxiety, whereas
larger than usual? bright colors like yellow are used to show
happiness. Can you find any examples
2. Consider the use of borderless of this in the book?
panels for Izzy and panels with
borders for Brianna. Which do you prefer? 5. C
 ompare pictures of Brianna’s
Do you think one way is more effective than dad with illustrations of Ben.
the other? Does adding borders to a sequence Is there any resemblance between
of panels make a difference in how you read it? those two characters? Ask
readers who they think
Brianna’s dad might be. Why?

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
T w i st En d i n gs . In the first book, Invisible Emmie, there was an
unexpected twist ending. Did you anticipate a similar twist in Positively
Izzy? Were there any clues that tipped you off ? Now that you know
the relationship between Izzy and Brianna, see if you can find places
in the story that might hint at the connection between them.

R u b e Gol d b er g Mac h ine s . Rube Goldberg was a cartoonist and

inventor who created elaborate chains of events to ultimately complete
a simple task. Brianna has arranged a series of strings tied to alarm
clocks that are sequentially triggered to finally pour orange juice on
her to wake her up (pg. 14). Ask the readers to draw their own Rube
Goldberg machines with at least four or more chains of events.
 JUST JAIME
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Before we even see Maya, we see Maya’s ceiling from 4. Hyperbole (exaggerated statements not meant to be
her point of view (pg. 9). Drawing from a character’s taken literally) is a literary device that can be more
perspective is a great way for an artist to help readers poignant as a visual. Discuss the illustrated hyperbo-
imagine themselves in her position. Ask students to le used in Just Jaime to show how Jaime feels as she
draw their bedrooms from their perspectives as if waits for Maya’s reply (pg. 74). Can you find any
they are lying in bed. Now ask them to draw their others? Consider other hyperboles in everyday
bedrooms with them in it. How do the two pictures conversation and see if you can draw them.
differ? How do perspective and point of view change
the ways in which we interpret characters? 5. Visual cues are a great way to show emotions without
explicitly stating them in the text. Illustrated actions
2. Often graphic novelists will use or include recurring like yawns, eye-rolls, and tears all convey particular
jokes, otherwise known as “running gags,” in their feelings to the reader (pgs. 32-33). What emotions do
illustrations. Can you find any instances of this in these actions convey to you? Discuss some places in
Just Jaime? Are there any running gags that span this book where you can identify how a character is
all three books in the Emmie & Friends series? feeling by being shown, rather than told.
Discuss the ways these jokes can add to the story
even when they may not be part of the main plot line. 6. Graphic novelists often use different kinds of lines in
their illustration to show things like movement,
3. Maya says admitting she was wrong and apologizing emotion, direction, or even smell. Look for examples
to Jaime “may be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in of this in Just Jaime. Why do you think the
my life” (pg. 223). Why do you think Terri Libenson graphic novelist uses dashes or dotted
chose to illustrate these moments in close-up panels? lines in some places, and curved or
How you think the emotional effect would be wavy lines in others? What do these
different if Maya’s whole body had been pictured? different types of lines mean to you?

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES
Ch a r a ct er Conne c tio ns . Terri Libenson’s books
Invisible Emmie, Positively Izzy, and Just Jaime all tell
magnificently intertwined stories of students at Lakefront
Middle School. The titles all have significant connections
with their main characters. Consider all three book titles
and how they reflect on their characters’ personality and
perceptions. What would the title of your story be?

F r i en d sh i p s.
Throughout Just Jaime, we see the
characters’ friendships being tested. Discuss each character’s perspective
and their feelings regarding their friendships with other characters.
Pick a character whose point of view is not featured and write a short
story from their point of view.
 READING STRATEGIES
Here are some tried-and-true strategies and activities for utilizing graphic and highly illustrated novels
that can be applied to any book or series. The most important aspect of reading an illustrated novel or
graphic novel is taking the time to look at the illustrations. Study the movements, consider the visual cues
(coloring, lettering, panel layouts), and think about how it all comes together to move the story forward.

Consider the panels. How does

1  Study the illustrator’s the illustrator use the panels to 3 Examine each
character’s narrative.
aders
use of color. Ask re bring focus to the story? Think of What style does
k th e
what they thin each panel as a movie scene and the the illustrator use to
ce of
illustrator’s choi angles (close-up, elongated panels, narrate the character’s
colors implies. How
ct th
do
e
2 single- or double-page spread) as a stor y? Is it from
the colors impa way for the illustrator to bring depth a first-person or a
ne , or
story ’s mood, to into the story. For example, if an third-person point of
even theme? illustrator uses an elongated panel, it view? Discuss why the
may emphasize the distance between illustrator does this.
two points. Angles are just as
important as the art itself.

5 Analyze the gutters—the space between

4 Study the illustration
visual cues the illustr
s. Look for
ator may be each panel—and infer what might have
on in the happened between the panels. There are
using to create emoti
a character many inferences that the reader must make
scene. For example, if
rows may from one panel to the next. For example, you
is mad, his or her eyeb
if there might view a sequence of panels as follows: a
be drawn at a slant, or
cter’s eyes, character walks by a stove; a close-up of water
are X’s over the chara
ssed away, splashing out of a steaming pot over a flame;
it means they have pa
s a bead of the character running his hand under cold
or if the character ha
d, it could water. As a reader, you could infer there was
sweat on their forehea
or hot. something hot on the stove and it splashed
mean they are nervous
and hit the character on the hand.

This guide was created by Tuan Nguyen, who received his Master’s in Library Science from the University
of North Texas and is a Library Consultant for Mackin Educational Resources. He is the cofounder of
the Texas Library Association Maverick Graphic Novel Reading List and the Little Maverick Graphic
Novel Reading List and has presented many professional development workshops on the importance of
visual literacy and utilizing graphic novels.

Activities and discussion inspired by Cynthia Alaniz, an elementary school librarian in Coppell, Texas.
Cynthia is currently serving on the Notable Children’s Books in the Language Arts Committee with the
National Council of Teachers of English.

With special thanks to: Jennifer McCarthy Plucker, EdD, Rose Brock, PhD, and Alicia Holston, MLS.