Things Not Seen

1. BLIOGRAPHY
Clements, Andrew. 2002. THINGS NOT SEEN. New York: Puffin. ISBN 0399236260

2. PLOT SUMMARY
Things Not Seen is about Bobby Phillips, a teenage boy who lives with his dad who is a scientist and his mom who teaches literature at the university. Life for Bobby has always led a normal life until one morning when he finishes his shower, steps out and looks in the mirror only to find he is invisible. At first Bobby’s parents do not believe him and thinks he is playing a practical joke on them. His parents finally realize that Bobby is not playing a joke and they make him promise not to tell anyone until they can figure out what to do. Left at home, while his parents go to work, Bobby becomes very bored and decides to visit the universities library. Bobby puts his coat, scarves, hat and sunglasses on because of the cold weather. When Bobby leaves the library, he accidentally runs into a girl. Bobby becomes nervous about the girl and her being able to figure out that he is invisible but he realizes that the girl is blind. Bobby’s parents wind up in the hospital for a few days due to a car accident. Bobby is left on his own and decides to search for the girl he ran into at the library. Bobby finds Alicia and the form a friendship in which Bobby confides in her about his invisibility. Alicia tells her parents and together with Bobby’s parents who have left the hospital, begin looking together to find a cure. Through research, Bobby and Alicia track down a cure and without telling their parents, they proceed with the experiment. The experiment is a success and Bobby becomes visible.

3. CRITICAL ANALYSIS
This story is told from the point of view of Bobby Phillips. Bobby’s first-persons narrative takes readers through his experiences of being invisible. These experiences include hanging out in the university library naked and unseen and acting as a spy in Sears Corporate Office. Alicia’s character has the disability of blindness. Clements helps the reader become aware of Alicia’s despair when she awakes and realizes she is blind. “But in the morning…the morning was horrible. I know I was awake, but it was like I was still asleep, or like I was lost inside the big dark…thing.” (Clements 105). Alicia’s blindness changes her life and it is depicted with accuracy. She uses a white cane to help her walk, she listens to audio books, and Bobby and her are able to text messages through a computer that has text to speech capabilities. Alicia’s character is not stereotypical. She is portrayed as proactive, strong and she realizes she can accomplish her life goal. With Bobby’s invisibility and Alicia’s blindness it creates a connection between them. Their disabilities show them as being different and not being understood which is common in society. The underlying theme is that although Bobby’s condition does eventually get cured, Alicia’s condition will never be reversed.
This book is a fast paced mystery which readers will enjoy. Clements has lots of fun with the invisibility in the story which helps readers to easily imagine what it would be like for their world to disappear.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)
Horn Book Guide: “This is a well-done school-and-family story with a not-so-invisible wrinkle.”

School Library Journal: “The author successfully blends reality with fantasy in a tale that keeps his audience in suspense until the very end.”

Kirkus Review: “A readable, thought-provoking tour de force, alive with stimulating ideas, hard choices, and young people discovering bright possibilities ahead.”
5. CONNECTION
Clements, Andrew. LOST AND FOUND. ISBN 9781416909859
Clements, Andrew. THE JANITOR’S BOY. ISBN 9780689835858
Clements, Andrew. THINGS THAT ARE. ISBN 9780399246913