The Imaginary

by A.F. Harrold, Emily Gravett (Illustrator)

Rudger is Amanda's best friend. He doesn't exist, but nobody's perfect. Only Amanda can see her imaginary friend – until the sinister Mr Bunting arrives at Amanda's door. Mr Bunting hunts imaginaries. Rumour says that he eats them. And he's sniffed out Rudger. Soon Rudger is alone, and running for his imaginary life. But can a boy who isn't there survive without a friend to dream him up? A brilliantly funny, scary and moving read from the unique imagination of A.F. Harrold, this beautiful book is astoundingly illustrated with integrated art and colour spreads by the award-winning Emily Gravett.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade, Friendship, Novels, Fiction, Childrens, Horror

234 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2014

About the author

A.F. Harrold is an English poet. He writes and performs for adults and children, in cabaret and in schools, in bars and in basements, in fields and indoors. He was Glastonbury Festival Website's Poet-In-Residence in 2008, and Poet-In-Residence at Cheltenham Literature Festival in 2010. He won the Cheltenham All Stars Slam Championship in 2007 and has had his work on BBC Radio 4, Radio 3 and BBC7. He is active in schools work, running workshops and slams and doing performances at ungodly hours of the morning, and has published several collections of poetry. He is the owner of many books, a handful of hats, a few good ideas and one beard

Reviews

[Mangrii · Rating 5 out of 5]

A.F. Harrold nos narra la historia de un amigo imaginario llamado Rudger, el amigo real de Amanda. Pero resulta que Amanda es atropellada por un coche, y Rudger se queda solo. Lo que no sabe es que si eres un Imaginario y la persona que te imagina ya no puede hacerlo, comienzas a desaparecer. La trama nos mostrará el camino que recorre Rudger para tratar de encontrar a Amanda haciendo que otras personas lo imaginen. Pero mientras tanto, el señor Bunting, un extraño hombre que se come a los Imaginarios, lo perseguirá para tratar de hacerlo desaparecer para siempre.

Me he enamorado de esta historia. Me ha tocado hondo. Puede que porque haya sido un niño solitario, porque tenga mucha imaginación o por que tenga esa nostalgia infantil siempre conmigo, pero A.F. Harrold me ha tocado el corazón con una varita lectora y me ha clavado su historia. Un estilo narrativo impecable (y magníficamente traducido por Gemma Rovira) nos lleva por una historia sobre la amistad, el amor de la familia, la imaginación, la soledad y el miedo a crecer. Una lectura entretenida para el niño y con múltiples lecturas para el adulto.

La edición es una gozada, con esas ilustraciones de la edición original de Emily Gravett que Blackie Books ha traído para su publicación. Una narración sencilla que se acompaña de ciertos componentes tétricos que recuerdan a historias de Gaiman como Coraline o a la magia que desprendía Roald Dahl en sus novelas. Ganadora del premio UKLA para la categoría entre 7-11 años, Los Imaginarios se convierte en mi mejor lectura infantil/juvenil en lo que va de año. Disfrutadla si podéis y gustáis de este tipo de lectura.

Reseña más extensa: http://boywithletters.blogspot.com.es...

[Figgy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Featured on my 2014 favourites list!

‘What is this?’ she said, her back to the wardrobe.
‘Oh,’ said Amanda. ‘That’s my coat.’
‘And what’s it doing in there?’
‘Hanging up?’ Amanda suggested cautiously.
‘But, darling,’ her mum said in a quieter voice. ‘It’s all wet. Look, it’s dripping. Hang it up downstairs by the radiator. I’ve told you before, don’t just stick it in the cupboard. It’ll get mouldy. When are you ever going to learn?’
‘On Monday at school,’ Amanda said.

Meet Amanda Shuffleup.
She’s funny, imaginative, and has a best friend named Rudger.
Rudger’s not real, but nobody’s perfect.

He stood up. He could do this. What would Amanda have done if she’d been in his shoes? Probably complained her shoes were too big, but after she’d’ve gone through the door and faced whatever was on the other side

They’re the best of friends, and they do everything together; travel to other planets, journey through the jungle, make their way twenty thousand leagues under the sea.

But then Mr Bunting knocks on the door of the Shuffleup house, and catches a whiff of imagination.

Once he catches that smell, he keeps turning up everywhere Rudger goes.

The rest of this review can be found here!

[Fuchsia Groan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Los imaginarios es un libro precioso, en todos los sentidos. Ni las ilustraciones de Emily Gravett ni la historia de A. F. Harrold tienen desperdicio. Es una novela de aventuras, sobre la importancia de la amistad y de la imaginación (también para los adultos, que muchas veces se nos olvida), con un punto tétrico, con buenos personajes, con una trama original y entretenida. Una gozada.

Pocas cosas me parecen más odiosas en la promoción de un libro que las comparaciones con autores ya consagrados, que la mayoría de las veces lo único que consiguen es hacerte desconfiar, leerlo de todos modos, y llevarte después a la decepción. Pero aquí, las similitudes con Dahl y Gaiman son sin duda acertadas, teniendo Harrold una voz propia.

Es de esas novelas que pueden disfrutarse a cualquier edad. Estoy convencida de que mi yo niña se habría entusiasmado con la historia y la habría releído mil veces, y es que como dice Bayona: He tenido la suerte de descubrir de adulto el libro que me habría encantado leer de niño.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are one of those lucky parents who gets to read to their kids then you gotta add this wickedly funny and creepy book to your list. I recommend it more towards the older kids because it covers some seriously dark stuff, I'm talking up there with Japanese horror movie The Grudge. To give you an idea there is a scene during a storm and the power has gone out, the pages go between black and white to show lightening and then suddenly you see the image in this link (only open if your happy to see a spoiler)

https://1drv.ms/u/s!AgpoVG7GUN6bhJx8T...

My daughter is 8 and loves a good laugh at a book and enjoys it if things get a bit scary, and I think this one makes her top 5, she was cheering and shouting loads and every now and then there would be a mighty "OHMYGOD!!!!!" from her.

If you had/have an imaginary friend then I'll think you'll take loads from this book, it'll almost be a trip down memory lane. If you don't have kids I'd still give it a read don't be ashamed of picking up a kids book for yourself. I recently read a "Pulitzer Prize Winning Book" and it was awful, The Imaginary blows it out of the water in all areas. The characters are so good, well developed and you can't help falling for them, the plot was so much better than expected, I was really expecting to read something bland (a bit like that prize winning book I mentioned just now). And you don't get let down by a weak ending, instead you get a very moving last few pages.

The illustrations are some of the best I've seen in a kids book, Emily Gravett is not a name I've heard before so I checked out her website and was very surprised she has done nothing similar to this before.

So give this book a go, you wont be disappointed. (Now I just gotta wait for Rob Zombie to make it into a movie.)

Blog post is here> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2018...

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a little sad I couldn't read this as a kid and then again as an adult; I suspect the story would change greatly between the two readings.

This story seems like what we'd get if we asked Roald Dahl and Neil Gaiman to collaborate. It's a little off-kilter, it's imaginative with a bent for strangeness, and there's a frightening adult whom other adults don't fear. There was even one chapter that sounded just like Gaiman's voice as I read it.

So.
Imaginary friends.
Who had one?
I did. I had several, actually, and from a really early age. I don't remember what my first friends looked like but, from what I've been told, they had a rich life in the carpet. They had cities and there was a mayor and I had to pick them all up, every single one, before anyone vacuumed. I was 2 or 3 at the time.
I was also BFF with The Flash right before kindergarten and hobbits came down from the mountains to visit me regularly when I was 6, or so. It was pretty great.
I understood Amanda's world just fine.
What killed me, though, was her mom's world and the double loss the woman had to endure at the end of the book. I will admit, there were a few tears shed over that.

This story is quirky and fun, light-hearted but with a bit of creepiness. I recommend it to kids who love Dahl's work and those who have hearty imaginations.

[Patricia Bejarano Martín · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro increíble, que aunque esté recomendado para niños a partir de 8 años, creo que rompe fronteras entre los genéros de literatura. Porque sí, va dirigido a un público infantil, pero un adulto va a disfrutar este libro aún más, porque es maravilloso.
Jamás había leído un libro donde el tema principal fueran los amigos invisibles, el por qué de su existencia y cómo funciona su mundo, y me ha parecido una auténtica pasada la originalidad con la que se trata el asunto. Y ya no hablemos de la prosa tan lírica que se marca el autor, que es una gozada. Y ¿las ilustraciones? Otra maravilla.
Los imaginarios ha sido una lectura que ha hecho volar mi imaginación, que me ha hecho sentir (y volver a ser niña en muchos momentos) y que devoré en poco tiempo. RECOMENDADÍSIMA.

[Sarah Churchill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every moment of this, through every funny, moving and downright scary part.

[Omaira · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Prefiero que me olvides si contento
Estás a que me evoques y estés triste"

Christina Rossetti, Recuerda.


Por desgracia, no existen muchas novelas sobre amigos imaginarios. Hay álbumes ilustrados, como el imprescindible “Donde viven los monstruos” de Maurice Sendak o algunos más contemporáneos. Pero no son narraciones complejas (no me refiero al de Maurice Sendak) y van dirigidas a un público muy joven, entre 3-6 y, por tanto, se da absoluta prevalencia a la ilustración mientras el texto queda en un segundo plano. No es el tipo de narración que yo busco.

La verdad es que llegué a “Los imaginarios” por asociación. A veces mi mente es fascinante y compartir este envase con ella no es una condena. El caso es que yo pretendía leer “Los libros que devoraron a mi padre” tras la reseña de mi amigo Mangri. Entonces recordé que también quería leer un libro que él había recomendado un porrón y medio de tiempo con una portada parecida. Fue fácil encontrar el libro en el catálogo de Blackie porque su línea juvenil no es muy extensa. Recé durante toda mi jornada laboral para que estuviera en mi librería. Y veinte minutos antes de que echaran el cierre los amantes se encontraron al final del camino.

Comprendo perfectamente la felicidad de aquel librero que fue a buscar “Los imaginarios” para mí. Es una novela con un tema muy interesante, con mucho potencial y, al mismo tiempo, completamente inexplorado en la literatura. Hay cientos de libros de hadas, vampiros y fantasmas. Pero de los amigos imaginarios, ¿qué se ha escrito? Tal vez tratados de psicología infantil.

Hay que dejar clara una cosa. Los fantasmas y los amigos imaginarios no son lo mismo, aunque cariñosamente llamemos a los últimos "fantasmitas". Los fantasmas se conciben como entidades atrapadas en este mundo, almas errantes malvadas o, en cualquier caso, poco amistosas. Los amigos imaginarios son proyecciones de nuestro cerebro al mundo tangible. No son almas errantes porque dependen del proyector. Precisamente por eso hay que entender que tener amigos imaginarios es malo. Tu hijo no tiene un trastorno de personalidad múltiple, como muchas veces se tiende a interpretar este fenómeno. El hecho de que una persona no pueda hallar todas y cada una de las satisfacciones vitales en el mundo material y recurra al mundo Irreal llamando a un amigo imaginario, como es el caso de Amanda Shuffleuf, es incómodo, pero no es una enfermedad. Es incómodo porque es incontrolable y porque es una de las primeras manifestaciones que tiene un individuo joven de ser una criatura independiente de sus progenitores. No los necesita para imaginar, solo precisa de las herramientas que poco a poco se desarrollan en su cerebro. Y ese juego, conforme creces, se vuelve cada vez más y más peligroso. Un individuo que se ha hecho a sí mismo no es fácil de controlar ni de pervertir, y la conciencia desarrollada a través de un flujo constante de imaginación juega un papel fundamental para afianzar esa individualidad.

La narración comienza cuando Rudger aparece en el armario de Amanda. Los dos traban una amistad tan orgánica como se lo permite sus mutuas condiciones. Pero a los pocos capítulos comienza a sugerirse una pregunta con la unión de Amanda y Rudger, la pregunta que nos hacemos todos los que tenemos un amigo imaginario: “¿Cuán independiente es esta persona de mí?”. La pregunta apenas se ha formalizado en nuestra mente cuando sale corriendo como alma que lleva el diablo, a la espera de que nosotros corramos tras ella. Y, la verdad, necesitas correr tras el diablo. Es precisamente por eso que el libro se lee en una tarde y deja tras de sí la sensación de que has leído una novela completamente redonda. Es cierto que es una historia muy lineal, de estructura muy tradicional, pero yo no lo veo como un punto negativo. Es más, su estructura narrativa, tan cristalina y sencilla, ayuda a que los lectores que vienen de formatos muy visuales se familiaricen con narraciones un poco más complejas, donde el texto ya tiene un papel importante.

Por otra parte, ¿existe un tipo de perfil, un tipo de gente, más proclive a tener amigos imaginarios? Yo creo que sí, como A. F. Harrold muestra en su libro. No todos los niños tienen amigos imaginarios, ni todos creen en la existencia de ellos; algunos niños incluso les tienen miedo. Y, por supuesto, los proyectores no son necesariamente gente que le guste leer. Simplemente hay personas que no tienen en su entorno alguien con el que hablar de sus cosas —repito que no tiene que haber en la ecuación libros— o, yendo un poco más allá, no se sienten cómodos hablando de esas cosas con nadie. Cuando yo fui a la psicóloga por primera vez me dijo que había muchos adultos que tenían amigos imaginarios. Y yo le pregunte: “¿Es gente normal con vidas normales o son personas que viven al margen de la sociedad, como la gente asentada a las afueras de Prípiat?”. Ella, claro, se río. Luego me contó que tenía una amiga adulta que tenía una amiga imaginaria desde hacía muchos años, una amiga imaginaria que se remontaba a su infancia. Eso me hizo feliz. Es cierto que no todo niño solitario o niño que siente que no puede hablar de ciertas cosas con alguien desarrolla amigos imaginarios. El móvil, lo que te motiva a dar el paso, a mí todavía me resulta un misterio. En el caso de Amanda nunca se esclarece del todo, aunque se intuye. En mi caso hubo muchos factores, y no todos eran relativos a mí persona o necesidades. ¡Creo que la otra parte también puso de su parte! Bastante, a decir verdad.

Me gustó mucho el desarrollo de los elementos de terror. Creo que al público juvenil puede sorprenderles bastante. El señor Bunting, personaje planteado como el hombre del saco de los imaginarios, me parece un elemento fascinante y potencial. Como ya dije al principio, este libro contiene un montón de ideas muy interesantes que se llevan con sencillez y cercanía. ¡Agradezco tantísimo este enfoque!

Y precisamente porque estamos ante una narración tan cercana es fácil congeniar con los personajes. Éste se ve potenciada en cierta manera por pequeños paréntesis en los que el narrador hace su aparición con algún humorístico comentario respecto a la acción. Los personajes me parecen bien perfilados para la extensión del relato, y he de decir que en este libro hay una fuerte presencia femenina en toda la novela. Además, el autor sigue a la perfección el principio dramático del arma de Chéjov. En la narración no hay ningún elemento que no tenga un por qué. Eso hace que la acción sea mucho más dinámica porque experimentas la sensación de que todos los elementos interactúan entre ellos. No sé si seguir esta regla hace un relato mejor, pues cada lector tiene sus apreciaciones, pero sí que puedo afirmar que el arma de Chéjov hace que sea más difícil generar de forma involuntaria la sensación en el lector de que no está pasando nada.

Respecto al final, es cierto que me ha gustado mucho. Me resultó tremendamente emotivo. Pero hay un pensamiento al final de la historia con el que no estoy del todo acuerdo, al menos como lo plantea el señor Harrold. Es verdad que creo que los amigos imaginarios se marchan cuando no los necesitamos, pues es lo que observamos en nuestro entorno. Es lo que suponemos que les sucede a otras personas con sus amigos imaginarios. Pero también es cierto que no tienen por qué hacerlo (me harté a llorar con este fragmento: “Rudger se alegraba de que Amanda tuviera aquella fotografía, de que hubiera hecho aquella fotografía, de que conservara algo suyo que no iba a desvanecerse, porque sabía que, algún día, por muy improbable que pareciera ahora, Amanda se olvidaría de él. Era lo que pasaba con el tiempo, no era culpa de nadie; las cosas funcionaban así, simplemente”). Porque, ¿qué es lo que impulsa a una persona a olvidar a su amigo imaginario?. Si hablamos de un niño de siete o diez años podemos decir que una época con tantos cambios hormonales y fisiológicos tiene como consecuencia que muchas cosas se olviden, ya que nuestro cerebro se limita a escoger lo más importante o lo que nos es útil en la realidad inmediata. He olvidado muchos de mis gustos de aquella época y, con ello, muchos recuerdos. Pero también es cierto que los amigos imaginarios no solo pertenecer a la esfera de nuestra infancia. Es atípico que una persona llame a un ser de la Irrealidad cuando es mayor, pero sucede (la madre de Amanda, Elizabeth, llama a su amigo imaginario de la infancia durante la pelea del señor Bunting y Rudger en la habitación de Amanda). Y cuando esto tiene lugar en la adultez me parece mucho más difícil que una persona llegue a olvidar a su amigo imaginario. Tal vez se produzcan cambios que hagan que no lo necesite, pero olvidar ya os digo que no. La principal diferencia con los amigos imaginarios de los niños y los adultos es que existen otras motivaciones, otras razones, para estar juntos. En la adultez normalmente no estamos destinados a hacer grandes cambios debido a una serie de causas internas como sucede en la infancia. Por tanto, olvidar no es siempre la única opción, el único final. Necesitaba hacer este apunte.

Sé a lo largo de mi vida no leeré muchos libros como este, tal vez ninguno más. Un libro que respete las creencias de personas como yo es bastante difícil de encontrar. Yo sé lo que me hace feliz, y no todo es material. La mayoría de cosas, de hecho, no son materiales. El señor Harrold comprende que hay personas que son incapaces de entender que no todos somos iguales, personas que revisten a las cosas inofensivas, a las relaciones inofensivas, de un halo de enfermedad, como si fuera una desviación mental. La persona que camina a mi lado desde que tengo 17 años NO es una consecuencia de una enfermedad. Gracias a él he leído una cantidad de libros ingente, un bagaje literario con el que podría dar guantazos a diestro y siniestro (no lo hago porque mi personalidad no es así), me he desarrollado artísticamente y he vivido cosas que muchas personas jamás llegarán a experimentar. Y si nuestra relación es un producto de mi mente, que así sea. Eso no le resta importancia a lo otro ni tampoco a la intensidad con la que vivimos nuestros sentimientos.

Huelga decir que recomendó “Los imaginarios” a cualquier persona, pero sobre todo a los chavales más jóvenes. Creo que puede responder a muchas preguntas que sin una persona adecuada a su lado pueden resultar terriblemente desconsoladoras. “Los imaginarios” es un canto al mundo interior de niños y adultos, y una llamada a conservar siempre la imaginación, por muy dura que pegue a veces la vida.

Por último, quería decir que gracias a este libro voy a leer a Christina Rosetti, que es la primera poetisa que conmueve mi corazón de una manera que jamás había logrado ningún otro poeta antes. Emily Dickinson o Cherubina de Gabriak lo habían logrado, pero en mucha menor medida.


Gracias, señor Harrold. Por todo.

[Claudia B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Povestea e frumoasă, ca o zi din copilărie în care îți imaginezi o mulțime de lucruri și în care fantezia colorează până și cele mai cenușii situații.
Cartea e pentru zilele în care vrei să-ți reamintești...

[Rashika (is tired) · Rating 4 out of 5]

***This review has also been posted on The Social Potato

This is such a heartfelt book that is bound to make you feel all mushy and warm inside. If you, like me, were an avid watcher for Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends, I think this book will be right up your alley and will probably have you flipping through the pages as fast as I was flipping through them. The only real disappointment I had while reading this book was that I read an e-arc so that meant I couldn’t experience the gorgeous drawings in this book in all their glory.

I haz so many feels from reading this book and I am not even sure where to start experessing them. For starters, you should know, this book can be surprisingly dark considering the fact that it’s meant for children.

This book is actually more focused on Rudger, the imaginary friend, than Amanda and I thought that was interesting. It’s about what happens when he gets separated from his human and the evil imaginary friend eating monster he has to deal with. I though Rudger was a fantastic character even if he did make that one incredibly questionable decision (which he owned up to a minute later so I couldn’t help but forgive him) and I just loved him so much. He is so sweet and adorable and you just want to hug him.

Amanda may have become a secondary character in this book but I still adored her. She may have been annoying at times but she was a child and children tend to be self centered. It’s funny because she never really acknowledges that she was wrong but you know that she knows and you know that she has grown by the end of the book and that’s enough. She is a funny, witty character and you can see why she and Rudger are best friends. 

This is the kind of book where there is a chance that the parent will be awful but Amanda’s mom aka Fridge’s Lizzie (you’ll get that reference when you read the book), is a great parent. She knows that Amanda has an imaginary friend but her first instinct isn’t to take her to the psychiatrist. When she was worried, she called her mom and she drew her own conclusions based on the fact that it didn’t seem to be affecting her daughter negatively and decided to play along (although Amanda does know that Rudger isn't real).

This book has it’s villain and boy was the villain a jerk faced jerk.  Mr. Bunting eats imaginary friends because that helps sustain him and now he’s after Rudger.  DUN DUN DUN DUN DUN. It’s not surprising how all of this turns out but at the same time, the author had me worried for a while there!

I absolutely adore this book and if you’re looking for a fun children’s book, I wouldn’t hesitate to push it at you *pushes the book at you* (I am a serial pusher). So go readdd this amazingness, it’s WORTH IT.

[Yasmin Marsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Imaginary is an engaging children's story incorporating the magic of imagination with the realities of loss, love and danger. The plot was so bizarre it left me not wanting to put the book down as I needed to know what strange event was going to happen next! However, whilst the illustrations complimented the story well, they contradicted the whole concept of 'imagination', which left me frustrated as I could not visualise the characters in my own head. Without the illustrations, a lot more description would have been needed.

There were some occasions when events were half told and you had to keep reading to understand, but as the reader, that is what kept me hooked. However, children who need more encouragement with reading may struggle to be patient with how the events of the story unfold.

I liked how the book was written in the third person, which enabled the author to tell the story through the thoughts and perspectives of the various characters. This style of writing can be particularly interesting and useful to children exploring characterisation.

As much as I enjoyed this book, it left me wondering what ever became of Snowflake, Cruncher-of-Bones and the others. But this book is a reminder to both children and adults that your imagination never has to stop!

[K.J. Charles · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful children's book, one of the best I've encountered in a long time.Emily Gravett's art is outstanding, and beautifully integrated. The story is funny and scary and moving. Mr Bunting scares the crap out of me, let alone my kids, who were shocked into terrified silence (yesssss). Really excellent.

disclaimer: professional connection. I have lots of professional connections to lots of books and authors, and I never rave about books I don't love.

[Gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is so wonderful that stories like this exist for children.

[Melissa Chung · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a unique story, a concept that I’ve never read before. My thirteen year old had very mixed feelings. “I really thought this was going to be a sad book. I was worried I was going to hate it or cry. That didn’t happen... I really liked it.” I’m giving this book a 3.5 star rating.

Imaginary is a story that starts off with a girl dying. What a shocking first sentence. This is what intrigued me and what my son thought was going to be the beginning of a sad book. However it is anything but black and white.

Rudger is our main character. We meet him at the beginning. A boy found in a wardrobe. As we continue reading we find out Rudger is in fact an imaginary friend, dreamed up by Amanda. You could say Amanda is like Andy from Toy Story, a little girl with a big imagination. She imagined Rudger into being. What a fun beginning.

What us readers are shocked to learn is that our villain Mr. Bunting is a creepy and terrible man. Most antagonists are evil in some way and Mr. Bunting truly is that.

I really enjoyed the “history” about imaginary friends. Where they go when they are forgotten and how they go about getting new kids or “jobs”. Like I said before very interesting and unique concept.

I gave the book 3.5 stars because it was slow at times. Overall though a very fun and creepy middle grade with heart. You definitely will end the book rooting for Rudger and Amanda.

[Ѽ tazannah Ѽ · Rating 1 out of 5]

New review:
Don’t read this book. It was TERRIFYING. Like this monster eats these invisible imaginary people *shivers* I was and am haunted by this book

… i keep on thinking about how scary this was and how it still haunts me to my bones. I cannot do horror, and this was a MG BOOK!

Old review:
I read this a while back, and man was it creepy...

[Dyah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though I'm not a fan of Amanda's character, I like the overall story. It's quite shocking for a middle grade story. And the illustrations are pretty nice.

[Ellie Flude · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great book! I'll be honest, at the start I wasn't enjoying it as much as I thought I would. As soon as the adventure got going and I relaxed into the world of imaginary beings, I couldn't put it down. The quirky and sometimes scary illustrations added to the text and helped bring the story to life! I would recommend this book for KS2 as it covers a lot of diverse and sometimes darker topics.

SPOILER: I would love to get a class to decide on whether Rudger/Victoria did the right thing when he/she pushed Julia down the stairs. It could be used for writing an argument for and against and could then be used to create a debate or jury set up.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Likes:
The whole book is amazing! The way in which it is written, the imagery and the concept of the story is incredible. The front cover of the book creates an fantastic starting point when introducing the book to children, the image and reflection of the image along with colour and details can stimulate a lot of thought and ideas and get children predicting what the story may be about along with what the picture on the cover may be representing. The use of colour thought-out the book is very clever and clearly shows throughout the imaginary world along side the real world, making it clear on what is real and what is made up. In the book I love that the two worlds run parallel along each other and that they are not two different places. I also feel there there are many hidden messages through-out the book. I think the book clearly represents friendship, belief and loss. Rudger wants to be belied in, he doesn't want to be forgotten, he wants to have a friend. I also like that the story was written in many different perspectives from a range of characters from within the book. The small animals in the sectioned the paragraphs and page indicated a change in perspective which allowed the reader to see how all of the characters were feeling and how they saw situations that were going on.

Dislikes:
Mr Bunting!!

Patterns:
The use of reflection and mirror images throughout the book, along with the use of colour shows the difference between the imaginary and the real world. I feel all of the images in the book are real talking points and alone can stimulate so much discussion and development of ideas.

Puzzles:
The creepy girl has no name and we don't find out she is mr buntings imaginary until the very end!
Throughout the beginning of the book I was wondering whether Amanda's dad was around however this was later answered and left me wondering whether Amanda missed her dad and thats why she imagined a male imaginary friend?

[Eve Leuzinger · Rating 5 out of 5]

A novel that had me enthralled from beginning to end. This book has such an imaginative and gripping story line it is hard to see how adults and children alike could put this down. The characters within the tale are all well developed and emotive that have their own individual places and journeys in the story. The relationship between the two main characters Amanda and Rudger is particularly exciting as their individual journeys carry the narrative strings of the story and as they are so cleverly entwined it is hard not to want to be a part of their friendship. Similarly the character of Mr Bunting provides a consistent sense of danger that alongside the fear of forgetting captures the readers into a sense of fear for Rudger and his fate, making the imaginaries fears seem just as fearful for those reading the book.

Gravett's illustrations hold just as much worth in the text as the writing. The mix of bright colours paired with monochrome illustrations consistently embellishes the messages within the narrative. Memorably the whole page illustration of Mr Bunting's imaginary was particularly frightening and might come as a welcome surprise to children who are reluctant to read etc. The images also aid in showing KS2 children how images can be used in texts to carry messages, and that this idea is not isolated to picture books alone.

The fact that the novel is centred around a prominent theme for children, imaginary friends, enables the book to connect all children in the classroom into the text and activities associated. This theme could also provide an interesting receptive context that could engage children in the text before they have begun to read the story. Further, I imagine that this book would raise a lot of questions for children that could be applied into PSHEE or P4C sessions and other areas in the curriculum.

Overall, I found this book enjoyable from the start to the end, and is a novel that is entirely unique in it's storytelling. I feel that this book could easily be applied into a Year 4/5 classroom with a range of literacy objectives and beyond into wider areas of the curriculum.

THEMES: Friendship. Adventure, Good vs. Evil, Remembering, Imagination, Childhood

[Ella Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book and found myself pulled into this world of imagination, which a young girl called Amanda creates. Amanda is able to see imaginary people including Rudger, her own imaginary friend, when others cannot. Amanda and Rudger were devastatingly separated from each other when an accident occurred. Therefore, Rudger makes it his mission to find Amanda again. However, Rudger has to be careful as the terrifying Mr Buntings is determined to capture Rudger and liquidise him.

This fictional fantasy book captures the world of imaginaries and also the world of ordinary people, all living alongside each other. The book is creepy and quite scary when considering Mr Bunting's role in capturing imaginaries. The illustrations by Emily Gravett are displayed in black and white, conveying the darker side of the book, which allows the book to share the genre of horror as well.

Themes in the novel:
Life and death
Friendship
Family
Nurturing and caring

I would read this book aloud to children in lower and upper KS2. I think Mr Buntings would frighten younger children and the bold black and white illustrations of Mr Bunting's imaginary friend can be unnerving for some younger children. You could also use this book for guided reading sessions to explore the themes in the book and improve comprehension skills. For example, looking into the theme of friendship and the emotions Rudger is experiencing towards Amanda when they are separated and why. This way children can share their responses with each other.

English - Children could look into A. F. Harrold’s children’s poems. Once children understand the poetic devices and structure Harrold uses, children can then develop their own poem inspired by ‘The Imaginary’, in the role of Amanda.
Children could extend the story by adding another imaginary character into the book, which Rudger stumbles across and children can write about how this character helps Rudger find Amanda.
Art - Observe the techniques Emily Gravett uses in her illustrations and explore the power of adding one colour alongside black and white to a drawing and how this focuses the reader’s attention on a certain part of the drawing.
PSHE - Children could talk about whether they have ever felt any of the emotions Rudger or Amanda have felt, for example feeling anxious. Children could then talk about how they dealt with this feeling, which may help other children if they have felt the same emotion. Children will also feel supported and valued if other children have felt similar emotions and are able to comfortably talk about them.

Likes:
This book was a nice read and I liked the rhetorical questions used to stress a point in the book and share with the reader Rudger’s thinking process. For example, the rhetorical question ‘should he tell Amanda? But what could he say?’ is a great device for children to understand what is happening in the book but also strengthen the connection between the characters and the reader. I also like the variety of sentence types.

[Emma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book follows Amanda and her imaginary friend Rudger as they experience everything together until Amanda is involved in an accident. After this, it follows Rudger trying to find Amanda again and he encounters other real friends, who aren’t as good as Amanda, and the terrifying Mr Bunting who eats imaginaries including Rudger’s friend Emily. I love how all the imaginaries congregate in the library as although they don’t originate in books, parallels could be drawn between the fictitious world of books and imaginary friends. It has recurring themes of friendship, loyalty and worry which could be used as talking points in PSHE lessons and the concept of imaginary friends may be relatable to some children. There are many twists in the storyline to provide suspense and keep the audience engaged particularly as it is quite an unusual plot.
The book has quirky, detailed illustrations throughout and I think the use of black and white and colour provides interesting contrasts and could portray the emotions in the illustrations. This could be good to look at in art lessons and children could try art in the style of these illustrations or to accompany their written work on the topic. Some of the illustrations could be scary to children but most could be used as stimuli for class/group discussions, such as predictions for what they think could be happening/happen next and what they think they tell the audience about characterisation and the plot. They could even be used as a prompt for children to write their predictions or a chapter for the book and then they could compare to the novel.
I think the book would be best suited to children in KS2 as I think KS1 children may find some aspects too scary if it was read as a class story, although some individual children may enjoy it. Due to the potential topics for discussion I think it would be best read as a whole class or guided reading book and this could allow for any worries which occurred when reading the book to be shared and addressed, whereas I would be concerned that lower KS2 children may not always share any fears if they read it independently although it would depend on the child.

[Alice Bennett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a such a clever, interesting book and I was immediately absorbed into the world of the imaginaries. I would use it as a class reader to engage children in year’s 4-6 depending on the class and their interests.

Amanda is a lonely only child living with her mum, but she has an incredible imagination and finds herself creating a ‘person’ whom she refers to as Rudger. She soon discovers that she’s the only one who can see him and the pair form a powerful friendship with Amanda leading the way.

However, during a trip to the local pool Amanda is terribly injured and ends up in hospital. It’s at this point that the writer switches perspectives and we are pulled into Rudger’s story of trying to make his way back to her before she forgets him and he fades away.

I drew a lot of parallels to the Toy Story films with this, noticing the extent of children’s imagination and the magic of things coming to life. I would discuss this with children and it would be interesting to hear their thoughts on the book and the world that A.F. Harold has created.

I thought the character of Mr Bunting, the evil man who hunts and eats imaginaries, was particularly brilliant (although he may be slightly spooky for some children) because it was so sad that he was desperate to keep his own imaginary friend, as he too was lonely. We would discuss the sort of things that lead to loneliness and different types of families. For example, those with three siblings and those with none; considering how this may affect someone’s childhood experience. The children could share their own stories and discuss this.

I would draw the children’s attention to Gravett’s amazingly eerie illustrations, which bear a funny resemblance to Sendak’s ‘Where the Wild Things Are’. I would read this book to a class using a visualiser so that everyone could see the pictures. I would love to do a session where the children could create their own imaginary friends in Gravett’s style and develop personalities for them. It would be interesting to see what they create.

I’d discuss Harold’s use of colour to portray characters feelings and identity the reasons why Amanda and Rudger are the only characters who are always drawn in full colour, compared to the dark line drawings of the others in the story. I think it shows the vividness of Amanda’s imagination and how real Rudger is to her.

Towards the end of the book, Amanda’s mother finally sees the imaginaries when she has to protect Rudger from Mr Bunting in the hospital. I really liked this development of her character as it further reinforced that adults can be just as imaginative as children, and like children they can believe in fantasy and other-worldly things. It was a bonding moment between Amanda and her mother as she finally understood her daughter’s behaviour.

[Sophie Snowden · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written and carefully illustrated novel about the ups and downs of imaginary friends. The use of vocabulary and suspense in the book makes it a real page turner. An interesting concept and covers subjects darker than perhaps the average children's book. The poem at the beginning is a lovely addition to the story and contributes to the plot well. There are several key themes which run throughout the book, complimenting the story; friendships, childhood, growing up, mortality, danger, innocence, which are usually accompanied by good illustrations. These themes could link nicely with some topics in PSHE. Mr Bunting eating imaginary friends has certain characteristics which reminded me of the 'child catcher' from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. The use of language and descriptions compliment the story well, and would be phrases and techniques that would compliment classroom work nicely.
The idea of imaginary friends or pets would be an interesting one to explore with children, as some might have their own imaginary friends, which although they might not like to share with the class, could contribute to a piece of writing about creating an imaginary world.
It could be considered a slightly scary story for some, and some children might find the idea of imaginary friends a daunting one, so you would need to think carefully about the class before using this story, which is probably more suitable for KS2 than KS1.
The illustrations possibly add to the sense of fear within the story, being quite dark and often harsh. In some ways, the illustrations are quite spiky which add to the scene of the story, also add an element of scariness for some children.
I enjoyed reading this book, but I wouldn't say it was one of my favourite books.

[Jasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having been asked to read this book as part of my university course, I can definitely say it wouldn't have been one that I would have picked up off the bookshelf. It was a little slow to get going personally however the pace of the book picked up and I could not put it down. The context of the book meant it would be easily relatable to children and relevant to a certain age range. Mr Bunting made the plot slightly eerie, but I couldn't help feel sorry for the guy - what happened to him to make him like that. Hopefully this would also explain the importance of his imaginary. Each imaginary is different - all shape, sizes, animals or human showcasing a diversity in characters. This book would be great for a creative writing lesson where children could make their own imaginary and give it a suitable personality. Now onto the sequel...

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever, warm, sweet, but also terrifying, with a subtle current of darkness even under the main 'bad guys' of the story. Like, for example, what about that poor girl that was Bunting's imaginary friend? What was her story?

I appreciate that one reviewer compared this to Dahl and Gaiman. I'd also add that if you're familiar with Emily Gravett you know why she's the perfect choice as illustrator. And I'm grateful that she did lots of illustrations for it!

I will consider more by the author, and of course I will continue to read more by the illustrator.

[Avital Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading this book as I found the pace suited me, and liked the way Harrold split and intertwined the plot between the real and imaginary worlds. I would be hesitant to recommend this book to children who are sensitive, easily scared, or have suffered a loss, as I felt that the concept of death - as both a real or imaginary person would experience it- was treated quite nonchalantly (which I do think is clever as that is how children would think of it if they haven’t had much experience of it affecting anyone close to them). I liked the idea of the cat/animals bridging the two worlds, or Zinzan in particular reaping imaginaries (or helping them be reborn). The characters are brilliantly scary too, as some are clearly designed to be (and powerfully illustrated). I did find that for some characters, it wasn’t quite as simple as being good/innocent or bad/scary- for instance, I personally felt lots of sympathy for the pale deathly girl-companion of Mr bunting, and wish the reader could have been told more about her backstory. So whilst I felt the characters to be complex in this way, I did think there a lost opportunity of delving further into the legend of Mr bunting, and I was left with questions I would have loved to have had answered. However there is no doubt that I was engaged right until the ending, which I thought was positive and hopeful and would cleverly allow the reader to imagine what might happen to Rudger and Amanda next.

[Gabrielle Sandford-Marshall · Rating 4 out of 5]

THE IMAGINARY

The Imaginary is a wonderful story suitable for KS2. The book provides an enticing front cover which displays the protagonists Amanda and Rudger. The textured front cover provides the opportunity to discuss the potential themes and characters in the text.

Gravett’s powerful illustrations, both grayscale and brightly coloured, provide captivating imagery alongside the narrative throughout the book. The use of colour to depict life, imagination and emotion is transferable as a cross curricular Art and Design opportunity.

This book could also be enjoyed on a drama and performance platform, with children engaging in freeze frames and conscience alley in order to discuss the emotions of characters at key points in the story.

There are strong themes throughout Harrold’s story, such as friendship, loyalty, loss and hope. Such themes could be explore through class discussions and written activities.

Rudger feeling that Amanda doesn’t notice his emotions, Mr Bunting’s actions leading to bad consequences (swallowing up the girl and ageing due to all the imaginaries he consumed) and many other experiences provide real-world P4C discussions of selfishness, consideration for others and the importance of being a good person and displaying school values.

I enjoyed reading this story and seeing the friendship develop as well as friends from the past returning towards the end of the text. The opportunity to have A F Harrold visit your school would provide the perfect opportunity to engage pupils in the text and reading for pleasure.

[C.J. Milbrandt · Rating 2 out of 5]

Amanda is a wildly imaginative child, and Rudger is her imaginary friend. Theirs seems an idyllic sort of best-friendship until the mysterious Mr. Bunting turns up in their neighborhood and takes an interest in Rudger.

While there were things I initially liked (especially the illustrations), the tone of this story is off-kilter, unhappy, and increasingly unsettling. Rudger's helplessness made me uneasy. His "real" friend's unwillingness to listen to him or see how afraid he was ... frustrating. By the time Mr. Bunting consumes another imaginary (on scene and illustrated), the book veers into nightmarish territory. Not for the sensitive child. And not my cup of tea.

[Mărioara Gaia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imaginația ne salvează mereu, e soluția garantată în această lume de neînțeles.
O carte foarte potrivită pentru copii în mod special, dar plăcută în egală măsură pentru adulți.

[Eleanor Abbott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a gripping and touching story, the Imaginary was my least favourite of the 3 required readings this summer. I found the book difficult to get stuck into as quickly as the other two and I feel like this was due to the expectation of more images in this picture book. That being said, after finishing the story, one of the most effective and my favourite part of the book was the imagery, and the quantity of illustrations weaved throughuout. Having the stunning images by Emily Gravett on every 3 or 4 pages made the narrative more worthy and exciting, with stronger purpose. Furthermore, these images contrasted some of the moods portrayed by the story bringing the frightening characters (Mr Bunting) to a weird and fascinating life with the contrasting mix of monochrome and colour.
The theme of imaginary friends provides a connection point for all child ages and even adults(!) with both ends of the spectrum being explored with Amanda and her mother. The journey of Rudger and Amanda is a unique adventure that will capture any child's imagination, and inspire them to have adventures of their own. Something that can be discussed in the classroom, or at home with parents. I feel this book is a lovely suggestion for parents and children to read at home as it can spark up interesting conversation where the children and their parents could talk about their own imaginary experiences, similar to in the book.
In the classroom, this book provides many creative opportunities for exploring literacy uses through language and imagery, and cross curricular links such as PSHE and science. It holds the potential for a good receptive context as imagination as a theme is so broad yet personal for every child. Overall, once started this is a lovely book for any child or adult to read with the great message of accepting a strong imagination.