Books For Keeps
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Articles
  • Past Issues
  • Latest Issue
  • Authors and Artists
  • Latest News
  • Search
  • Menu Menu
January 5, 2015/in Fiction 8-10 Junior/Middle /by Angie Hill
BfK Rating:
BfK 210 January 2015
Reviewer: Ferelith Hordon
ISBN: 978-1408852460
Price: £12.99
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children's Books
Genre: Fiction
Age Range: 8-10 Junior/Middle
Length: 240pp
Buy the Book

The Imaginary

Author: A F HarroldIllustrator: Emily Gravett

Many people have an imaginary friend at sometime in their childhood; then they will grow out of this. What might happen if the adult cannot give up this friend? This is the predicament that faces Amanda and her best (imaginary) friend, Rudger as they come up against the sinister Mr Bunting.

This is a book to remember. Like that classic, The Midnight Folk by the poet John Masefield, it seamlessly blurs the boundary between the real world and that of the imagination. Perhaps this is because A F Harrold is also a poet and creator of the wonderfully named Fizzlebert Stump. Here we meet Amanda, a girl with an active imagination that can conjure adventures out of the everyday; adventures that need a companion. If, however, school friends are lacking, the answer is an imaginary friend. Hence Rudger. But imagination can be tricky. It can take over. Or it may disappear. What happens to your friend then? How should one value such a friendship? These ideas are woven through the action – and there is plenty of action as well as moments of real terror (imagination is not always cosy).It is this that prevents the whole becoming a whimsical indulgence. Amanda is a recognisable and robust girl who is more than a little bossy. Rudger has echoes of Pinnocchio and yet is a convincing boy. Above all there are Gravett’s illustrations enhancing and extending the text, giving imagination a local habitation and a face. A beautiful book that repays reading.

Share this entry
  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Twitter
  • Share on WhatsApp
  • Share on Pinterest
  • Share on LinkedIn
  • Share on Reddit
  • Share by Mail
http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png 0 0 Angie Hill http://booksforkeeps.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/bfklogo.png Angie Hill2015-01-05 15:21:592021-08-16 15:40:59The Imaginary

Search for a specific review

Author Search

Search







Generic filters




Filter by Member Types


Book Author

Download BfK Issue Bfk 272 May 2025
Skip to an Issue:

About Us

Launched in 1980, we’ve reviewed hundreds of new children’s books each year and published articles on every aspect of writing for children.

Read More

Follow Us

Latest News

Effervescent, scintillating, riveting!’ Collection of ‘colossal’ word poems wins the CLiPPA

June 20, 2025

Winners of the 2025 Carnegie Medals announced

June 19, 2025

Inclusive Books for Children book-gifting scheme expands again

June 18, 2025

Contact Us

Books for Keeps,
30 Winton Avenue,
London,
N11 2AT

Telephone: 0780 789 3369

ISSN: 0143-909X (this is our International Standard Serial Number).

© Copyright 2025 - Books For Keeps | Proudly Built by Lemongrass Media - Web Design Buckinghamshire
The Parent Trap Romans on the Rampage!
Scroll to top