IMAGINARY FRIENDS MEET THE REAL WORLD

Rudger is Amanda Shuffleup's imaginary friend. No one else can see him but her, and that's just fine by him--Amanda is the only one with enough imagination to dream him up in the first place. But when a suspiciously creepy man comes to the door one day asking Amanda's mum to take a survey, it appears he can see Rudger too, and that's when things begin to go amiss. He sees the man lurking everywhere, determined to get his hooks on Rudger. And then--worst of all--there is an accident that causes Amanda to be rushed to the hospital, and for the first time in his life, Rudger is all on his own. How will Rudger escape the nefarious grasp of the sinister man, and, perhaps more importantly, without a real person to imagine him, can an imaginary boy even exist? 

This fantasy by A.F. Harrold told from various points of view is at turns whimsical and downright spooky, and proves no one is too old to tap into their imaginations and let them run wild. Emily Gravett's striking illustrations--some in black-and-white and occaisionally in color--add just the right balance of eerieness and eccentricity. 

An exciting and offbeat read for 4th to 6th graders.