Great Book to Read Aloud to Kids

Today I am sharing a book that absolutely surprised me in the best way.  I love clever books that have smart humor and a touching message and this book delivered in spades.  I normally shy away from imaginary friend stories, they always feel so juvenile, but the take on this book was so unique I was drawn in despite myself.  Watching Jack realize he is imaginary and what he does with that information is so clever that I was laughing and crying all at the same time (I'm a mom so I'm good at doing both simultaneously)

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Title: Confessions of an Imaginary Friend

Author: Michelle Cuevas

Target: Grades 3 and up

Series: No

What this book is about: 
Jack Papier is the brother of Fleur and he is starting to get a sneaking suspicion that people are not that fond of him.  Teachers ignore him and he is never picked for teams at school.  But Fleur loves him, and that seems enough until he starts to realize that maybe he isn’t actually Fleur’s brother but her … gasp … imaginary friend.  Now Jack is trying to discover who he is and if he can become real even if he isn’t technically “real”.

Why I love this book:

• I generally am not that fond of imaginary friend books, but this book blew me away.  The humor was priceless.  Jack  actually attends an Imaginaries Anonymous meeting where they recite “I’m only as invisible as I feel, imaginary or not.” at the beginning of every meeting.  Of course when he is reincarnated as the wienner dog who is his nemesis at the beginning of the story, I was full out chuckling.

• Jack himself is a wonderful character as he goes through denial at the realization he is imaginary, to wanting to understand what that means, to helping and nurturing those who trust him.

• The children who are helped by Jack are a varied and wonderful bunch. They are quirky and have their faults, but Jack manages to find the best in them.

Who this book is for: 
This is the hardest question for me.  This book is for kids with a wonderful sense of humor who enjoy touching stories. 

Final thoughts: 
This is wonderful book to read aloud with kids.  Teachers would do well to tie this one in with a writing unit of perspective.

To purchase this book:
Click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Confessions of an Imaginary Friend  A portion of each purchase will go to support this blog at no cost to you.  Thank you for your support.