MY EX-IMAGINARY FRIEND

Ten-year-old Jack’s father has left the family, and his mother struggles with bipolar disorder; George, his part-human/part-walrus imaginary friend, comes and goes from his life.

One day Jack’s mother drops him on the road near his aunt’s house, leaving him to be taken in by his aunt, uncle, and cousins. In a story narrated in alternating first-person chapters from Jack’s and George’s points of view, readers follow along as George and Jack navigate what it means to be seen. As Jack’s situation changes, George faces his own challenge: He finds that he is physically disappearing as Jack needs him less. Magic and imagination come into play as George and Jack each realize their strengths and gain a sense of being believed in. This book addresses difficult topics, including mental health crises, family tumult, divorce, and forgiveness. Emphasizing that all people cope in different ways, the story leaves room for a range of strong feelings as readers follow George and Jack on their adventures. For some readers, extremely painful scenes of child abandonment and parents in crisis may need to be mediated by a trusted adult. The writing style, with its repetitive cliffhangers and complex dialogue, could be confusing for some readers. Human characters default to White.

Complicated emotions and difficult family conversations are bracketed with kindness in this unusual book.