IMAGINARY

What happens when an imaginary elementary school friend stays around when you’re in middle school?

As a small child, Zach Belvin began his friendship with an imaginary furry purple friend he names Shovel. Zach shared his imagination and bright blue eyes with his dad. But when Zach was just 6, his father fell ill and died. After this devastating loss, Zach escaped with Shovel into fantasy worlds filled with magic and knights and danger. “These places might’ve seemed scary, but we both knew….Reality could be so much scarier.” With Shovel as a narrator—hilarious, despite the seriousness of the subject matter—readers experience Zach’s loneliness up close. On the first day of middle school, Zach is bullied by some boys—including his former best friend, Ryan. Shovel inspires Zach to fight back, and new student Anni joins in to help, resulting in both of them being placed in detention with Ryan for a week, a situation that leads to social and emotional growth and real-life problem-solving. Even as Zach learns to deal with his grief and Shovel begins to fade away, the purple furball protects the heart of this vulnerable boy with humor and love. Spot art depicts a charmingly appealing Shovel and a racially diverse human cast: Zach and his family present White, Anni is cued as East Asian, and some supporting characters read as Black.

A witty, heartfelt, and sophisticated story about the consequences of grief.