The Impossible Boy: A perfect gift for children this Christmas - Rilegato

Oleg and Emma are friends. Their home lives are less than perfect (Emma's mum works all hours just to keep her family fed and Oleg's dad is unemployed and suffering with depression, leaving Oleg to care for his grandmother) but they are held together by their joint need to escape reality and find warmth and friendship with each other.

They share a love of mischief and could never have imagined that their mad shenanigans could one day set them on an adventure of a lifetime that would not only bond their friendship forever but would introduce them to weird and wonderful happenings. By creating an imaginary boy to confuse the new cover teacher, they manage to open a whole can of worms that challenges every sense of the impossible.

Ben Brooks's imagination knows no bounds as he takes the reader on a hilarious adventure. The wild and crazy ride hurtles us on a wave of emotions and nail-biting situations. Each character is brought to life with ease and exuberance as we eagerly follow the storylines that interweave. Yet, there is an undertone of understanding to the difficulties that lie behind each of these characters' lives - a nod at the fact that we should never really judge a book by its cover.

A must read for all children (big and small) aged 7+ and to any who love a laugh out loud book that pushes all senses of the imagination to their limits. It is a masterpiece of creativity and empathy rolled into one big feelgood tale.

Links for friendship, bullying, anxiety, depression, challenging adversity, accepting diversity, supporting others, hope, belief, imagination and creativity.