SuitabookImaginary boy
Mark Eldrich
- Reading
- Consider reading together or checking in after difficult scenes, especially if bereavement, family separation, bullying or abuse feels close to home. Let the child set the pace and pause if they want to talk.
- Themes
- Disability, appearance and heroism: Benji uses a crutch and hides his disfigured face, while dreaming of becoming a hero like those in his books. Benji’s disability and appearance shape his secluded life and his experiences with other people.
- Adventure structure and pacing: The plot moves from Benji’s secluded attic life into dangerous London streets, alongside an unfinished dragon story that may connect with his experiences. The intertwined real-world peril and fantasy premise provide the adventure’s structure; a reader describes short chapters and briskly flowing prose.
- Worth knowing
- The plot includes a father’s death, separation from Benji’s mother, bullying and abuse, danger of near-trampling, and an attempted sale into slavery. Some episodes may be frightening or distressing.