Skeleton Keys: The Unimaginary Friend; Guy Bass, illustrated by Pete Williamson

Guy Bass and Pete Williamson, the duo behind the fantastic Stitch Head series, return with a brand new series. This is the tale of Ben and what happens when his imagined friend becomes unimaginary.

Ten-year-old Ben Bunsen lives on Grundy Island with his mum and dad. He has a friend but it only exists in his mind. When the figment of his imagination comes to life a series of unbelievable events unfold and he will have to deal with a girl full of resentment after being forgotten, a pirate on an unstoppable quest for treasure, a confused mum, a dad with a hidden secret and a body of bones with keys for fingers…

This is spooky, creepy and great fun and is full of the wonderful power of imagination. To quote Skeleton Keys, “A wild imagination can change the world.” Ben’s loneliness sees him imagining friends and when no-one turns up for his tenth birthday party the figment of his imagination appears, the Gorblimey. Ben and the Gorblimey are the best of friends but dapper chap Skeleton Keys is unconvinced. Keys has the twitch and that surely means the Gorblimey is no good and needs banishing into the Oblivion. But the Gorblimey is not the only unimaginary in town and when Daisy, a forgotten imagining of Ben’s, appears things get all the more chaotic as she unleashes a pirate from Oblivion to aid her revenge. Ben goes to extraordinary lengths to keep his best friend safe from harm and Skeleton Keys has some very big problem on his bony hands. The action unfolds at a frantic pace and with beheadings, a rampaging pirate and exploding fireworks, there is much to keep readers engaged and entertained. The story is wacky and wild and includes strong messages on friendship. The text is supported by illustrations that are a mix of creepy and playful.

For a lot of children, an imaginary friend is part of childhood and an imaginary friend is very handy to have around and take the blame for lots of unfortunate incidents. Readers will be revelling in this read and will be left wishing that their imaginings could become unimaginary.

Recommended for 6+.