A fun, contemporary fantasy that provides empathy and understanding about a boy dealing with the effects of Tourette Syndrome.

Matthew has been challenged throughout his 12 years dealing with uncontrollable tics, sounds, and body movements. Making things worse is the school bully, who threatens to harm Matthew. The unrelenting Declan is one of the worst bullies ever depicted in middle grade books.

Matthew’s only comfort are two imaginary friends, a tough little girl and a green monster. At first they can’t help when defenseless Matthew is pursued by the bully and his three accomplices after school. They all get trapped in a mysterious underground world. A world where others are imprisoned and dangerous testing of a slimy liquid is what they find. Immediately the group is pursued by two men and must somehow work together to confront the threat and find a way back to their families.

The 27 chapters move along at a fast pace. There is some telling of what happens in a few scenes, but it won’t bother young readers and it sure didn’t for me. This type of middle grade story often stretches over 350 pages but IMAGINARY HEROES keeps at under 250 pages, a much more welcome result.

My favorite part of the book was when Matthew finally told off Declan in a redeeming and heartwarming moment. Kids who doubt themselves should find much solace with this exchange. The author framed it with perfection. It’s no surprise he also experienced Tourette Syndrome growing up along with large doses of bullying.

Having imaginary heroes feel real was a great idea infused into the plot. The pages have a few mild instances of inappropriate language but won’t be a concern for most. IMAGINARY HEROES will appeal to boys and girls who love a good fantasy adventure.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

When Michael Seidelman was growing up, his passions were reading, watching movies, enjoying nature and creative writing. Not much has changed since then.

Working in Online Marketing for over ten years, Michael felt it was time to pursue his passion and began writing The Garden of Syn trilogy for Young Adult readers.

Beyond the trilogy and his latest novel, Imaginary Heroes, he has more books in the works that he can’t wait to share with the world!

Michael was born in Vancouver, BC (Canada) where he continues to reside. (find more about Michael and his books on his author website)

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It’s almost time for another Marvelous Middle Grade Monday. Won’t you join us? It’s here I share highlights from other individuals blogging about middle grade books. Many of the posts will have reviews, interviews, and tips on writing. Take a look at PAST MMGM POSTS.

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*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.