Skeleton Keys: The Unimaginary Friend
Publisher: Stripes Publishing
Ben Bunsen conjures up his imaginary friend (a friendly little ball of fur) so well that it becomes an "unimaginary". But rambunctious Mr Skeleton Keys is adamant that Gorblimey is dangerous, and wants to banish him to oblivion using one of his five key-fingers that open doors to otherworldly domains.
Ben and Gorblimey run away from Mr Skeleton Keys but encounter an unimaginary from Ben’s past. Daisy, who has a backwards head, is still upset that, years ago, Ben abandoned her, and she lets loose a vicious pirate as part of her revenge.
As the pirate begins a rampage of destruction, Daisy regrets her decision and Skeleton Keys realises he may have been wrong about the Gorblimey. Ben and his new friends come together to find out who the real troublemaker is and put an end to the destruction-threatening Grundy Island.
Full of mystery and adventure, Skeleton Keys will stretch vocabularies and imaginations. Children will love the outlandish story with monster chases and ghoulish beheadings, which is ultimately about friendships, fitting in and being confident in yourself.
The illustrations are glorious: the perfect balance of cute and creepy. There are snippets of them throughout the story too, making it feel an extra-special and spooky tale.
