The Impossible Boy

Believe in the impossible... A magical story celebrating the power of imagination, from the bestselling author of STORIES FOR BOYS WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT.

Oleg and Emma entered their den to find a cardboard spaceship standing exactly where they usually sat. Slowly, the front door opened and out stepped a boy. 'My name's Sebastian Cole,' he said. 'But you already know that.'

When Oleg and Emma invent a new classmate called Sebastian, they are amazed when he appears - very much real - in their secret den.

Sebastian isn't like the rest of their classmates. He's never eaten pizza, he's not sure what goose bumps are, and he has a satchel that seems to hold an endless supply of hot ice cream.

But as the trio begin their adventures, more impossible things keep happening, from a runaway goat appearing at school to a sighting of some snowwomen walking down the road. Things soon take a turn for the dangerous when the three friends are pursued by the mysterious Institute of Unreality, who want to capture and erase Sebastian, restoring order to the world.

With the help of a cowboy gardener, an imprisoned scientist, and the rest of their class, can Emma and Oleg protect their new friend and keep the magic of the impossible alive?

After inspiring countless young readers with tales of extraordinary people in the world around them, Ben Brooks' first children's novel is a magical adventure that celebrates friendship, the power of imagination, and ice cream.

“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.”

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. The Reading Zone
A fast-moving, quirky, adventure story.... Great fun! Carousel
Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant.....A true gift for a reader -- Lucy Timmons Just Imagine Website
A satisfying mix of quirky humour and all-action adventure in a tale about the power of friends The Sunday Express S Magazine
A magical and festive adventure with an extraordinary cast of characters. It is full of empathy, friendship and fun. South Wales Evening Post
A magical festive adventure celebrating the power of friendship and the imagination. EVENT Magazine - The Daily Mail
This is an interesting story whose real value lies in the difficult subjects it touches on - broken homes, overcoming anxiety and facing an uncertain future being three of its central themes. Publishers Association
This is an unusual, gripping story full of 'edge of the seat moments'. Primary Times
It's one thing to invent a friend, quite another when he actually appears. With Sebastian around, impossible things keep happening, and the Institute of Unreality wants to know why. The i newspaper
This is an interesting story whose real value lies in the difficult subjects it touches on - broken homes, overcoming anxiety and facing an uncertain future being three of its central themes. Brooks gently but effectively negotiates these subjects through a story that is quirky, amusing and fun. Woman's Way

Ben Brooks (Author)

Ben Brooks is the author of the bestselling and ground-breaking Stories for Boys Who Dare To Be Different, which was the winner of Children's Book of the Year at the National Book Awards. The Impossible Boy is his first novel for children. He lives in Berlin.

George Ermos (Illustrator)

George is an illustrator, maker and avid reader from England. He works digitally and loves illustrating all things curious and mysterious. He is always trying to incorporate new artiness from the various world cultures he reads about and explores.

Believe in the impossible... A magical story celebrating the power of imagination, from the bestselling author of STORIES FOR BOYS WHO DARE TO BE DIFFERENT. Oleg and Emma entered their den to find a cardboard spaceship standing exactly where they usually sat. Slowly, the front door opened and out stepped a boy. 'My name's Sebastian Cole,' he said. 'But you already know that.' When Oleg and Emma invent a new classmate called Sebastian, they are amazed when he appears - very much real - in their secret den.Sebastian isn't like the rest of their classmates. He's never eaten pizza, he's not sure what goose bumps are, and he has a satchel that seems to hold an endless supply of hot ice cream. But as the trio begin their adventures, more impossible things keep happening, from a runaway goat appearing at school to a sighting of some snowwomen walking down the road. Things soon take a turn for the dangerous when the three friends are pursued by the mysterious Institute of Unreality, who want to capture and erase Sebastian, restoring order to the world. With the help of a cowboy gardener, an imprisoned scientist, and the rest of their class, can Emma and Oleg protect their new friend and keep the magic of the impossible alive? After inspiring countless young readers with tales of extraordinary people in the world around them, Ben Brooks' first children's novel is a magical adventure that celebrates friendship, the power of imagination, and ice cream.

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