{"product_id":"confessions-of-an-imaginary-friend-isbn-9780147514332","title":"Confessions of an Imaginary Friend","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA \u003ci\u003eTIME\u003c\/i\u003e magazine Top 10 Children's Book of 2015!\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe whimsical \"autobiography\" of an imaginary friend who doesn't know he's imaginary--perfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eToy Story\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJacques Papier has the sneaking suspicion that everyone except his sister Fleur hates him. Teachers ignore him when his hand is raised in class, he is never chosen for sports teams, and his parents often need to be reminded to set a place for him at the dinner table. But he is shocked when he finally learns the truth: He is Fleur's imaginary friend! When he convinces Fleur to set him free, he begins a surprising and touching, and always funny quest to find himself—to figure out who Jacques Papier truly is, and where he belongs.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e“A charming story so easy to visualize that it feels like a future Pixar movie.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e“A clever tale about finding purpose and self-acceptance”—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eGood Housekeeping\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003ePraise for \u003ci\u003eConfessions of an Imaginary Friend\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e* “Cuevas’s novel—brimming with metaphors, gorgeous imagery, and beautiful turns of phrase—considers the fate of devoted but invisible companions. Have tissues on hand for the bittersweet ending.”—\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, starred review\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Alternately amusing and philosophical, this quirky read will get kids thinking about love, loss, and life.\"—\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A lovely and unique tale.”—\u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal \u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A charming story so easy to visualize that it feels like a future Pixar movie.”—\u003ci\u003eThe Wall Street Journal\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“A clever tale about finding purpose and self-acceptance”—\u003ci\u003eGood Housekeeping\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichelle Cuevas\u003c\/b\u003e (www.michellecuevas.com) graduated from Williams College and holds a master of fine arts in creative writing from the University of Virginia. She lives in Massachusetts.\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChapter One\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eYes, world, I am writing my memoir, and I have titled the first chapter simply this:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eEVERYONE\u003c\/i\u003e HATES JACQUES PAPIER\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI think it captures the exact drama of my first eight years in the world rather poetically. Soon I’ll move on to chapter two. This is where I’ll confess that the first chapter was, in fact, the truth stretched, much like the accordion body of my wiener dog, François. The stretch would be the word \u003ci\u003eeveryone.\u003c\/i\u003e There are three exceptions to this word. They are:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy mother.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy father.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy twin sister, Fleur.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIf you are observant, you’ll notice that I \u003ci\u003edid not\u003c\/i\u003e include François the wiener dog on this list.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChapter Two\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA boy and his dog are, quite possibly, the most classic of all classic duos.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike peanut butter and jelly.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike a left and right foot.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLike salt and pepper.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd yet.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMy relationship with François more closely resembles peanut butter on a knuckle sandwich. A left foot in a bear trap. Salt and a fresh paper cut. You get the picture.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn the interest of truth, it is not entirely François’ fault; the cards of life have been stacked rather steeply against him. For starters, I do not believe the person in charge of making dogs was paying attention when they attached François’ stumpy legs to his banana-shaped body. Perhaps we’d all be ill-tempered if our stomachs cleaned the floor whenever we went for a walk.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe day we brought him home as a puppy, François sniffed my sister and grinned. He sniffed me and began barking—a barking that has never ceased in the eight years I’ve been within range of his villainous nose.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChapter Three\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt is true that \u003ci\u003ePapier\u003c\/i\u003e is the French word for paper. However, my family does not make or sell paper. No, my family is in the imagination business.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Are there really that many people who need puppets?” Fleur asked our father. To be honest, I had often wondered the very same thing about our parents’ puppet shop.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Dear girl,” our father answered. “I think the real question is, who \u003ci\u003edoesn’t \u003c\/i\u003eneed a puppet?”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Florists,” Fleur answered. “Musicians. Chefs. Newscasters . . .”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Oh hello,” Father said. “I’m a florist. They say talking to plants helps them grow, and now the puppet and I are chatting and our flowers are thriving.” He spun around. “Why, look at me, the piano player, with a puppet on each hand, so now I have four arms instead of just two. I’m a chef, but instead of an oven mitt, I have a puppet to pretend with. Oh look, I’m a newscaster who once delivered the news alone, but now have a puppet for witty banter.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e“Fine,” Fleur said. “Lonely people without anyone to talk to need puppets. Luckily Jacques and I have each other, and we are going outside to play.”\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eI smiled, waved to our father, and followed Fleur out the door. The bell rang as we left the cool gaze of puppets and greeted the sunshine, winking at us through afternoon clouds.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eChapter Four\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSchool. Who thought of this cruel place? Perhaps it is the same person who matches together the various pieces of wiener dogs. School is a great example of a place where everyone (and I mean \u003ci\u003eeveryone\u003c\/i\u003e) hates me. Allow me to illustrate with examples from this very week:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn Monday, our class played kickball. The captains chose players for their team one by one. When they got to me, they just went and started the game. I wasn’t picked last; I wasn’t picked at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn Tuesday, I was the only person who knew the capital of Idaho. I had my arm in the air, even waving it around like a hand puppet on the high sea. But the teacher just said, “Really? Nobody knows the answer? \u003ci\u003eNobody?”\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn Wednesday, at lunch, a very husky boy nearly sat on me, and I had to scramble from my seat to avoid certain death.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOn Thursday, I waited in line for the bus, and before I could get on, the driver shut the door. Right in my face. “Oh, COME ON!” I shouted, but the words disappeared in a cloud of exhaust. Fleur made the driver stop, got off, and walked home beside me.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAnd so, on Friday morning, I begged my parents to let me stay home from school. They didn’t even say no. They just gave me the silent treatment.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rocky Pond Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46302630543589,"sku":"NP9780147514332","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780147514332.jpg?v=1767724045","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/confessions-of-an-imaginary-friend-isbn-9780147514332","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}