• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7

What if your imaginary friend from childhood suddenly reappeared . . . only this time he’s no figment of your imagination.

Charlie, a budding acrobat, is desperate to attend a gymnastics camp that will qualify her for a spot in the renowned travelling circus Circo Circo. But her mom can barely make ends meet and Charlie knows she must find a way to earn the money on her own.

The solution seems to come when the perfect gymnastics partner mysteriously appears and they can put on shows. There’s just one small thing though . . . this perfect partner is someone Charlie knows well. He’s Rudy, her imaginary childhood friend — only this time he’s real. The problem with imaginary friends is that they know things about you . . . things that can jeopardize not only Charlie’s acrobatic dreams, but also threaten to tear her family even farther apart.

This truthful and often funny story is the mark of a rising new voice in Canadian children’s literature, and a moving exploration of how to reconcile memory, family, forgiveness and the search for belonging.

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[for Playing with Matches] “This charming story of growing up and owning up, will ring true with readers” — School Library Journal“Playing with Matches is compulsively readable. It is absolute fun, and Rain is the best kind of narrator – funny, engaging, well-meaning and usually a little out of control. I could not put the book down.” — Canadian Materials[for Playing with Matches] “Fizzy, funny, and ultimately redemptive.” — Kirkus Reviews