Matthew Dicks: Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend

Excerpt

Max Delaney is an elementary school aged boy. Budo, Max’s friend, thinks he is the bravest boy in the world. Max is a boy who is “somewhere on the autism spectrum” possibly diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. Budo thinks Max is brave because he goes to school every day. Max navigates through a world that is unpredictable and he does not understand. Budo is Max’s imaginary friend. Budo helps Max decode the neurotypical world, make decisions, and recognize danger. Unlike other imaginary friends who die when their children grow up and no longer need them, Budo is an old timer. Most imaginary friends disappear in kindergarten or early elementary school. Budo wonders when he will die. He wonders when Max will no longer need him. …