Stories where kids succeed because they're kids, not in spite of it.
Twelve year old Mellie has enough trouble navigating the foster care system and dodging bullies (kids and adults alike). But when a dare sends her through an empty door frame in a vacant lot, she discovers a whole new world of problems: now she's stranded in Otherland, home to the world's myths and legends, who insist she's made up as well. If she can't find a way to prove she's real, she'll be trapped in Otherland forever. And in Otherland, people only last as long as their stories—once Reality forgets her, she'll disappear entirely.
Mellie Morton is
Not Imaginary
Mellie enlists the help of a notorious outlaw and a talking fox in her race to find a way home before time runs out. But first, they'll have to talk their way out of jail, complete a fairy's treasure hunt, fulfil an oracle's prophecy, and confront Mellie's nemesis: Santa Claus. In learning what it means to be real, Mellie has a chance to write her own story, and change both worlds in the process.
Meet the Characters
Mellie
After bouncing through a string of foster families, Mellie Morton has reached the last stop: a group home, where the chores and criticism are as plentiful as the bullies. And thanks to a bully's dare, she gets trapped in a magic land where everyone insists she's just a story.
.
She'll need all her skills, including the mistakes she's tried to leave behind,
if she's going to find her way back.