When their mother starts dropping them off at the library several afternoons a week, nine-year-old William and his brother dread boredom and the overbearing librarian, but they are surprised at how things turn out.

Did you know that if the conditions are just right and if you add a little electricity, or magic, or luck, that an imaginary friend might appear just when you need one? An imaginary friend like ... Fred? Fred is the best imaginary friend you could hope for, but no matter how hard he tries, the same thing always happens: his friend finds a real friend in the real world, and Fred fades away, bit by bit, waiting to be wished for again ... Then one day,...