{"product_id":"awake-and-dreaming","title":"Awake And Dreaming","description":"\u003cp\u003eFrom BooklistGr. 4-7. Nine-year-old Theo Caffrey lives life on the edge, mostly because her unwed mother neglects and mistreats her. She copes by losing herself in books and dreams of belonging to a real family. One morning she awakens to find her fantasy has come true--though all too soon it fades, leaving her more bereft than ever. Through sheer will and determination Theo conspires to meet the family of her dream (and the mysterious ghost\/writer who unwittingly created Theo's vision) and works to turn her fantasy into reality. Pearson's unusual novel shifts smoothly from Theo's miserable existence to the romantic idealism she craves and finally back to the difficult but ultimately satisfying new actuality that she creates. Strong, believable characters, the hint of the supernatural, and Pearson's poignant commentary on the writer's craft all add up to a compelling and memorable read. Kay WeismanProduct DescriptionLonging for a family with lots of love and siblings, Theo, who lives in poverty with her irresponsible mother, is mysteriously \"\"adopted\"\" by the Kaldors, the family of her dreams, who begin to fade away one day, leaving behind a confused Theo.From School Library JournalGrade 4-7. Wishes can come true, temporarily at least. Nine-year-old Theo desperately wants to be out of her gray, loveless existence and into the middle of a large and happy family like the ones she reads about in her wonderful library books. Often neglected by her young and immature mother, she is still reluctant to leave their Vancouver apartment and go to live with her aunt in Victoria. On the ferry trip, Theo makes a wish on the new moon and is amazed when it comes true. She wakes up as part of the perfect family, with nurturing and always happy parents and four caring siblings. Now she doesn't have to dance for money on the street or worry that her mother doesn't want her. But of course, it is too good to be true, and the magic doesn't last. While her real life isn't perfect like when she was \"awake and dreaming,\" things are changing for the better and Theo is learning to be happy. Pearson deftly weaves fantasy and reality together into a charming novel much like Sylvia Cassedy did in Behind the Attic Wall (HarperCollins, 1983). Even minor characters are well developed, and this story is intriguing from start to finish. A mysterious ghost is carefully woven into the plot and into the resolution, but the focus of the book remains on Theo's very real concerns and emotions. As readers cheer for the child's happiness, they may also learn from her determination.?Leigh Ann Jones, Carroll Middle School, Southlake, TXCopyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.From Kirkus ReviewsTheo, nine, has not had a gentle life. The joys of clean clothes, a warm bed, and enough to eat are elusive, and her too-young, borderline-abusive mother provides little emotional support or structure. Theo escapes via daydreams and voracious reading (``she remembered that the ugliest books in school libraries were often the best ones''). The heart of the book, set in Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia, is an awkwardly constructed fantasy sequence that places Theo in the center of a large and affectionate family, the Kaldors. When the dream ends, Theo finds the family--less idealized, with no answering memory of her--and also finds the ghost of the writer, who once lived in the Kaldor house, and who has an explanation for Theo's experiences ``awake and dreaming.'' While parts of the tale are clumsily drawn, Theo's longings are unmistakably clear, and the shaky shifts in point of view won't matter to readers, for this is a real page-turner. Pearson (The Lights Go On Again, 1994, etc.) has some lovely notions about the relationship between dreams and reality, the value of friends and family (however flawed its members), and the acts of reading and writing as talismans of hope. (Fiction. 8-12) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Just Great Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43857914396906,"sku":"001-062922-G-22.99-Salmon-0671003917","price":24.99,"currency_code":"CAD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0647\/1735\/7290\/products\/51VMSYK88FL.jpg?v=1674795820","url":"https:\/\/justgreatbooks.org\/products\/awake-and-dreaming","provider":"Just Great Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}