Dream of Night

by Heather Henson (Author)

Dream of Night
Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade
Untamable. Damaged. Angry. Once full of promise and life, now a fiery knot of resentment and detachment. This is the story of Dream of Night, an injured and abused racehorse. It's also the story of Shiloh, a sarcastic eleven-year-old foster child. By chance, Dream of Night and Shiloh both find themselves under the care of Jessalyn DiLima. Just in time--it's a last chance for them both. Jess fosters animals and kids like Dream of Night and Shiloh for a reason--she's a little broken, too. And as the three of them become an unlikely family, they recognize their similarities in order to heal their pasts--but not before one last tragedy threatens to take everything away.
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Once Dream of Night was a champion racehorse, but by the time Jess DiLima gets him he’s nearly dead from starvation and pneumonia, and his thin hide is covered in scars. Twelve-year-old Shiloh is scarred, too, both from physical abuse and from the emotional withering of years in foster care. Jess doesn’t feel up to the challenge of either one of them, but she knows that she may represent their last chance. Henson’s story unfolds in a tight, third-person, present-tense narration that shifts its focus among the three principals: Jess, Shiloh and Night. Her novel, like her characters, shimmers with anger and hope. She doesn’t pull her punches—the scenes and flashbacks of abuse are realistically graphic—but she also never lets the details overwhelm the narrative, always offering the possibility of redemption. The author understands, too, that victory is not necessarily a blue ribbon won or a family reunited—sometimes it’s just the quiet triumph of a girl confidently brushing a horse in a stall. Another impressive book by the author of Here’s How I See It—Here’s How It Is (2009). (Fiction. 8-14)

School Library Journal

Gr 58Three lives and three story lines merge as readers get to know a former racehorse, a 12-year-old girl, and a middle-aged woman. Dream of Night was a successful Thoroughbred until an undetected injury led, over time, to horrific abuse and neglect. Shiloh and her mom suffered unspeakable domestic violence, landing Shiloh in increasingly ineffective foster homes. Jess has spent years working with rescued horses and foster kids, but thinks that perhaps she is too old now for either one. Night and Shiloh both end up at Jess's farm and are needy, angry, and incapable of trust. Eventually, cracks begin to appear in the walls that the two have erected, and a crisis cements their bond. Within each chapter, the third-person narration switches from character to character, with each portion labeled. The brief sections use few words to maximum potential, developing each character and focusing on believable behaviors. While accepting Night's line of thought occasionally requires a leap of faith, this is a touching read with a satisfying ending. Recommend it to kids who have heard about Dave Pelzer's "A Child Called "It"" (Health Communications, 1995) and to animal lovers or girls who read reluctantly."Faith Brautigam, Gail Borden Public Library, Elgin, IL" Copyright 2010 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Alternating among the points of view of a damaged racehorse, an abused child, and the remarkable woman who brings them together, Henson (Here's How I See It—Here's How It Is) creates an affecting story about emotional recovery. Foster parent and animal rescuer Jess DiLima receives two new wards on the same day: Dream of Night, a "shell of a horse" she saves on a Humane Society run, and Shiloh, a 12-year-old charge of the state. Both are full of anger and resentment when they arrive at Jess's rundown farm ("And Shiloh knows. The black horse hates the woman. Hates her, pure and simple. And somehow this makes it better"). But over time, touched by Jess's unwavering gentleness and patience, they begin to trust again. Besides highlighting the connections between Night and Shiloh, Henson also sheds light on Jess's painful history, sensitively conveying why she needs the horse and child as much as they need her. The book's climax—in which Night's previous owner attempts to steal him away— reveals the strength of bonds that have formed among the characters. Ages 8-12. (May) Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Review quotes

Three lives and three story lines merge as readers get to know a former racehorse, a 12-year-old girl, and a middle-aged woman. Dream of Night was a successful Thoroughbred until an undetected injury led, over time, to horrific abuse and neglect. Shiloh and her mom suffered unspeakable domestic violence, landing Shiloh in increasingly ineffective foster homes. Jess has spent years working with rescued horses and foster kids, but thinks that perhaps she is too old now for either one. Night and Shiloh both end up at Jess's farm and are needy, angry, and incapable of trust. Eventually, cracks begin to appear in the walls that the two have erected, and a crisis cements their bond. Within each chapter, the third-person narration switches from character to character, with each portion labeled. The brief sections use few words to maximum potential, developing each character and focusing on believable behaviors. While accepting Night's line of thought occasionally requires a leap of faith, this is a touching read with a satisfying ending. Recommend it to kids who have heard about Dave Pelzer's A Child Called "It" (Health Communications, 1995) and to animal lovers or girls who read reluctantly.-SLJ, April 1, 2010
Heather Henson
Heather Henson lives on a farm in Kentucky with her husband and three children, is the managing director of the Pioneer Playhouse, and is the author of several critically acclaimed picture books and novels, including Dream of Night, The Whole Sky, and the Christopher Award-winning That Book Woman.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781416948995
Lexile Measure
470
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Publication date
May 04, 2010
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV013050 - Juvenile Fiction | Family | Orphans & Foster Homes
JUV002130 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Horses
Library of Congress categories
Farm life
Foster home care
Kentucky
Animal rescue
Horses
Emotional problems of teenagers
Emotional problems
Race horses
Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award
Nominee 2012 - 2012
Great Stone Face Book Award
Nominee 2011 - 2012
Black-Eyed Susan Award
Nominee 2011 - 2012

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