Daydreamer
by Rob Cameron (Author)
An eleven-year-old boy copes with the challenges of his city life by weaving his reality into a magical realm of dragons, foxes, and trolls--until he must use the power of his creativity to save both of his worlds from destructive forces. This stunning debut is a profound exploration of imagination, community, and how the stories we tell both comfort us and challenge us to grow.
Charles' life is split between two worlds: one real and one fantasy. In the real world, he is a lonely, bullied kid who can't keep up with school when the letters refuse to stay still on the page, and is constantly in trouble for getting distracted. He lives with his mom in an apartment building, where Glory, the grumpy old superintendent, fills his head with stories about the Dream Folk. In his fantasy world, the Sanctuary, Charles adventures with faeries and sprites and his two imaginary best friends. There, Charles's bullies become ogres, and Glory opens his arms wide to transform into a dragon.
But when trolls move into Charles' apartment building and bring with them a terrible secret, the stories he has been told and the ones he brings to life grow more complicated. To protect everyone he cares about, Charles must harness his imagination in ways he never dreamed, in this unique story of the spaces and narratives we create for ourselves, and the ways in which fantasy and reality collide and blur.
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Kirkus
Captivating and cathartic.
Publishers Weekly
An 11-year-old's imagination offers escape in Cameron's creative and chaotic debut, set in 1986 in an unidentified city. Charles Housen's mother calls him lazy, his teachers say he doesn't listen, and his babysitter insists he's "too stupid to learn," but in truth, whenever Charles tries to read, the words just "squiggle and twist." When that happens, or when kids torment him, Charles retreats to an imaginary sanctuary filled with friends he's drawn and creatures described by Mr. Wilson, his apartment building's superintendent. Mr. Wilson claims he's secretly a dragon in human form, which is how he knows that Charles's new neighbors, Mr. Calixte and son Will, are actually trolls whom Charles should avoid. But when Charles overhears Will being abused by his father ("The daddy's hitting the boy!"), he can't help but try to save him, like the hero he is in his mind. Charles's first-person-present narration overlays fantasy and reality, transforming bullies into ogres and gang members into goblins; while this approach heightens drama, it also occasionally obscures plot and saps momentum. Still, in employing compassionate prose, Cameron illustrates the transformative power of storytelling to deliver a kindhearted tale. The cast is ethnically diverse. Ages 10-up. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. (Aug.)
Copyright 2024 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.
Review quotes
"An achingly well written story about the blurry line between reality and magic in childhood—and the heartbreaking ways it can be shattered."
—Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times best-selling author.
"Cameron's sentences are laden with magic, stuffed to spilling with the stuff of dreams. Through them, he takes us on a journey that's personal, poignant, phantasmagoric, and profound."
—Carlos Hernandez, Pura Belpré Award winning author of Sal and Gabi Break the Universe
"Charming truths melt into harsh lessons about danger, bravery, persistence, and Charles' growing strength in this fast-paced coming-of-power delight."
—Nisi Shawl, multiple award-winning author of Speculation, Everfair, and Kinning
"There's magic on every page of [this] mesmerizing, unpredictable story....Daydreamer is a tale that will capture the imagination of adults and children alike.'
-Milton J. Davis, author of Amber and the Hidden City
"A daring, monumentally lyrical achievement, if not an outright fantasy classic."
-Zig Zag Claybourne, author of Afro Puffs Are the Antennae of the Universe
"This creative debut features strong character development in its exploration of the ways Charles copes with multiple challenges that will resonate with many readers. Captivating and cathartic." —Kirkus Reviews
"Employing compassionate prose, Cameron illustrates the transformative power of storytelling to deliver a kindhearted tale."
—Publishers Weekly
JUV011010 - Juvenile Fiction | People & Places | United States - African-American
JUV077000 - Juvenile Fiction | Neurodiversity
