The Dream Bearer

School Library Journal
( September 01, 2003 ; 0-06-054277-2 )

Walter Dean Myers' novel (HarperCollins, 2003) follows a 12-year-old boy in Harlem as he copes with family problems. While playing basketball with a friend, David Curry encounters a seemingly ancient man, Moses Littlejohn, who claims to be a dream bearer-he carries human dreams and passes them on. David is not sure he believes him, but listens to the stories Moses tells anyway. While the dreams do not solve David's problems with his violent father and his brother's drug dealing, they do help him to make sense of what is going on. Myers' use of language and situations make the characters come alive. Francis James narrates with realistic sounding voices and intonations. Each character is given a distinct and authentic voice. While the characters are well developed and interesting, the many plot threads sometimes overwhelm listeners. Dream Bearer isn't as compelling as some of Myers' other novels, but his fans will still enjoy this title that deals with anger and forgiveness. This audiobook can augment library collections with numerous Walter Dean Myers fans.-Katherine Devine, Westminster Academy

" The Dream Bearer by Walter Dean Myers is a phenomenal reader. It involves an African-American boy named David Curry, who has an unbalanced relationship with his family. His father Reuben is a very troubled and confused man, David struggles to see within his father's heart while at the same time trying to trust his brother Tyrone.

David meets a homeless man by the name of Mr.Moses who claims he is over 300 years old; he says he bears dreams of African-Americans and their hardships of life. David and his friend Loren listen to his dreams when they are at the the playground on 147th st. in Harlem New York. Mr.Moses tells them that he is tired and need to give his dreams away. This part of the story sends a message out to readers, saying that the older generation with wisdom or even dreams to give should pass them down to the next generation.

By his interest in the homeless man David takes heed and starts to recognize whats wrong with his father Reuben. He also also pulls the family together, and starts to trust his brother more. After reading this story I realized the reason David was able to balance his family out is because Mr.Moses opened his eyes; the same way the dream bearer before him probably did. I enjoy reading this book because it teaches me to think " outside the box" towards life. I recommend this book to readers because this is a rare novel, it shows interaction between the old and young and the mentoring that goes with it.

Notes:
This coming of age story follows a boy, David, living in Harlem. The relationships between his best friend, mama, brother and father are tested and tweaked when he is befriended by an elderly man in the community. Self-purported to be 300 or so years of age, Mr. Moses tells David he is the Dream Bearer and shares tales of African American oppression. These stories allow David to consider his interactions with his family and friends in a different perspective.

This book was pretty good, I found it very odd. The main character's father, Reuben is insane, while his brother is on drugs. he doesn't know who to trust. ( )

Carolyn Phelan (Booklist, Jul. 1, 2003 (Vol. 99, No. 21))
Growing up in Harlem, 12-year-old David manages to keep his wits about him and his heart in the right place as he copes with his father, who is depressed and sometimes violent, and his older brother, who is hanging out with a dangerous crowd. After befriending Mr. Moses, an old man who speaks of himself as a dream bearer, David begins to hear stories that reflect the African American experience over the centuries. In the end, he finds that he not only has made Mr. Moses' dreams part of himself but also has his own dreams to help him understand those around him. The portrayal of David's family, particularly his relationship with his troubled father, is sharply realized and sometimes moving, and the Kenyan immigrant family of David's friend, Sessi, introduces a fresh point of view. Narrated by David, this well-crafted novel has some original characters and insights. ( )