Greg Grunberg

Ben's dreams have been getting more and more vivid lately - and he's discovered he has the ability to "jump" into other people's dreams. His one friend, Jake, thinks there are great possibilities here and even his crush, Kaylee, is intrigued. But bigger things than Ben's school drama are happening. More and more children are falling prey to a mysterious disease that traps them in a nightmare world and Ben must take on his fears and fight back if he wants to save them.

As the set up for a show more series, this book contains lots of hints and bits of plot. Ben's father's mysterious disappearance, the presence of dream jumpers, the villains, etc. are all introduced although there's clearly a lot left to explain. The art (and story) are what I think of as Scholastic Graphix style. Very cinematic, colorful, with lots of action and drama.

Unfortunately, there's lots of stereotypes too. Ben, the ordinary middle class white boy, is naturally the hero. Although his crush is Asian, she's also in need of rescuing and has very little agency or presence, other than as an inspiration. Ben's sidekick, Jake, is the stereotypical "fat boy" a little dumb and babyish, mostly there to be made fun of and to stick to Ben no matter what.

This isn't a "bad" book per say; there's just nothing about it that stands out. It doesn't have the emotional depth of Amulet, the developed characters of Zita, or the twisty plot of Alabaster Shadows. More importantly, it brings nothing new to the genre and follows the same stereotyped characters used in a gazillion other kids' fantasy books and comics. In fact, I can pretty much predict the rest of the plot from the first book (I'm guessing his dad turns out to be the villain).

Verdict: Kids will happily pick this up, read it, and forget it. It's fine as an addition to your collection, but I don't expect it to get a major fan following like Amulet, Zita, or Bone. The story and characters have been told many times before; it's time to see something new.

ISBN: 9780545826044; Published 2016 by Scholastic Graphix; Borrowed from another library in my consortium show less

My son actually requested this from the library and I decided to read it before we returned it. This was a surprisingly well done middle grade fantasy graphic novel that I enjoyed a lot.

I liked the main character Ben and how he helps other kids with their nightmares. His mom is concerned because of how tired he always is and rightfully so.

This is an interesting storyline in itself, but the storyline gets infinitely more complex when Ben finds out that some of the kids he’s been helping show more actually have some sort of sleeping sickness that won’t allow them to wake up.

The illustration is colorful and fun and I enjoyed it a lot. The illustration is also easy to follow. I enjoyed the characters and both their family ties and friendships with each other. The story is intriguing and interesting.

My 10 year old son absolutely loved this book as well and him and I are both dying to read the next installment in the series!

Overall a very well done middle grade fantasy graphic novel. This book has great characters, a great story, and wonderful illustration. I can’t wait to see where the story goes from here! I would definitely recommend to those who like middle grade graphic novels and fantasy adventures. show less

This was another fun installment in the Dream Jumper series. I really enjoy both the artwork and the story in this middle grade novel. It's fun and light-hearted, with a lot of adventure and a little bit of creepiness.

My 11 year old son loves this series as well and he is the one who started me reading it. It’s a quick read but highly entertaining and it explores an interesting premise.

Overall an excellent installment in this middle grade fantasy/horror series. This is a series that has show more action, creativity, and explores friendship as well. I have been enjoying it a lot. show less

NIGHTMARE ESCAPE by Greg Grunberg and Lucas Turnbloom is the first book in the exciting new Dream Jumper graphic novel for middle grades.

Like all kids, Ben has nightmares. What makes Ben unique is that his nightmares are real and he’s able to jump into the dreams of others. When his girlfriend is caught in an endless nightmare, Ben must defeat the nightmare monster with a little help from a talking rabbit. The book’s conclusion is satisfying, but leaves many questions unanswered and show more ready for the next book in this engaging series.

Librarian will find this graphic novel series popular among children who enjoy fantasy and adventure. The book’s high-quality, full-color illustration will add to the appeal. Build a library display featuring GRAPHIX titles to feature this new addition to the this popular collection. Or ,create a “nightmare” display featuring books connected to dreams and nightmares.

Published by GRAPHIX, an imprint of Scholastic on June 28, 2016. ARC courtesy of the publisher. show less