Dream On

Gr 9 Up—Readers learn in Dream a Little Dream (Holt, 2015) that Liv, her sort of stepbrother Grayson, and her friends Arthur, Jasper, and Henry can meet up in their dreams. Now that emotionally unstable Anabel is at a psychiatric hospital, she cannot attempt to hurt Liv again. Jasper was shipped off to do a semester in France. Grayson is still with snobby perfectionist Emily, and Liv is dating Henry. Liv worries that Henry is not being honest with her. She and little sister Mia butt heads with their soon-to-be stepgrandmother. And the blogger known only as Secrecy seems to magically know everything that happens to the students at Frognal Academy and happily publicizes their secrets. But when Mia starts sleepwalking and doing dangerous things like trying to jump out of second-floor windows, Liv wants to keep her safe at any cost. This volume does not disappoint. Liv and Mia are relatable characters, and their unique family dynamics are often funny. Small missteps such as awkward translations (e.g., "not the brightest spark in his field" and "they talked thirteen to the dozen") and some scantly developed characters are forgivable due to the sheer enjoyment of this fantasy tale. Liv is not the "chosen one"—but just a girl who, through hard work and practice, is skilled at kung fu and controlling her dreams.