Dreamsleeves

Gr 5–7—If the producers of The Secret teamed up with members of Al-Anon to create a didactic novel for preteens, Dreamsleeves might be the result. Set during the Vietnam War era, the story recounts 12-year-old Aislinn's frustration with her alcoholic father. There are blissful moments in her life—tea with her grandmother, perfect grilled-cheese sandwiches, and a kiss from her crush Mike Mancinello—but they are tempered by the ever-present rage that lurks within her father. As Aislinn attempts to avert his cruelty, she ponders her name (which means "dream" in old Irish). She decides to write her dreams on sticky name tags and attach them to her sleeve. In this way, she believes, everyone can help to make her dreams come true. The plan works several times. She gets a new bathing suit, her brother gets tickets to a ball game, and she bumps into Mike. The Law of Attraction seems to turn her life around. Desperately, she makes the wish for her dad to stop drinking and boldly wears this wish to church. What she finds is what every person involved with an alcoholic knows—dreams cannot stop a drinker. The period might not grab everyone (references to old songs, limbo, and purgatory) and some of the dialogue is stiff, but the emotions are universal. Aislinn is helpless while watching alcoholism destroy her family. The push for Al-Anon in the end is slightly heavy, but perhaps school psychologists or social workers might use Dreamsleeves successfully.—Pamela Schembri, Newburgh Enlarged City Schools, NY