Dream

Gr 4-6–The strength of unexpected friendship and the hopefulness of a dream is explored in this middle grade novel. Eleven-year-old Idalee Lovett comes from a long line of musicians, and all she wants is to become a country music songwriter. When the local radio station hosts a songwriting contest, she begins to dream about what it might feel like to win; but as she presses forward, the fear of failure creeps in, leading her to make an out-of-character decision regarding the contest. As the award announcement date approaches, Idalee’s anxiety increases, resulting in an admission to her mother of what she has done. Although this brings her some relief, she continues to agonize over the possible ramifications of her actions. When the contest results in an unexpected outcome, Idalee learns about the power of friendship and honesty. The ragtag group of characters are endearing, adding to the general warmth of the story. Idalee’s anger at her situation is somewhat glossed over, making parts of the story feel a bit inauthentic; however, readers familiar with O’Connor’s Wish will enjoy the appearance of some familiar faces. Main characters are cued white.