The Dream Bearer

By Walter Dean Myers

Book Overview

Printz Award winner Walter Dean Myers deftly draws a compassionate portrait of a boy's odyssey of self-discovery and the acceptance and empathy for others he learns along the way.

David doesn't know what to make of his father, Reuben. His older brother, Tyrone, says Reuben is crazy. But Tyrone is acting like someone David doesn't know anymore.

Then David meets Mr. Moses, a mysterious man who tells him that dreams might be the only things we have that are real. And it is Mr. Moses' gift of dreams that gives David a new way to see inside his father's heart.

I wonder what kind of dreams Reuben has. When I thought about him dreaming, I thought of him having a storm in his head, with lightning and far-off thunder and the wind blowing big raindrops and a bigger storm coming just down the street, just around the corner, like a monster waiting for you. I thought Reuben dreamed of monsters that scared him.

They scared me too.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0064472892
• ISBN13: 9780064472890
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: Quill Tree Books
• Length: 180 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.5" x 5.2" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

A Great Book, You should read it!

This book was really good. The details were good. I liked how the story took place. It's cool about the problems that were in this book, it made it exciting. I love Walter Dean Myers books!

Dream Keeper

There are some problems for a kid growing up in New York, especially for David! The Dream Bearer has received many reviews including ALA booklist and School Library Journal. The author, Walter Dean Myers has written many other books such as, Bad Boy: a Memoir, Handbook for Boys, and Patrol. He also won the 1994 ALA Margaret A. Edwards award and the 1994 ALAN award. The Dream Bearer is a book about a kid growing up in New York. The Dream Bearer is a meaningful book by an award winning author. David lives with his mom, dad, and brother in an apartment in New York. His brother, Ty is leaving and coming home late. When the police come, David suspects he's doing drugs. When David and his best friend Loren go to the park, they meet an old man named Mr. Moses who claims he's a dream bearer. David's father, Reuben, who most people think is crazy, is angry when he hears about Mr. Moses. Then, Mr. Moses gets sick so David and Loren save him, but soon after, someone else needs saving. The Dream Bearer has characters that are so believable. I liked that David was accepted to a private school because he's smart and he beat two other people with Loren in 2 on 2 because he's good at sports. It proves that you can be good at more than one thing. I also liked that David didn't think his dad was crazy when others do, it proves he's believing. David's mom is also very caring and nice. The characters in this book are terrific. I also liked the setting of this book because it was so real and imaginable. The author describes how the Hudson River was dirty and gross. He also described that the city had old, run down buildings. I could really picture that! I could also tell it was real because he uses street names to describe where they are. I also liked how he described the park. I could really picture the setting. I think The Dream Bearer is a good book because of the characters and setting. The author uses detail on the characters and setting so I can picture it. I would recommend this book to someone who wants a book that's not that funny or suspenseful, but still keeps your attention. This book has a very interesting cover and description that just screams "READ ME!" It is a little slow in the beginning, but gets better. This realistic fiction book's message is that you shouldn't judge people because they can be someone you'd never expect if you look hard enough, even in their dreams!

courage from dreams

12 year-old David is a thinking boy who loves to shoot hoops with his friend. One day he strikes up a conversation with an ancient, strange gentleman who seems to know exactly what David is thinking, especially about his dreams. It is what Old Moses has to tell that steers David toward a better understanding of his family & his life. Rebeccasreads highly recommends THE DREAM BEARER as a fascinating boys' read -- both magical & down-to-earth, scary & heartwarming, despairing & hopeful; about abusive fathers, changing older brothers, life in Harlem & in your dreams.