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Dream
A New York Times bestseller!
The highly anticipated follow up to Wish , which has spent six years on the New York Times bestseller list and is beloved by over two million readers. Dream follows a small town girl with big aspirations who discovers that anything is possible with your best friends and an adorable pup by your side!
The sky is the limit.
Idalee Lovett is content with her life in small-town Colby, North Carolina, living in her family’s huge house with rooms for rent. But she has big dreams, just like her mama. While Mama is on tour for the summer with her cover band, Lovey Lovett and the Junkyard Dogs, Idalee decides to hone her craft as a songwriter—since her truest wish is to hear her country songs on the radio one day.
When the local radio station announces a songwriting contest with the winning song being recorded by an up-and-coming singer, Idalee is determined to win. It would definitely be possible if only she could buy the shiny blue guitar in Asheville’s music shop. Idalee doesn’t have much money, but she knows exactly how to get it—the long-lost treasure her late granddaddy hid somewhere in their house. With the help of her friends Odell, Howard, Charlie, and an adorable little dog named Wishbone, Idalee is going to search in every nook and cranny until she finds it. But little does she know, the biggest treasure of all is only discovered when you believe in yourself with your whole heart.
In this standalone companion to the #1 New York Times bestseller Wish, nothing is impossible as Idalee learns the power of chasing her dreams one guitar strum at a time.
The highly anticipated follow up to Wish , which has spent six years on the New York Times bestseller list and is beloved by over two million readers. Dream follows a small town girl with big aspirations who discovers that anything is possible with your best friends and an adorable pup by your side!
The sky is the limit.
Idalee Lovett is content with her life in small-town Colby, North Carolina, living in her family’s huge house with rooms for rent. But she has big dreams, just like her mama. While Mama is on tour for the summer with her cover band, Lovey Lovett and the Junkyard Dogs, Idalee decides to hone her craft as a songwriter—since her truest wish is to hear her country songs on the radio one day.
When the local radio station announces a songwriting contest with the winning song being recorded by an up-and-coming singer, Idalee is determined to win. It would definitely be possible if only she could buy the shiny blue guitar in Asheville’s music shop. Idalee doesn’t have much money, but she knows exactly how to get it—the long-lost treasure her late granddaddy hid somewhere in their house. With the help of her friends Odell, Howard, Charlie, and an adorable little dog named Wishbone, Idalee is going to search in every nook and cranny until she finds it. But little does she know, the biggest treasure of all is only discovered when you believe in yourself with your whole heart.
In this standalone companion to the #1 New York Times bestseller Wish, nothing is impossible as Idalee learns the power of chasing her dreams one guitar strum at a time.
247 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 26, 2025
45 people are currently reading
3442 people want to read
About the author
Barbara O'Connor
49 books657 followersBarbara O'Connor's awards include the Parents Choice Gold and Silver Award, American Library Association Notable Books, IRA Notable Books for a Global Society, School Library Journal Best Books, and Kirkus Best Books. Her books have been nominated for children's choice awards in 38 states and voted as a state favorite by children in South Carolina, Indiana, Kansas, and South Dakota.
Barbara was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She draws on her Southern roots to write award-winning books for children in grades 3 to 6.
She currently lives in Asheville, NC. Her latest book is Wish, a middle grade novel published by FSG.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/barbar...
Barbara was born and raised in Greenville, South Carolina. She draws on her Southern roots to write award-winning books for children in grades 3 to 6.
She currently lives in Asheville, NC. Her latest book is Wish, a middle grade novel published by FSG.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/barbar...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
September 20, 2025
In a Nutshell: A companion novel to this author’s popular middle-grade novel ‘Wish’. Set in the same world, but can be read as a standalone. The main character is more appealing this time around, and the plot is also slightly more complex. Some nice country music lyrics. The cover is slightly misleading; no dog has an active role in the story. I liked this better than ‘Wish’.
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Plot Preview:
As this is a companion novel to ‘Wish’, the location, time period, and general atmosphere of the books are the same. Some characters from ‘Wish’ make an appearance in this story as well, but as this story primarily focusses on Idalee through her first-person narration, it can be read as a standalone. But if you *wish* to know more about Howard, Charlie, and a couple of other characters, it is better to go in publication order.
The story starts off with Idalee’s dream of winning the contest, then seems to slip off-track midway when she implements her plan of finding money for the guitar, and again makes a comeback to the competition in the final third or so. On the whole, I found this plot stronger than that in the first book, though that story also wasn’t bad.
Unlike Charlie in ‘Wish’, Idalee is a loveable protagonist, and this makes a vast difference to the reading experience. Her polite behaviour, her secret determination to make it big as a lyricist, her friendly nature, and her lack of judgement offers little readers many attributes worth emulating.
The other characters in the house are also mostly decent. There’s a greater proportion of child characters this time around, with most of them having a distinct personality. Howard and Charlie are still friends, and ‘pineapple’ (IYKYK) still has a role to play in their interactions. The adult characters aren’t so noteworthy this time around, though most weren’t bad as well. The only character whose inclusion felt a bit weird to me was the lady who worked as a pet psychic. Others might not mind such a profession, but it isn't my jam to read, especially in a children’s realistic fiction.
There are a couple of interesting non-human characters in the book, the most memorable of whom has to be Rochester the parrot. The cover might lead you to believe that the story also has a dog in a significant role. This is incorrect. The dog on the cover is Wishbone from the earlier book, and he has barely a scene. I am very disappointed because I love dogs and their inclusion always enhances a children’s novel.
Music has a significant role to play in the storyline, and as the go-to music genre of the location is ‘country music’, we see several country song lyrics in the story. A couple of these are really good.
The title has a special significance this time as well. Charlie in the first book had a wish; Idalee in this book has a dream. Charlie was determined to do whatever it takes to make her wish come true, and the same can be said of Idalee and her dream. I love how such simple, single-worded titles have so many nuances in the plot.
Yet again, the vocabulary level in the story is simple and accessible. The grammatical issues I mentioned in the other review are present this time as well, so I guess it confirms that they are just regional dialectic variances.
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook clocks at 4 hrs 10 min. Suzy Jackson makes her return as the narrator, and she does a commendable job once again. Her beautiful Southern lilt ensures that we get a genuine feel of the place. She is amazing at expressing emotions without going overboard.
Some readers aren’t fond of songs being sung on audio. If you are one of those, you will be happy to learn that all the songs in the story are performed more like poems and not sung. I am in the counter team, so I regret that the songs had not been performed to some tune. Despite this, I’d definitely recommend the audio version. The narrator makes the book memorable.
Overall, my opinion is a bit contrary to the GR ratings. ‘Wish’ has a very high rating on GR, but I just about liked it. ‘Dream’, on the other hand, is barely above the four-star mark, but with its focus on music and its impressive little protagonist, it worked much better for me. Of course, it wasn’t a perfect read, but definitely worth a try.
Recommended to middle-graders with a knack for music and a fondness for friendship narratives.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing the ALC of “Dream” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Colby, North Carolina. Idalee Lovett comes from a long line of country musicians. Not that they were famous, but they all had talent, some local success. Her Mama is fulfilling her dream at present, touring with her group for the summer in bars across the state. As the Lovett family has a huge house with rooms to rent, Idalee has to stay back in the house, with the other tenants as her main companions.
When the local radio competition announces a songwriting contest with tempting prizes, Idalee is determined to win. But she cannot write a song with her rickety old out-of-tune guitar, and the beautiful blue one she saw in the shop is too expensive. However, Idalee knows exactly how she can get enough money to purchase the guitar before her Mama returns, and she enlists her friends Odell, Howard and Charlie to help out. Are things ever that easy though?
The story comes to us in Idalee’s first-person perspective.
As this is a companion novel to ‘Wish’, the location, time period, and general atmosphere of the books are the same. Some characters from ‘Wish’ make an appearance in this story as well, but as this story primarily focusses on Idalee through her first-person narration, it can be read as a standalone. But if you *wish* to know more about Howard, Charlie, and a couple of other characters, it is better to go in publication order.
The story starts off with Idalee’s dream of winning the contest, then seems to slip off-track midway when she implements her plan of finding money for the guitar, and again makes a comeback to the competition in the final third or so. On the whole, I found this plot stronger than that in the first book, though that story also wasn’t bad.
Unlike Charlie in ‘Wish’, Idalee is a loveable protagonist, and this makes a vast difference to the reading experience. Her polite behaviour, her secret determination to make it big as a lyricist, her friendly nature, and her lack of judgement offers little readers many attributes worth emulating.
The other characters in the house are also mostly decent. There’s a greater proportion of child characters this time around, with most of them having a distinct personality. Howard and Charlie are still friends, and ‘pineapple’ (IYKYK) still has a role to play in their interactions. The adult characters aren’t so noteworthy this time around, though most weren’t bad as well. The only character whose inclusion felt a bit weird to me was the lady who worked as a pet psychic. Others might not mind such a profession, but it isn't my jam to read, especially in a children’s realistic fiction.
There are a couple of interesting non-human characters in the book, the most memorable of whom has to be Rochester the parrot. The cover might lead you to believe that the story also has a dog in a significant role. This is incorrect. The dog on the cover is Wishbone from the earlier book, and he has barely a scene. I am very disappointed because I love dogs and their inclusion always enhances a children’s novel.
Music has a significant role to play in the storyline, and as the go-to music genre of the location is ‘country music’, we see several country song lyrics in the story. A couple of these are really good.
The title has a special significance this time as well. Charlie in the first book had a wish; Idalee in this book has a dream. Charlie was determined to do whatever it takes to make her wish come true, and the same can be said of Idalee and her dream. I love how such simple, single-worded titles have so many nuances in the plot.
Yet again, the vocabulary level in the story is simple and accessible. The grammatical issues I mentioned in the other review are present this time as well, so I guess it confirms that they are just regional dialectic variances.
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook clocks at 4 hrs 10 min. Suzy Jackson makes her return as the narrator, and she does a commendable job once again. Her beautiful Southern lilt ensures that we get a genuine feel of the place. She is amazing at expressing emotions without going overboard.
Some readers aren’t fond of songs being sung on audio. If you are one of those, you will be happy to learn that all the songs in the story are performed more like poems and not sung. I am in the counter team, so I regret that the songs had not been performed to some tune. Despite this, I’d definitely recommend the audio version. The narrator makes the book memorable.
Overall, my opinion is a bit contrary to the GR ratings. ‘Wish’ has a very high rating on GR, but I just about liked it. ‘Dream’, on the other hand, is barely above the four-star mark, but with its focus on music and its impressive little protagonist, it worked much better for me. Of course, it wasn’t a perfect read, but definitely worth a try.
Recommended to middle-graders with a knack for music and a fondness for friendship narratives.
3.75 stars.
My thanks to Macmillan Audio and Macmillan Young Listeners for providing the ALC of “Dream” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || Facebook ||
July 31, 2025
3.5⭐️
Dream follows the story of Idalee Lovett. Idalee's mom is an aspiring country singer who rents rooms in a house full of a cast of quirky characters. When her mom goes on tour with her band over the summer, she rents out a room to Jackie (Charlie's older sister) and leaves the house under the care of Mrs. Randall, a teacher at Idalee's school. Idalee also has big dreams of her own and decides she wants to enter and win a song-writing contest from the local radio station. She believes she can become a great songwriter if she gets the shiny blue guitar found in an Asheville music shop, and to do that, she's determined to find the long-lost treasure her late granddad hid in the house. She enlists a group of friends and other quirky characters in the hopes of fulfilling her songwriting dreams.
I adored Wish, and was very excited to read Dream! I thought this book was cute and had great characters, friendship, and funny moments. I loved seeing Charlie and Howard from book one, and following this cast of characters' adventures. But overall, it just wasn't quite as charming as Wish, and fell a bit flat for me. I wasn't as attached to the characters or storyline, and was missing some of the character development and messages I loved from Wish. I found the beginning to be a bit slow, and not grab my attention as much, and parts of the story felt a tad unrealistic. I didn't care for the mention of a pet fortune teller aspect of the story, or the mention of tarot cards. I still thought it was a sweet story, and I loved the audiobook narrated by Suzy Jackson; she brings any story to life.
I think readers who loved Wish will enjoy this story and revisiting some of the characters! I think my expectations were a bit high going into this book, which may be why it fell a bit short for me.
Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review; all thoughts are 100% my own.
Content to consider: No language, lying, mention of a pet fortune teller, mention of tarot cards, mention of an aura
Dream follows the story of Idalee Lovett. Idalee's mom is an aspiring country singer who rents rooms in a house full of a cast of quirky characters. When her mom goes on tour with her band over the summer, she rents out a room to Jackie (Charlie's older sister) and leaves the house under the care of Mrs. Randall, a teacher at Idalee's school. Idalee also has big dreams of her own and decides she wants to enter and win a song-writing contest from the local radio station. She believes she can become a great songwriter if she gets the shiny blue guitar found in an Asheville music shop, and to do that, she's determined to find the long-lost treasure her late granddad hid in the house. She enlists a group of friends and other quirky characters in the hopes of fulfilling her songwriting dreams.
I adored Wish, and was very excited to read Dream! I thought this book was cute and had great characters, friendship, and funny moments. I loved seeing Charlie and Howard from book one, and following this cast of characters' adventures. But overall, it just wasn't quite as charming as Wish, and fell a bit flat for me. I wasn't as attached to the characters or storyline, and was missing some of the character development and messages I loved from Wish. I found the beginning to be a bit slow, and not grab my attention as much, and parts of the story felt a tad unrealistic. I didn't care for the mention of a pet fortune teller aspect of the story, or the mention of tarot cards. I still thought it was a sweet story, and I loved the audiobook narrated by Suzy Jackson; she brings any story to life.
I think readers who loved Wish will enjoy this story and revisiting some of the characters! I think my expectations were a bit high going into this book, which may be why it fell a bit short for me.
Thank you, Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review; all thoughts are 100% my own.
Content to consider: No language, lying, mention of a pet fortune teller, mention of tarot cards, mention of an aura
August 10, 2025
Dream by Barbara O'Connor
3.5 Stars rounding up to 4
Releases Aug 26, 2025
Blog Post: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...
I loved Wish by Barbara last year and was so excited to see the Dream audiobook available on NetGalley! Suzy Jackson does such a great job narrating. As a southern Tennessee gal, I love her accents for the characters and it feels like home.
As a follow up to Wish, Dream follows Idalee Lovett, who lives in the small town of Colby, North Carolina. Idalee's Mama is going on tour for the summer with her cover band and Idalee works on her songwriting skills. There is a local radio songwriting contest and Idalee is determined to win with her songs. Idalee needs a new guitar and there is supposedly long-lost treasure for her and her friends to find hidden somewhere in their house from her late grandfather... the friends spend their time helping Idalee trying to find it, while sneaking around.
We see Howard, Charlie and Wishbone from Wish helping out in this book - loved seeing them again. You can technically read this outside of reading Wish, but I think you best enjoy it after reading Wish.
I liked this one in general. We have quirky characters who rent out rooms in the house, great friendships, a sweet dog and a sweet ending. Wish is still my favorite, but this was a good companion.
However, while I enjoyed the book, I wasn't a fan of a side character portrayed as a pet fortune teller/psychic with orange "aura". She acts kind of weird around pets pretending to be a pet fortune teller and the kiddos talk about her being convincing and think she really may be one. There is also a brief mention of tarot cards and general fortune tellers. It wasn't anything overboard, brief mentions, but I didn't love those parts. I also wish we had a bit more of Wishbone in the story as the cover indicates.
Loved her song and the ending, so very sweet.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a complimentary copy of the audiobook to honestly read and review. All thoughts are my own.
3.5 Stars rounding up to 4
Releases Aug 26, 2025
Blog Post: https://bookloveramanda.blogspot.com/...
I loved Wish by Barbara last year and was so excited to see the Dream audiobook available on NetGalley! Suzy Jackson does such a great job narrating. As a southern Tennessee gal, I love her accents for the characters and it feels like home.
As a follow up to Wish, Dream follows Idalee Lovett, who lives in the small town of Colby, North Carolina. Idalee's Mama is going on tour for the summer with her cover band and Idalee works on her songwriting skills. There is a local radio songwriting contest and Idalee is determined to win with her songs. Idalee needs a new guitar and there is supposedly long-lost treasure for her and her friends to find hidden somewhere in their house from her late grandfather... the friends spend their time helping Idalee trying to find it, while sneaking around.
We see Howard, Charlie and Wishbone from Wish helping out in this book - loved seeing them again. You can technically read this outside of reading Wish, but I think you best enjoy it after reading Wish.
I liked this one in general. We have quirky characters who rent out rooms in the house, great friendships, a sweet dog and a sweet ending. Wish is still my favorite, but this was a good companion.
However, while I enjoyed the book, I wasn't a fan of a side character portrayed as a pet fortune teller/psychic with orange "aura". She acts kind of weird around pets pretending to be a pet fortune teller and the kiddos talk about her being convincing and think she really may be one. There is also a brief mention of tarot cards and general fortune tellers. It wasn't anything overboard, brief mentions, but I didn't love those parts. I also wish we had a bit more of Wishbone in the story as the cover indicates.
Loved her song and the ending, so very sweet.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for a complimentary copy of the audiobook to honestly read and review. All thoughts are my own.
September 1, 2025
The companion MG novel to Wish.
🎸
Idalee loves her small town life living with her extended family that rents out rooms, but she’s disappointed when her mama goes on tour with her band, leaving Idalee behind. When she hears about a songwriting contest she believes this is the best way to prove she’s ready to play with the band. To make the perfect song she’ll need a new guitar. With the help of some new friends Howard, Odell, Charlie and Wishbone she goes on a treasure hunt in her house looking for money left behind by a relative.
🎶
This is a standalone that can be read without having read Wish, but I loved seeing the characters from that book pop up in this one. Full of heart, grit and dreams, this one will be a hit with middle grade readers.
CW: abandonment, incarceration, classism
Didn’t love it as much as Wish. Not sure it was necessary to do a companion novel for this one.
🎸
Idalee loves her small town life living with her extended family that rents out rooms, but she’s disappointed when her mama goes on tour with her band, leaving Idalee behind. When she hears about a songwriting contest she believes this is the best way to prove she’s ready to play with the band. To make the perfect song she’ll need a new guitar. With the help of some new friends Howard, Odell, Charlie and Wishbone she goes on a treasure hunt in her house looking for money left behind by a relative.
🎶
This is a standalone that can be read without having read Wish, but I loved seeing the characters from that book pop up in this one. Full of heart, grit and dreams, this one will be a hit with middle grade readers.
CW: abandonment, incarceration, classism
Didn’t love it as much as Wish. Not sure it was necessary to do a companion novel for this one.
August 11, 2025
I received an advanced readers copy of this audiobook:
My daughter gives this book 4 stars- but I found it to be repetitive and longer than needed. I’m clearly not the intended audience, but I thought it was a bit boring. Maybe I’ve been spoiled with works by authors like Lois Lowry and Daniel Nayeri, but this book read more along the lines of a Mercy Watson book and less like an intermediate work of fiction. The character development could have been less one-dimensional, and the longing for the blue guitar as a central plot point was annoying. The plot twist at the end was the most redeeming part, but even that was somewhat predictable.
My daughter gives this book 4 stars- but I found it to be repetitive and longer than needed. I’m clearly not the intended audience, but I thought it was a bit boring. Maybe I’ve been spoiled with works by authors like Lois Lowry and Daniel Nayeri, but this book read more along the lines of a Mercy Watson book and less like an intermediate work of fiction. The character development could have been less one-dimensional, and the longing for the blue guitar as a central plot point was annoying. The plot twist at the end was the most redeeming part, but even that was somewhat predictable.
May 26, 2025
Whether you've read Wish or not makes no difference- O'Connor weaves together a warm tale which leaves readers rooting for Idalee. This unique read has readers invested in Idalee, her mother, and her friends and housemates. Throughout the book, readers are given a glimpse into various lives and circumstances, and O'Connor writes in such a way that we can feel the self-doubt and shrunken confidence of Idalee. The champion of the book lurches Idalee forward and ultimately reveals her talents, boosting her confidence and courage. After all, that's exactly what some of us need - support and acknowledgement from our peers when we are determined that our own contributions are worthless. A timely and pulling read, certain to draw in its desired age group and beyond.
August 4, 2025
This one focuses on a new character, and she has a dream to become a great country songwriter like her mom and ancestors, but she lacks the confidence to participate in the song contest. I love that she meets the characters from book 1, and together they try to help her find a treasure. She believes that if she has THAT special guitar, she will do better at the contest. Great story with more layers, friendship, and learning to have confidence instead of focusing on crutches or objects to be a great artist.
September 5, 2025
Barbara O'Connor takes readers from a Wish to a Dream in this sweet middle grade novel. This new book revisits the same southern town but centers on a young girls who dreams of being a famous country music song writer. Idalee Lovett lives in a ramshackle rooming house filled with quirky characters. The youngster wants to enter a songwriting contest, but doubts her own talent. she is convinced that she needs a new guitar to write a good song, and teams up with her buddies to search for the rumored treasure her Grandpa had supposedly hidden in the house. Fans of the 2016 "Wish" will enjoy revisiting the characters of Charlie, Howard and Wishbone who help her out, along with her new friend Odell. In the end of this sweet story, Idalee discovers that the true treasures are self-confidence and friendship.
This Dream is a companion story to Wish, not a sequel, and can be read as a standalone. The protagonist is only eleven and this middle grade novel is not as serious as many middle grade novels these days. It is appropriate for any youngster. I alternated between advanced copies of the audiobook and the ebook and adored the narration. No matter which format that you prefer, This Dream is a sweet story of friendship and coming of age.
This Dream is a companion story to Wish, not a sequel, and can be read as a standalone. The protagonist is only eleven and this middle grade novel is not as serious as many middle grade novels these days. It is appropriate for any youngster. I alternated between advanced copies of the audiobook and the ebook and adored the narration. No matter which format that you prefer, This Dream is a sweet story of friendship and coming of age.
May 13, 2025
This book was so sweet! There were great themes of friendship in here. I loved seeing Charlie, Howard, and Wishbone from the previous book; it gave them a fresh look. I really liked how Idalee actually had a good relationship with her mother, which just made it so much better. And the music! I loved how much music had such a strong theme in this, and I loved the songs. This was all just so sweet and wholesome.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-arc of this book.
October 7, 2025
Not as good as wish, feels a little less tight of a story
September 14, 2025
A sequel to Wish though it easily can be read as a stand-alone. Great middle grade story!
August 23, 2025
4 stars for the MG book about dreaming big, found family, and a sweet North Carolina setting.
This story of song writing and country music would fit other MG dreaming big books. Front Desk, Superstar Chef, and Tune It Out.
Thank you @Libro.fm for sharing an ALC w me.
This story of song writing and country music would fit other MG dreaming big books. Front Desk, Superstar Chef, and Tune It Out.
Thank you @Libro.fm for sharing an ALC w me.
May 19, 2025
Welcome back to Barbara O’Connor’s Colby, North Carolina where she first placed Charlie, a girl with a father in jail and a mom whose depression made it impossible for her to properly care for her daughter, and Wishbone, the dog that helped make Charlie finally feel like she had found a new home. In this companion book to the wonderful WISH, Idalee, a budding songwriter from a long line of musically gifted family, is the focus and Charlie becomes her friend. Along with Charlie, Idalee finds more friends and a different kind of family in those who rent a room in the big house owned by her mother and Charlie’s best friend Howard who was a key player in WISH. The central theme places Idalee hoping to make her dream of writing songs for country singers like her mother come true via a radio station contest but confidence is in short supply. As Idalee, her friend and housemate Odell, Howard and Charlie work together for a hidden treasure that will allow Idalee to purchase a new guitar, key to better songwriting, she learns a great deal about others’ dreams and the ways they are striving to make them come true and with a little help from a friend, discovers the confidence she needs to make her dream a reality.
Wonderfully warm-hearted, DREAM has something for everyone in the grade 4-6 age range and with its highly relatable characters and very different kinds of dreams and goals, would make a fabulous read aloud in classrooms even younger. O’Connor’s characters are clearly establish and very different from one another allowing for plenty of discussion, Tchart and Venn diagram activities. There is definite setting with plenty of rising action toward the climax of the winning song announcement and subsequent falling action and resolution as some of the residents leave for new places and Idalee settles into a new normal.
Highly recommended for home, public, school and classroom libraries with no warnings needed for emotional triggers, profanity, violence or sexual content.
Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss and Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
Wonderfully warm-hearted, DREAM has something for everyone in the grade 4-6 age range and with its highly relatable characters and very different kinds of dreams and goals, would make a fabulous read aloud in classrooms even younger. O’Connor’s characters are clearly establish and very different from one another allowing for plenty of discussion, Tchart and Venn diagram activities. There is definite setting with plenty of rising action toward the climax of the winning song announcement and subsequent falling action and resolution as some of the residents leave for new places and Idalee settles into a new normal.
Highly recommended for home, public, school and classroom libraries with no warnings needed for emotional triggers, profanity, violence or sexual content.
Thanks for the eARC, Edelweiss and Farrar, Straus & Giroux.
May 28, 2025
So wonderful to be back in the little mountain town of Colby, North Carolina with the characters from O’Connor’s Wish! Charlie, Howard, Jackie (and Wishbone) return along with an incredible new cast of characters including Idalee, a 12 year old songwriter who dreams of hearing one of her songs on the radio someday.
Idalee’s mom is a country singer who runs a boardinghouse full of a quirky cast of characters. When her mom goes on tour with her band over the summer, Idalee hears of a songwriting contest from a local-radio station. Knowing she could be the best songwriter ever if only she had the beautiful shiny blue guitar found in an Asheville music shop, Idalee is determined to find the long-long treasure her late granddaddy supposedly hid in the house to buy the guitar.
Themes of found family, friendship, music, and chasing your DREAMs.
Publishing August 26th!
Idalee’s mom is a country singer who runs a boardinghouse full of a quirky cast of characters. When her mom goes on tour with her band over the summer, Idalee hears of a songwriting contest from a local-radio station. Knowing she could be the best songwriter ever if only she had the beautiful shiny blue guitar found in an Asheville music shop, Idalee is determined to find the long-long treasure her late granddaddy supposedly hid in the house to buy the guitar.
Themes of found family, friendship, music, and chasing your DREAMs.
Publishing August 26th!
May 15, 2025
This book reminded me of “Because of Winn Dixie”. I loved the characters and enjoyed spending time with the gang from “Wish”. Familiar characters from Wish join Idalee, Charlie, Howard, and Jackie in a crazy nonstop adventure as Idalee pursues her dream of writing country songs worthy enough to be played on the radio. Even if you have yet to pick up Wish, I highly recommend you read this and then go back and read Wish. I know my students are going to enjoy it as much as I did.
Read
October 30, 2025
Trigger & Content Warnings
Alcohol consumption mentioned
Amputation mentioned, including a secondary character who lost toes in an axe incident and a cousin who lost a finger in a fireworks incident
Parent in jail for assault (secondary character)
Fistfight mentioned
Alcohol consumption mentioned
Amputation mentioned, including a secondary character who lost toes in an axe incident and a cousin who lost a finger in a fireworks incident
Parent in jail for assault (secondary character)
Fistfight mentioned
September 23, 2025
What worked:
This book is similar to its companion, Wish, as both main characters live in dysfunctional situations. This time, Idalee’s daddy left when she was five, and her mama is leaving for a tour with her band. Idalee narrates the story, and readers know how badly she wants to go along on tour. She has many ideas for country songs, but she doesn’t think any of them are any good. Idalee wants to win a contest and hear her music on the radio, but her lyrics don’t seem worthy of being chosen as the winner. Of course, her old, broken guitar makes everything sound horrible, so all she needs is to buy the expensive, blue one in a store window. That’s why discovering her grandfather’s secret treasure is so important.
Idalee knows the treasure is hidden somewhere in her house; her granddaddy didn’t trust banks, so she needs to search every room before the radio contest ends. However, her mother has rented out every bedroom to other people to make extra money. This creates a moral problem for Idalee, as she disobeys her mama’s orders. Idalee knows she’s not supposed to enter guests’ rooms, but she enlists the help of three friends to conduct a search. Readers are left to wonder if she’ll get caught, if she’ll find anything of worth, or if her efforts will be a waste of time. Readers learn a bit more about the quirky tenants while Idalee and her friends search for treasure.
There are many minor characters, but Charlie, Howard, and Odell are Idalee’s main allies. Readers will remember Howard and Charlie from Wish, and Charlie’s sister, Jackie, is also in the cast. Odell is the most interesting character, besides Idalee, as his father is renting one of the rooms. Odell is proud of his smooth-talking ability, and he uses it many times to distract others. He becomes Idalee’s confidante and loyally offers advice, encouragement, and a trustworthy ear to keep her secrets. His outgoing, energetic personality infuses liveliness into the story.
What didn’t work as well:
The synopsis and cover imply Idalee has a dog by her side, but that’s not accurate. His name is Wishbone, he’s Charlie’s dog from Wish, and he really doesn’t have much of a role in the book. It’s surprising how Odell can influence others, especially since he’s in town for such a short time. It would be nice to see him as a more permanent character.
The final verdict:
This book shares a heartfelt plot that takes place in the slow, laid-back life of a small country town. Young readers will enjoy Idalee’s big dreams and the new friends she makes along the way. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.
This book is similar to its companion, Wish, as both main characters live in dysfunctional situations. This time, Idalee’s daddy left when she was five, and her mama is leaving for a tour with her band. Idalee narrates the story, and readers know how badly she wants to go along on tour. She has many ideas for country songs, but she doesn’t think any of them are any good. Idalee wants to win a contest and hear her music on the radio, but her lyrics don’t seem worthy of being chosen as the winner. Of course, her old, broken guitar makes everything sound horrible, so all she needs is to buy the expensive, blue one in a store window. That’s why discovering her grandfather’s secret treasure is so important.
Idalee knows the treasure is hidden somewhere in her house; her granddaddy didn’t trust banks, so she needs to search every room before the radio contest ends. However, her mother has rented out every bedroom to other people to make extra money. This creates a moral problem for Idalee, as she disobeys her mama’s orders. Idalee knows she’s not supposed to enter guests’ rooms, but she enlists the help of three friends to conduct a search. Readers are left to wonder if she’ll get caught, if she’ll find anything of worth, or if her efforts will be a waste of time. Readers learn a bit more about the quirky tenants while Idalee and her friends search for treasure.
There are many minor characters, but Charlie, Howard, and Odell are Idalee’s main allies. Readers will remember Howard and Charlie from Wish, and Charlie’s sister, Jackie, is also in the cast. Odell is the most interesting character, besides Idalee, as his father is renting one of the rooms. Odell is proud of his smooth-talking ability, and he uses it many times to distract others. He becomes Idalee’s confidante and loyally offers advice, encouragement, and a trustworthy ear to keep her secrets. His outgoing, energetic personality infuses liveliness into the story.
What didn’t work as well:
The synopsis and cover imply Idalee has a dog by her side, but that’s not accurate. His name is Wishbone, he’s Charlie’s dog from Wish, and he really doesn’t have much of a role in the book. It’s surprising how Odell can influence others, especially since he’s in town for such a short time. It would be nice to see him as a more permanent character.
The final verdict:
This book shares a heartfelt plot that takes place in the slow, laid-back life of a small country town. Young readers will enjoy Idalee’s big dreams and the new friends she makes along the way. Overall, I recommend you give this book a shot.
November 24, 2025
I read this with high hopes because I liked the author, but I was disappointed. I feel as though the author didn't spend enough time on it.
The town and even many characters are the same as her previous book "Wish", but it seems unnecessary to include them. It did more to hurt the old character than to excite the reader with an appearance of familiar faces. The well thought out, flawed, and interesting characters appeared as cameos when you expected them to be a part of the story. And they were a part of the story. A big part. But they still felt like cameos.
The other thing that bothered me about the characters is that they didn't act like they did in "Wish". In particular, it didn't seem like they made any decisions that were important at all or that matched their personalities. They just served the main character's plot with no hindrance. They acted almost robotic.
The main character of this book is a friend of a kid who had bullied the main character (Charlie) from "Wish". But instead of her getting a redemption, it almost feels like Charlie got a redemption through several weird little remarks on how Charlie didn't seem as angry and mean as before. Maybe to show character growth in Charlie? Even though by reading "Wish" you would already see that character growth?
Overall, the plot was lacking, and the characters suffered few consequences for their actions. It seems that everyone's moral ideas were based on "if I don't get caught, everything I do is fine". I don't believe that this is a good idea to give young children, and it wasn't addressed in the story.
The other thing that bothered me is that I kept picking up on pseudo-foreshadowing. There would be moments in the book that primed me for an exciting new discovery---or even a shocking one---but nothing would happen. This pseudo-foreshadowing would be excellent foreshadowing if it was real. In particular, one phrase was used twice, as its own paragraph: ""*. I had thought that this would be how the author would It called my attention and got me excited. I thought it would be important, but it wasn't.
Even though I disliked this book, I would highly recommend reading "Wish", and sort of recommend reading "Dream". If you are interested in the book you should read it, and maybe you will enjoy it more than me.
*paraphrased
The town and even many characters are the same as her previous book "Wish", but it seems unnecessary to include them. It did more to hurt the old character than to excite the reader with an appearance of familiar faces. The well thought out, flawed, and interesting characters appeared as cameos when you expected them to be a part of the story. And they were a part of the story. A big part. But they still felt like cameos.
The other thing that bothered me about the characters is that they didn't act like they did in "Wish". In particular, it didn't seem like they made any decisions that were important at all or that matched their personalities. They just served the main character's plot with no hindrance. They acted almost robotic.
The main character of this book is a friend of a kid who had bullied the main character (Charlie) from "Wish". But instead of her getting a redemption, it almost feels like Charlie got a redemption through several weird little remarks on how Charlie didn't seem as angry and mean as before. Maybe to show character growth in Charlie? Even though by reading "Wish" you would already see that character growth?
Overall, the plot was lacking, and the characters suffered few consequences for their actions. It seems that everyone's moral ideas were based on "if I don't get caught, everything I do is fine". I don't believe that this is a good idea to give young children, and it wasn't addressed in the story.
The other thing that bothered me is that I kept picking up on pseudo-foreshadowing. There would be moments in the book that primed me for an exciting new discovery---or even a shocking one---but nothing would happen. This pseudo-foreshadowing would be excellent foreshadowing if it was real. In particular, one phrase was used twice, as its own paragraph: ""*. I had thought that this would be how the author would It called my attention and got me excited. I thought it would be important, but it wasn't.
Even though I disliked this book, I would highly recommend reading "Wish", and sort of recommend reading "Dream". If you are interested in the book you should read it, and maybe you will enjoy it more than me.
*paraphrased
August 8, 2025
Idalee Lovett and her mother Lovey are both musicians; Idalee plays guitar and writes songs, and Lovey is a singer with Lovey Lovett and the Junkyard Dogs. To make ends meet, they rent out rooms in their big house, and now have a number of quirky tenants. When Lovey gets the chance to go on tour with her band, she leaves Idalee in the care of the tenants, especially ancient 4th grade teacher Mrs. Randall. Idalee is disappointed not to go on the tour, and also disappointed that her mother's band never sings her songs. It's Idalee's dream to hear her songs on the radio one day. When she hears that a local radio station has a competition for songwriters, including a category in her age range, Idalee is determined to win. Problem is, her old guitar is more often out of tune than in. She wishes she could buy a new guitar so she could really write, and she actually has a plan. Her grandfather supposedly hid a treasure in the house, and with her friends Odell, Charlie, and Howard, she's going to find it. But maybe it's not what she thinks it is?
I thought I would like this more than I did, since I love quirky found family stories, music stories, treasure hunts, etc. I'm not sure why this one didn't engage me as much--maybe there were too many characters, so it was hard to get attached to them? I kept forgetting that Charlie was a girl and a former frenemy, I'm still not sure how Howard joined the group, I kept forgetting there was a dog, etc. I was never sure how to feel about the mother, who blithely left her kid behind to go off on a tour to nowhere, and never plays her kid's songs with her band, but still supports her? Something didn't ring all that true there. Were we supposed to like Lovey? Also, I couldn't figure out the era of this one. No one seemed to have computers, cell phones or internet, and they all listened to the radio (I'm not sure TV was even mentioned). I figured it must be the 1980s or earlier, but then Idalee talks about "The one and only Ivan" being one of her favorite books, and that was published in 2012. So how will modern kids relate to a book supposedly set in their times, but without the common appurtenances of their lives? In the end, I liked this, didn't love it. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
I thought I would like this more than I did, since I love quirky found family stories, music stories, treasure hunts, etc. I'm not sure why this one didn't engage me as much--maybe there were too many characters, so it was hard to get attached to them? I kept forgetting that Charlie was a girl and a former frenemy, I'm still not sure how Howard joined the group, I kept forgetting there was a dog, etc. I was never sure how to feel about the mother, who blithely left her kid behind to go off on a tour to nowhere, and never plays her kid's songs with her band, but still supports her? Something didn't ring all that true there. Were we supposed to like Lovey? Also, I couldn't figure out the era of this one. No one seemed to have computers, cell phones or internet, and they all listened to the radio (I'm not sure TV was even mentioned). I figured it must be the 1980s or earlier, but then Idalee talks about "The one and only Ivan" being one of her favorite books, and that was published in 2012. So how will modern kids relate to a book supposedly set in their times, but without the common appurtenances of their lives? In the end, I liked this, didn't love it. Thanks to Libro.FM for a free educator copy of the audiobook.
August 25, 2025
If Barbara O'Connor is writing a book with kids and dogs in it -- sign me up. This companion to the hit Wish is a delightful return to the town of Colby, North Carolina.
Idalee Lovett lives just down the mountain from Charlie and Wishbone. Her big old house is full of quirky characters who rent a room from Mama Lovett.
Why should you read this book?
🎸Idalee is determined to write the winning song in her age group and hear her song on the radio. Does she need a new guitar to write a better song?
🐶Wishbone and Charlie are back from the companion book "Wish." Charlie is still living with her relatives and is learning to regulate her anger. For Charlie "pineapple" is the safe word to help her calm down.
⛪The Lovetts are making the most of their resources. While Mama is trying to go on tour with her band The Junkyard Dogs, they rent out her room in addition to others.
😎Barbara O'Connor does such a great job of bringing the characters to life. I can see Sterling Gillis lifting that cinder block to improve his shopping cart record, for example. There is also a parrot named Roshester and an orange snake named Jake in the house. Shhh. No one is supposed to know about the snake.
🎶Idalee is inspired by the word "Dream" on her ceiling and writes a song with the same name. Here are a few lines:
Some folks dream of fame.
Some folks dream of fortune.
I dream of red dirt roads and Mama's pies,
A faithful dog sitting by my side.
Sound like a dream come true? You can read about Idalee for yourself when this book goes on sale on August 26, 2025. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC and to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Idalee Lovett lives just down the mountain from Charlie and Wishbone. Her big old house is full of quirky characters who rent a room from Mama Lovett.
Why should you read this book?
🎸Idalee is determined to write the winning song in her age group and hear her song on the radio. Does she need a new guitar to write a better song?
🐶Wishbone and Charlie are back from the companion book "Wish." Charlie is still living with her relatives and is learning to regulate her anger. For Charlie "pineapple" is the safe word to help her calm down.
⛪The Lovetts are making the most of their resources. While Mama is trying to go on tour with her band The Junkyard Dogs, they rent out her room in addition to others.
😎Barbara O'Connor does such a great job of bringing the characters to life. I can see Sterling Gillis lifting that cinder block to improve his shopping cart record, for example. There is also a parrot named Roshester and an orange snake named Jake in the house. Shhh. No one is supposed to know about the snake.
🎶Idalee is inspired by the word "Dream" on her ceiling and writes a song with the same name. Here are a few lines:
Some folks dream of fame.
Some folks dream of fortune.
I dream of red dirt roads and Mama's pies,
A faithful dog sitting by my side.
Sound like a dream come true? You can read about Idalee for yourself when this book goes on sale on August 26, 2025. Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC and to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and Edelweiss+ for a DRC in exchange for an honest review.
October 2, 2025
First sentence: The last place I wanted to be in the middle of July was the laundromat.
Premise/plot: Idalee Lovett is the song-writing heroine in Barbara O'Connor's newest children's book, Dream. Idalee Lovett loves, loves, loves writing songs and playing on her guitar. Her mom is trying her best to be a country music superstar. But she has a hard time getting gigs even at bars and such. Idalee is not giving up on her mom's dream or her own. There's a song writing contest and Idalee is determined to win it. The winner will have his/her song played on the radio performed by a country singer.
While her mom is "on tour" with her band, Idalee is left behind at her family's boarding house. She makes new friends--some that live in town, some that are from out of town. Her best friend is "stuck" in town since his dad's car [truck, van, whatever] broke down. As big as her dreams are, she finds herself stuck and out of inspiration.
My thoughts: This is a companion novel to Wish. I wish I'd reread Wish. I do. My advice to you is reread Wish first. Unless Wish is a novel that you've reread a few times already or perhaps read aloud to your class. Charlie and Howard are side characters in this one.
I liked this one. I did. I think if I'd reread Wish and been immersed in that world--that town--I would have appreciated Dream more. I think if I'd sat down and read it in one sitting I would have appreciated it more. I read it over two weeks. It was good. But I wanted it to be amazing and wonderful.
Premise/plot: Idalee Lovett is the song-writing heroine in Barbara O'Connor's newest children's book, Dream. Idalee Lovett loves, loves, loves writing songs and playing on her guitar. Her mom is trying her best to be a country music superstar. But she has a hard time getting gigs even at bars and such. Idalee is not giving up on her mom's dream or her own. There's a song writing contest and Idalee is determined to win it. The winner will have his/her song played on the radio performed by a country singer.
While her mom is "on tour" with her band, Idalee is left behind at her family's boarding house. She makes new friends--some that live in town, some that are from out of town. Her best friend is "stuck" in town since his dad's car [truck, van, whatever] broke down. As big as her dreams are, she finds herself stuck and out of inspiration.
My thoughts: This is a companion novel to Wish. I wish I'd reread Wish. I do. My advice to you is reread Wish first. Unless Wish is a novel that you've reread a few times already or perhaps read aloud to your class. Charlie and Howard are side characters in this one.
I liked this one. I did. I think if I'd reread Wish and been immersed in that world--that town--I would have appreciated Dream more. I think if I'd sat down and read it in one sitting I would have appreciated it more. I read it over two weeks. It was good. But I wanted it to be amazing and wonderful.
October 26, 2025
I have waited a long time for this book that takes place in the same town as O'Connor's book Wish from 2016. Colby, North Carolina is the backdrop for this story about Idalee Lovett who comes from a family of musicians. Idalee's Mom is an aspiring singer and rents out rooms in their home to make ends meet. The current group of residents fits together quite well and though they are all different and not all planning to stay long, the story works with each of them present. Idalee heard a story from a family member that there was hidden treasure in her house, so she gathers her friends Odell (rending a room there with his dad while their truck gets some repairs), Howard and Charlie (from Wish) and they decide to search the house. Idalee wants it to be money and that will give her a chance to buy a real guitar that stays in tune and has all of its strings. She tells her friends about a local contest for songwriting and they ask her to let them read and hear her songs. She is not confident about her songs, though they are all very encouraging for her. The story of how she will search the house, which songs she will enter, and how her mother's road trip of gigs will go is warm and wonderful. The dog in the cover art is not Idalee's dog. He is Wishbone from the Wish story and continues to follow Charlie around where she goes in town.
I cannot wait to share this one with all my students that have read Wish. This long awaited companion novel lives up to every dream I had when I finished reading Wish. It is a story that begs to be shared like a dog wishes for a forever home.
I cannot wait to share this one with all my students that have read Wish. This long awaited companion novel lives up to every dream I had when I finished reading Wish. It is a story that begs to be shared like a dog wishes for a forever home.
May 12, 2025
The following review was written by my 12-year-old daughter. We'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for the advance book!
“Dream” had a slow beginning but after you get past that it had me by the edge of my chair. (Don't fall.) And for that I would give it a 3.5 star review. It's so cool how she loves music and everyone in her family is into music whether it's writing songs, or playing an instrument. So if you like music (like me) this is your book!!! Especially if you like Country music (that is what genre of music her and her family play). It was so cool how the characters from “Wish” make several appearances, even Wishbone!! If you are a fan of “Wish” this goes well with it. “Dream” can stand alone or be read with “Wish”.
Idalee enters a song writing competition and she is clearly nervous. She thinks the songs she writes aren't that good but her friends believe in her and help her to the end. She and her friends are also trying to search the rooms in her house that have been rented out. (Which turns out to be quite difficult.) Because she has heard her great granddaddy has hidden money somewhere in the house, and she wants to buy the nice blue guitar that is at the music store. The guitar that she has can’t stay in tune no matter how hard she tries and the strings are always falling off. I loved the suspense, the mystery and everything.
I hope that you read “Dream.”
“Dream” had a slow beginning but after you get past that it had me by the edge of my chair. (Don't fall.) And for that I would give it a 3.5 star review. It's so cool how she loves music and everyone in her family is into music whether it's writing songs, or playing an instrument. So if you like music (like me) this is your book!!! Especially if you like Country music (that is what genre of music her and her family play). It was so cool how the characters from “Wish” make several appearances, even Wishbone!! If you are a fan of “Wish” this goes well with it. “Dream” can stand alone or be read with “Wish”.
Idalee enters a song writing competition and she is clearly nervous. She thinks the songs she writes aren't that good but her friends believe in her and help her to the end. She and her friends are also trying to search the rooms in her house that have been rented out. (Which turns out to be quite difficult.) Because she has heard her great granddaddy has hidden money somewhere in the house, and she wants to buy the nice blue guitar that is at the music store. The guitar that she has can’t stay in tune no matter how hard she tries and the strings are always falling off. I loved the suspense, the mystery and everything.
I hope that you read “Dream.”
Read
September 6, 2025If you are a fan of Barbara O'Connor's WISH, you will want to grab a copy of DREAM as soon as you can. This is a stand-alone book that features Idalee Lovett in her small North Carolina town.
Idalee lives in a huge old house. To make ends meet, Idalee's mother rents room for short or long
term stays. This means Idalee is always surrounded by unusual characters who enrich the lives of folks in her community. Currently, there is a man and his talking parrot, a strict teacher, a pet psychic, and a boy and his truck driver father who are waiting for parts to repair their truck.
As the story begins, Idalee's mother is leaving for a tour with her country music band. She is planning to be gone for at least a month. Idalee is staying behind under the supervision of the adult residents. School doesn't start for a few weeks, and Idalee has a plan for how to keep busy. She is going to enter a local song writing contest. The only problem is her guitar is old and broken. She would love to be able to purchase the blue guitar in a local store because she is sure that will improve her song writing skills. Her only hope is to find the hidden treasure her mother's uncle hid somewhere in one of the rooms in the house.
Will Idalee and her friends find the treasure? Will she get her blue guitar? Will she be able to write the winning song for the contest?
Idalee lives in a huge old house. To make ends meet, Idalee's mother rents room for short or long
term stays. This means Idalee is always surrounded by unusual characters who enrich the lives of folks in her community. Currently, there is a man and his talking parrot, a strict teacher, a pet psychic, and a boy and his truck driver father who are waiting for parts to repair their truck.
As the story begins, Idalee's mother is leaving for a tour with her country music band. She is planning to be gone for at least a month. Idalee is staying behind under the supervision of the adult residents. School doesn't start for a few weeks, and Idalee has a plan for how to keep busy. She is going to enter a local song writing contest. The only problem is her guitar is old and broken. She would love to be able to purchase the blue guitar in a local store because she is sure that will improve her song writing skills. Her only hope is to find the hidden treasure her mother's uncle hid somewhere in one of the rooms in the house.
Will Idalee and her friends find the treasure? Will she get her blue guitar? Will she be able to write the winning song for the contest?
August 20, 2025
First and foremost, many thanks to Sarah at @MacMillan.Audio and @NetGalley for providing me with the audiobook of Dream by Barbara O’Connor @barbaraoconnor.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dream, a heartfelt follow-up to O’Connor’s, Wish. Both books beautifully explore themes of friendship, found families, and self-discovery. Idalee, the central character, is wonderfully relatable—brimming with talent but struggling with self-confidence in her songwriting. She believes that a brand-new blue guitar might be the key to unlocking her potential. Meanwhile, familiar faces Charlie and Howard and Wishbone (from Wish) return to support and encourage her, including nudging her to enter a radio contest with her songs.
What I especially appreciated about Dream:
❤️The continuation of genuine friendships and kindness established in the first book.
❤️The children’s collaborative yet challenging project that leads to the Master Plan.
❤️The presence of supportive adults who foster growth and encouragement.
❤️A warm and authentic depiction of a found family built on love and understanding.
If you enjoy stories centered around found families, resilience, and kindness, Dream is a wonderful ❤️❤️❤️❤️ read that will stay with you.
I thoroughly enjoyed Dream, a heartfelt follow-up to O’Connor’s, Wish. Both books beautifully explore themes of friendship, found families, and self-discovery. Idalee, the central character, is wonderfully relatable—brimming with talent but struggling with self-confidence in her songwriting. She believes that a brand-new blue guitar might be the key to unlocking her potential. Meanwhile, familiar faces Charlie and Howard and Wishbone (from Wish) return to support and encourage her, including nudging her to enter a radio contest with her songs.
What I especially appreciated about Dream:
❤️The continuation of genuine friendships and kindness established in the first book.
❤️The children’s collaborative yet challenging project that leads to the Master Plan.
❤️The presence of supportive adults who foster growth and encouragement.
❤️A warm and authentic depiction of a found family built on love and understanding.
If you enjoy stories centered around found families, resilience, and kindness, Dream is a wonderful ❤️❤️❤️❤️ read that will stay with you.
May 4, 2025
“The glory of the protagonist is always paid for by a lot of secondary characters”.
And, this book, had quite a number of secondary characters. So many that the little subplots detracted the main plot. Understandably Idalee's relationship with her mom and her ancestors are fundamental to the story.
The side characters of Odell and Mrs. Randall also make sense given the presence of former is necessary for the treasure hunt and the latter for the adult presence given her mother essentially absconding. The others though? Charlie, Jackie and the other adults roles were more perfunctory and unnecessary attention spent on them. Moreover, though that the cover was misleading as thought Wishbone played more integral role. He didn't. So of the children's books I've read recently on NetGalley, this just fell short of expectations.
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
And, this book, had quite a number of secondary characters. So many that the little subplots detracted the main plot. Understandably Idalee's relationship with her mom and her ancestors are fundamental to the story.
The side characters of Odell and Mrs. Randall also make sense given the presence of former is necessary for the treasure hunt and the latter for the adult presence given her mother essentially absconding. The others though? Charlie, Jackie and the other adults roles were more perfunctory and unnecessary attention spent on them. Moreover, though that the cover was misleading as thought Wishbone played more integral role. He didn't. So of the children's books I've read recently on NetGalley, this just fell short of expectations.
This ARC was provided by the publisher, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
July 23, 2025
I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
O'Connor gives us another tenderhearted story of a young girl longing for a dream. Idalee Lovett writes country songs and longs to be part of her mother's band. They aren't interested in playing her songs but she continues to hope. Her house is home to a unique group of people who don't "upset the equilibrium" and live in community. Each rents a room from her mom and they support each other in many ways. Idalee also has a group of friends that encourage each other and get in trouble with each other. She decides to enter a song writing contest where the prize is having the song performed by a country music star. Her song has the same title as the book but readers know that the dreams are much bigger than the song. O'Connor hooks her readers early and makes them feel they are part of the group. They join in the fun and adventures and will relate to wanting to belong and be noticed and accepted. A definite must for elementary libraries.
O'Connor gives us another tenderhearted story of a young girl longing for a dream. Idalee Lovett writes country songs and longs to be part of her mother's band. They aren't interested in playing her songs but she continues to hope. Her house is home to a unique group of people who don't "upset the equilibrium" and live in community. Each rents a room from her mom and they support each other in many ways. Idalee also has a group of friends that encourage each other and get in trouble with each other. She decides to enter a song writing contest where the prize is having the song performed by a country music star. Her song has the same title as the book but readers know that the dreams are much bigger than the song. O'Connor hooks her readers early and makes them feel they are part of the group. They join in the fun and adventures and will relate to wanting to belong and be noticed and accepted. A definite must for elementary libraries.
September 21, 2025
This cozy story is set in small town Colby, North Carolina, and primarily in Ida Lee’s huge house, which her mama has turned into a boarding house. Her home is filled with an eclectic group of boarders who look out for one another and especially for eleven year old Ida Lee. Ida Lee, who comes from a long line of country singers, spends her days writing country songs and dreaming that one day one of her songs will be sung on the radio. When a local radio station announces a country song writing contest, Ida Lee is determined to win.
I just finished listening to DREAM and it was as heart warming as I hoped. WISH has been a favorite of mine for years and I have been eagerly waiting for DREAM. This is very much a stand alone book, but if you have read WISH you’ll be happy to greet some of the charming characters from that story, as well as meet some new ones you’ll find yourself thinking about for a long time. The friendship, the kindness, the support and the optimism in Ida Lee’s story are exactly what we all need right now.
April 15, 2025
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Idalee's mother wants to be a country singer, but in the meantime is renting rooms out in her old and somewhat run down family home to a variety of quirky individuals. When she gets the opportunity to travel and perform, she rents out her room to the star struck Jackie and leaves the house under the capable care of Mrs. Randall, a teacher at Idalee's school. Idalee wants to win a song writing contest, and really wants a new guitar.
This would be a good choice for readers who liked guitar centered books like Ormsbee's 2023 Candidly Cline, Zarr's 2022 A Song Called Home, Sumner's 2021 Tune It Out, Larson's 2018 All Summer Long, or Kelly's 2016 Blackbird Fly.
This is a nice, short book that might do better in elementary libraries. Everyone seems to love O'Connor's work, but it's a bit too quirky and Southern for me. Not seeing how this relates to Wish (2016), but it's been a long time.
Idalee's mother wants to be a country singer, but in the meantime is renting rooms out in her old and somewhat run down family home to a variety of quirky individuals. When she gets the opportunity to travel and perform, she rents out her room to the star struck Jackie and leaves the house under the capable care of Mrs. Randall, a teacher at Idalee's school. Idalee wants to win a song writing contest, and really wants a new guitar.
This would be a good choice for readers who liked guitar centered books like Ormsbee's 2023 Candidly Cline, Zarr's 2022 A Song Called Home, Sumner's 2021 Tune It Out, Larson's 2018 All Summer Long, or Kelly's 2016 Blackbird Fly.
This is a nice, short book that might do better in elementary libraries. Everyone seems to love O'Connor's work, but it's a bit too quirky and Southern for me. Not seeing how this relates to Wish (2016), but it's been a long time.
June 20, 2025
Dream by Barbara O'Connor is a heartfelt and engaging story that highlights the power of friendship, perseverance, and teamwork. Idalee and her friends are relatable characters that children can easily connect with. Their journey to uncover a long-lost treasure is filled with moments of courage, cooperation, and resilience.
I especially appreciated how the story emphasized the importance of sticking together and supporting one another through challenges. Idalee and her friends modeled what true friendship should look like, making this book not only entertaining but also meaningful.
This would make a wonderful read-aloud in the classroom, sparking rich discussions about character, problem-solving, and the value of working toward a common goal.
I will be purchasing this book to add to the library for my students to read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the ARC.
I especially appreciated how the story emphasized the importance of sticking together and supporting one another through challenges. Idalee and her friends modeled what true friendship should look like, making this book not only entertaining but also meaningful.
This would make a wonderful read-aloud in the classroom, sparking rich discussions about character, problem-solving, and the value of working toward a common goal.
I will be purchasing this book to add to the library for my students to read.
Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR) for the ARC.
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