Powered by the elements earth, air, fire, and water, and secret messages from mystical dreamcatchers, four girls join forces on a quest to recover the stolen piece of the sacred Crystal Horseshoe. Snatched by a giant raven during a raging storm, this ancient talisman holds the Codes of Nature and is the very key to its survival. Maia from the North has been called by Sophia, Guardian of Mother Earth, to find and lead the Crystal Warriors on this daring path into the unknown. Faclon, Ava, and Yue complete the circle of four, and together bravely face what lies ahead. But time is running out. The bees are dying. The oceans are filled with plastic. Humanity has lost its way. And the girls' search is threatened by shapeshifters in the sky who want the crystal destroyed. Will this fierce cowgirl sisterhood, with mythical horses by their side, overcome the destructive forces of greed and heal Mother Earth? Guided by the ancestors, wisdom from river and rock, symbols and stones, and the plant and animal kingdoms, each girl must rely on her own courageous spirit in order to protect the future of the planet she loves.
Wow! The Dreamcatcher Codes by Barbara Newman is a wonderful story! This fantasy adventure book was one that I couldn’t put down. The plot was excellent, but it was the underlying message that really hit home. Highly recommend!!
This book was gifted for review through the Multicultural Children's Book Day event on January 28, 2022. This non-profit children's literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators. MCBD's mission to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids' books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues. #ReadYourWorld
FOUR GIRLS. FOUR DIRECTIONS. ONE PURPOSE. 𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗁 𝗂𝗌 𝗀𝖺𝗌𝗉𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖿𝗈𝗋 𝖻𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝗁; 𝗂𝗍𝗌 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗁𝗈𝗉𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝖺𝖼𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖢𝗈𝖽𝖾𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖭𝖺𝗍𝗎𝗋𝖾. 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗒'𝗏𝖾 𝖻𝖾𝖾𝗇 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗅𝖾𝗇 𝖻𝗒 𝖺 𝗀𝗂𝖺𝗇𝗍 𝗋𝖺𝗏𝖾𝗇 𝖽𝗎𝗋𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝖺 𝗋𝖺𝗀𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗌𝗍𝗈𝗋𝗆. 𝖯𝗈𝗐𝖾𝗋𝖾𝖽 𝖻𝗒 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖾𝗅𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝖾𝖺𝗋𝗍𝗁, 𝖺𝗂𝗋, 𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝗐𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗋, Maia, Falcon, Ava, and Yue have been summoned to find the Codes and save the planet. 𝖡𝗎𝗍 𝗍𝗂𝗆𝖾 𝗂𝗌 𝗋𝗎𝗇𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗎𝗍 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺 𝖽𝖺𝗋𝗄 𝖾𝗇𝖾𝗋𝗀𝗒 𝗅𝗎𝗋𝗄𝗌 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗌𝗁𝖺𝖽𝗈𝗐𝗌, 𝗍𝗁𝗋𝖾𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗇𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗂𝗋 𝗌𝖾𝖺𝗋𝖼𝗁. Will this fierce sisterhood find the courage to succeed or is our is mother earth doomed? You guys... This book was beautiful. It's billed as a YA fantasy. But if fantasy isn't your thing, PLEASE don't let this deter you, it's not mine either, and I LOVED this book! From the first page, you are taken by the spirit of unity and hope. I finished it in a day, bringing an end to my two-month reading slump. Add this book to your TBR now if taking a stand against climate change and empowering girls to claim their voices and their rightful places in the world is near and dear to your heart. FIND IT IN OUR LITTLE FREE LIBRARY TODAY! Thanks @katerockbooktours @coconewms for gifted copy!
I couldn’t put this book down! Our planet NEEDS to get this into the hands of every young reader ASAP.!!! In "The Dreamcatcher Codes,' Barbara Newman's luscious words invite us, implore us, to look upon our beloved Mama Earth as astronaut Alan Shepard did from his first steps on the Moon - with awe and majesty. To fall so in love with our planet, home to our whole human race, that we would never host another thought or action that dishonors or harms her peace, her vitality, her abundant beauty and resources. The Dreamcatcher Codes is sure to imprint readers young and old with renewed wonder and respect for our sacred, natural world. Like a tuning fork, Newman's fantasy novel will resonate and activate your own inner guardian of Gaia. What a gift of inspiration to give our younger generations as they prepare to step forth into the world. - Deb Chamberlin, Singer-Songwriter, Creator of The Awakened Artist: Courses, Coaching, Community
I liked this book. The concept for the story is unique but at the same time infuses an important lesson about Mother Nature and carrying for her. As the environment is changing with global warming; it is very important that we care for the planet while we are living.
The girls Maia, Faclon, Ava, and Yue represent the four elements... water, earth, fire, and air. There is a spiritual vibe to the tone of the story that is nice. It does play nicely into the story.
While, I did like this book; I did find a disconnect with story and the girls. For some reason, I struggled to make a strong emotional connection with the girls. Thus in turn I was reading the words on the pages but they were not resonating with me all the time.
This is the type of book that young readers could read. It is age appropriate.
The Dreamcatcher Codes by Barbara Newman was a wonderful book. Four teenage women who represent the different directions, the parts of the country where they are from (North (Maia), South, (Ava) East, (Falcon) and West (Yue) and the 4 main elements of Earth (Maia), Fire (Ava), Wind (Falcon) and Water (Yue). They are on a mission to rescue an important piece of crystal, part of a horseshoe that contains powerful messages and codes needed for them, the guardians to help protect the Earth. Without them, they and everyone else is in trouble. The Earth is suffering due to the damage inflicted on it and the teens are brought together to find the crystal that will help them in this mission.
The blend of fantasy and adventure and the focus of important issues such as climate change, and young women (teens) empowering themselves makes it an inviting book for young adults, but also equally so for adults. I was impressed by the research and learned so much. I highly recommend this book.
With a 14-year-old granddaughter I have reacquainted myself recently with YA novels and other genres she might be interested in and I have to say “The Dream Catcher Codes” by Barbara Newman joins a few at the top of my list of recommendations.
Along with the importance of its message related to environmental stewardship, “The Dreamcatcher Codes” conveys so much more! Readers see that the empowerment of young women—especially when parents and mentors assist them in identifying and developing their individual strengths—and teamwork among diverse team members is essential where confronting global issues such as the environment are concerned.
These messages are gifted to us wrapped in luscious landscapes, dialogue, and character development. Any reader of any age will get lost, then find themselves in the pages of this book.
I highly recommend this book. I read it as though I were a young girl again, staying up way past my bedtime.
Under the watchful tutelage of the Goddess-like Sophia Rose, Maia has been called forth to assist Sophia Rose by taking up the helm as one of four Earth warriors. In a timely contemporary novel, Newman calls out our misuse of Earth’s resources causing pollution and the destruction of earth, sea, and air. A call of action is needed and Newman sets the responsibility to our youth through her multicultural characters that invoke the good and best of us all. Through determination and the “Cowgirl spirit,” our heroines learn to collaborate, ride magical winged horses, and battle pollution fueled cloud monsters that are out to stop them. A book to inspire your young eco-warrior! 🔥
4 girls who all have the exact same tone of voice and are the most unrealistic caricatures I've ever seen. Yes, caricatures not characters because these girls don't have enough personality or uniqueness to even be considered characters. Also, as a gen z cusp kid, all of these girls are supposed to be my generation. But I truly struggle to believe that there could be several girls with posters of Greta Thunberg on their walls. I'm sorry, but that's just insane to me. These caricatures seem so incredibly unrealistic. Their entire lives revolve around the climate and saving the environment. They don't have hobbies, struggles, flaws, friendships, crushes, problems, or literally anything in their lives that doesn't revolve around being an activist (okay one of them is mildly insecure about not having had her period yet. That's it). There's nothing about these teenagers that makes them teenagers.
There was absolutely zero tension in this story because the author overexplained everything. There were no mysteries, no tense moments, absolutely nothing. Climate and environmental problems were namedropped multiple times every single chapter, but the author never went into the complexities of those problems. She boiled everything down to 'greedy people ruined the world, and if they just realized that they were bad, everything would change and everything would be fine'. I'm sorry but that's just incredibly naïve and isn't really a solution either. Many people don't believe in climate change. Many people do believe in climate changed but are forced to take part in a harmful system because they aren't rich or privileged enough to look for alternatives. And many people are dependent on the companies and products that ruin the environment. This is not a singular issue that can be fixed by talking to some mythical greedy people. This problem is systematical and to say otherwise is to deny reality.
And those are just some of my complaints without diving into the pretentious ass story. If you can even call it a story. I'm also kind of uncomfortable with a white author writing a Native American girl and a biracial Jewish girl despite being none (?) of those things herself. I picked up this book during Native American Month 2022. Because of the title I assumed it would be about Native Americans, and probably written by a Native author. It is neither. My fucking bad.
This is a 1 on GR because I can't go any lower, but a 0,5 on StoryGraph. Why not a 0? Well, that 0,5 is because the narrator did a decent job on the audiobook (besides the parts where she did a fake Aussie accent because those made me want to end it all)
Sophia Rose, an indigenous healer and guardian of mother earth is caught unaware by a dangerous force. The crystal horseshoe she uses to protect the earth is broken, and one piece is carried away. She summons four girls, each representing a different element—earth, wind, fire and water--to find the missing crystal.
This is the beginning of a wondrous book that is part adventure story, part luminous fable. Maia, representing the earth, is an indigenous girl from South Dakota, and the main protagonist of the book, but each of the girls, Maia (earth), Falcon (wind), Yue (water) and Ava (fire) are fully realized and interact together as normal girls who are molded by circumstance into heroes. Through many adventures in this beautifully plotted story, the girls learn how to become an earth warrior team, and by facing their own fears and limitations, to grow stronger until they are ready to face down the forces destroying the planet.
This is a beautiful fantasy for our times. As I read it, I was reminded of my favorite book when I was 12, "A Wrinkle in Time." Dreamcatcher Codes has the same strong mix of adventure and cautionary fable. The girls are as fierce and memorable for a new generation as Meg Murry was for me. I read this book, and I was 12 again. Each generation faces crises not of their making that they must nonetheless solve. Special books appear that are guideposts in dark times. Like "A Wrinkle in Time," this is one such book. Share it with any girl, or boy, who matters to you.
Wow! What an interesting read! You can feel the author's love for the Earth in this love letter to nature. What a powerful way to ignite the drive in others to do better for this beautiful planet that does so much for us and yet we do so little in return!
Sophia Rose, the guardian of Mother Earth, has brought together four girls Maia, Falcon, Ava, and Yue to go on a quest to find the codes and save the planet. These girls are special as they come from all four corners and are all powered by a different element: earth, air, fire, and water. These powers along with other mystical and magical forces take these girls on a journey they will never forget as they fight to save the Earth while finding themselves and their role in this world.
This book has such a powerful message! One about coming together and doing better for this planet we call home and I am here for it. One thing that I really appreciated about this book was the vast diversity of characters! And you can tell this book is very well researched. You can feel the love left on these pages!
This was ok. First off, that title reeled me in and the cover is amazing. The title is actually related to the book. It focuses on Maia, Falcon, Yue and Ava who are powered by the four elements and have received messages from dream catchers. They are trying to find a stolen piece of the crystal horseshoe. The concept is unique and has an important lesson about caring for the environment. This really isn't a book I would read. However, The different POVs were very jarring and the end of each one was an abrupt end. I did struggle through some parts of this book and it is definitely not a book where you don't have to focus too much. I found myself having to focus a lot and even then still getting confused. I struggled to be emotionally invested and connected with these girls as well as the story. I had felt connected to the story at the start but it fell through. It was hard to tell which girl was telling the POV and I didn't really care since they felt two dimensional and unreal. I did however like how native American culture was touched upon as well as the environment.
It was interesting for me to read such a book, as I don't normally read environmental fantasy novels. I find the girls in the book to be relatable in ways. My favorite thing about them is their background. Particularly Maia. My favorite thing about Native American cultures is learning about their spirituality. I appreciate their concern for the Earth. It imparts an important lesson about the care that Mother Nature deserves. There are four girls, Maia, Faclon, Ava, and Yue, representing the four elements... Water, earth, fire, and air are the four elements. As I imagined myself in Sofia's position, I could easily imagine Falcon, Ava, and Yue with me! It was an enjoyable reading experience. I do recommend this one if environmental fantasy is your genre you like.
I receive this for honest review. Thank you so much!
This is my first time reading from this author and it was a wonderful amazing read. What a great read. This novel had everything in it. This had me all over the place. My heart beating so fast! I couldn't believe what I was reading. If had me in shock. Every page was a page turner. I couldn't believe my eyes what I was reading. I highly recommend everybody get this book and read it. It will surprise you in every way. 4.5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
The storyline was very good! The theme and setting was well put together. The characters was well put together in the story. Was so well put in the story. Everything all in one book. It was just perfect!
Do you enjoy nature?🌎 Alyssa and I try to get outside often during the summer in the PNW, but once autumn starts, it rains for about 9 months. The Dreamcatcher Codes is a beautifully written story about 4 girls chosen to save Mother Earth.🔥 The girls represent the four elements wind, earth, fire and water.🌬 They are in a race against time, and I loved the sisterhood these girls formed and the adventure they went on together. If you enjoy nature, you’re gonna love this one!🌊 I am so thankful to @katerockbooktours for this gifted copy and the opportunity to read this! You can purchase this on our Amazon Storefront, link in bio!🧜🏼♀️🌺
The Dream Catcher Codes by Barbara Newman is a great book. I thought this book was very unique and well written. I liked that the author made the girls representative of the powers of nature. Then, there’s the problems that they have to solve. Nature can heal itself, but we as humans also represent nature’s forces. It’s up to us to use our natural strengths for good to come together and take care of the planet and each other. If we don’t then the planet will be destroyed and humans will no longer be able to inhabit Earth.
This young adult book chronicles the quest of four young women to do good and save the planet. Packed with objects and symbols that girls will love, it transported me to that place where we believe we have power and can create good and ethical environments. Barbara Newman’s writing style is epic, traveling distances and time with alacrity on the page. I sometimes needed to stop and catch my breath in between episodes. At other times, her precise representation of adolescent concerns and fearless address of issues like menstruation and the different schedules of development of individuals is touchingly honest. A book I would have wished for as a child.
It is a story of connection between very different people, plants and creatures, traditions and ancestral history. It is a story that will inspire girls to dig deep within and ponder what empowers them. Newman makes a call to action for our planet that is far more persuasive because of its positive and hopeful nature. Her approach makes THE DREAMCATCHER CODES a must-read not only for young people but for adults as well.
An inspiring and impactful story about young adults who are tasked with saving Mother Earth. The way that Barbara Newman weaves important messages to save the Earth along with a story full of adventure and coming together with others was compelling. I was swept away in the imagery and the stories of each girl. This book is such an important story especially in thinking about our actions on the future of the Earth.
Thank you to Barbara Newman and Kate Rock Book Tours for an advanced copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own!
This is an original YA novel where four girls - Maia, Faclon, Ava, and Yue – are summoned to complete a quest. Each young woman represents one of the four elements, and they come from different physical locations and cultures, which makes for diverse representation. The book puts forth a strong message of both resilience and empowerment, and imbues readers with a sense of responsibility towards the earth. It is a solid book with a strong message, which will appeal to both young adult and adult readers.
What an amazing journey to read! Newman's story enlightens the reader that even though we might appear to be vastly different, we truly are more connected than we realize. Four girls with four very different backgrounds come together in hopes of saving Mother Earth. This beautiful story tells the tale of Maia, Ava, Falcon, and Yue, and their journey on retrieving a powerful piece of a crystal. This novel really hit home with its connection to Montana. As a Montana born girl, I greatly appreciated the vivid descriptions Newman used in showcasing the beauty of my state. Newman's writing and story is just as beautiful as the world we CAN live in--if we chose to pay attention. The Dreamcatcher Codes is a novel for all to enjoy and appreciate the beauty we call Mother Earth.
This is a beautifully written book that would serve well as a major motion picture. The very visual way the writing helped me to experience this meaningful adventure spoke directly to my Adventurous and Caring Inner Child; I, too, was looking for and interpreting signs and symbols, flying on horseback, and fully engaged in searching for the missing crystal to keep it from the claws of Black Raven. I learned a lot about environmental responsibility and the significance of responsible stewardship throughout this journey. Loved this book.
I really liked this book. The cover is absolutely gorgeous! I have a fresh new look on our beloved Mother Earth. It is a fantasy book and it is so cool how it has a message as well. I hope that many of our young readers will pick this book up and love it and see our beautiful planet in new eyes as well. It was a pretty quick read. It was easy to imagine myself right there with Sophia, Falcon, Ava and Yue! It was a fun reading adventure.
My twin granddaughters are with me as we read this magical story that is a testament to our fragile world and how we can join together to save it. Even though we are decades apart in age, we are one in this moment as we root for the girls together. There aren’t many books that can capture a 77 yr old and two 12-yr olds with such an adventure. If you have a granddaughter, “The Dreamcatcher Codes” is a chance to connect.
The Dreamcatcher Codes features four young women, each powered by one of the four elements. They embark upon a quest to collect pieces of a crystal horseshoe after receiving messages through dreamcatchers. This is a book with strong themes of friendship, sisterhood, and our role as active caretakers towards the earth. It is artfully written and is a welcome addition to the Young Adult genre.
A timely & wonderful tribute to our Earth, Barbara Newman’s debut novel is a call to all to do what we can to save it. I hope this fantasy book will be embraced, especially by young adults to get behind doing what can be done for Mother Earth, so they have one that will live on for generations.
This book is an environmental fantasy which is not something I read a lot of. But I love the girls in here. I love the background that they come from. Especially Maia. I love learning about the spiritualness from the Native American cultures. I love that they want to take care of the Earth.
I struggled with this book. I love the idea and the premise. I was excited for a YA novel, but I found it confusing. There were times I had no clue what was happening. I loved other indigenous stories but unfortunately, this one did not connect for me.
The earth isn’t ours to keep and the author does a beautiful job describing Mother Earth and all her elements. She touches on the environment in a spiritual fantasy like way that leaves you turning each page eager to read more.
Barbara''s debut book is a YA fantasy that reminds us that we need to take of Mother Earth. The girls Maia, Falcon, Ava and Yue represent the four elements water, earth, fire and air. These girls show sisterhood, purpose in life, and finding your own voice to stand up for what they believe in.
A beautiful story of four girls determined to make their difference in the world and save it from the forces of pollution and destruction! The story weaving is incredible and the characters connection to Mother Earth is inspiring.