Dream - by Barbara O'Connor (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection

"A tender story of the strength of friendship and the power of a dream, this page-turner captures the heart." --School Library Journal

"O'Connor's affection for small towns, slightly eccentric people, and low-key humor shines through, her surehanded narrative and appealing characters reliably engaging, as always . . . Warm-hearted and wonderfully likable." --Kirkus

"Idalee narrates the story with a distinctive voice . . . The Southern, small-town atmosphere feels plucked out of time, and readers will find themselves transported to Idalee's big house, getting to know the people staying in it and joining her friends on the adventure of finding the treasure." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Readers who enjoyed Charlie's story in Barbara O'Connor's Wish will enjoy this return to her small town in North Carolina, narrated by Charlie's classmate Idalee . . . [Dream's] strongest asset is O'Connor's ability to let Idalee tell her story in her own, distinctive voice, while creating secondary characters who are interesting and equally true to life." --Booklist

"In a leisurely narrative that reflects the small-town atmosphere of Colby, O'Connor gives readers much to ponder." --Horn Book

About the Author