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The Dream Bearer

(2003, Fiction - Family Life, Written by Walter Myers)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 9, age appropriate for kids over 10; suggested age 10.

  • Is it any good?

    4.0

  • Common Sense says

    Compelling novel of boy's 12th summer in Harlem.

Why We Rated This on for Ages 10 and Up

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    David's brother, Tyrone, is on the path to drugs and gangs.

  • Violence:

    Reuben strikes his son. A lynching in the past is described. Reuben's unpredictable and sometimes violent behavior might be unnerving for some children.

  • Sex:

    David's parents wonder if the old man has touched him inappropriately.

  • Language:

    Not an issue.

  • Consumerism:

    Not an issue.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    Drugs and drinking are mentioned. It's implied that Tyrone is using and/or dealing drugs.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About The Dream Bearer

Parents need to know that the author raises more questions than he answer in this quiet novel about a boy trying to deal with an increasingly messy home life.

Did this review help you decide?

Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about what's wrong with Reuben, what's happening to Tyrone, why Mr. Moses lives the way he does, and many other issues.
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Most Recent Reviews

  1. Teen Reviewer Age 13
    JoyneciaB
    Lives in North Carolina
    I rate this title on for age 10 and give it 2.0

    That Book of Mine

    idk

    This review...

    Helped me decide | Had useful details | Read my mind
    Flag as inappropriate

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