Dreamer, Wisher, Liar
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The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What parents need to know
Parents need to know that Dreamer, Wisher, Liar is a sweet summer tale for tween girls that promotes kindness, friendship, and family. The kid characters don't always make wise choices or do the right thing. Present-day narrator Ashley disobeys her mom, sneaking into the forbidden basement for time-travel adventures, and joins her friends in unauthorized use of a neighbor's trampoline. While, in the past, girls Ashley's age go dumpster diving and play practical jokes on their neighbors. Seven-year-old Claire's mom has died after leaving her family. But as Ashley simultaneously copes with her own issues, Claire's needs, and the fragmentary story she's seeing in her time travels, she gets plenty of support from her caring parents, as well as new and old friends of all ages. Bonus: From Pretend Hawaii to swimming lessons, thrift store forays, and volunteer projects, the girls' activities offer plenty of ideas for keeping kids from getting bored this summer.
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- Parents say
- Kids say
Funny and Heartwarming, by author of Just Grace books
BOO
What's the story?
Twelve-year-old Ashley has a hidden disability -- face blindness, which makes her unable to recognize people. She's gotten along all right, though, because her BFF Lucy helps her navigate social situations. But as summer begins, there's trouble ahead: Lucy's family is moving to the other side of the country, and instead of spending the summer with Lucy at camp, Ashley's stuck at home taking care of relentlessly cheery Claire, a 7-year-old whose late mom was a friend of Ashley's mother. Also, she's accidentally discovered a mysterious jar filled with scraps of paper, each of which propels her to the past and the adventures of two girls her own age.
Is it any good?
Middle-grade girls will find it easy to relate to Ashley and the situations she finds herself in. Along with social awkwardness, summer plans gone haywire, being stuck with entertaining a younger kid, maybe losing a friend, and maybe making new ones, there's also coping with your favorite author taking stories in a whole new direction. And, of course, time travel and the ability to see life in the past up close and personal.
Kids with a lot of reading under their belt will probably solve the mystery of what connects the girls from the past with Ashley's life long before the big reveal. But they'll probably have so much fun following the irrepressible Claire as she turns Ashley's life upside down that they won't mind -- especially since they'll probably get quite a few ideas for their own fun activities.
Talk to your kids about ...
Families can talk about why time-travel stories are popular. How do Ashley's adventures compare with other time-travel stories you've read or seen in movies?
If you could travel back in time and witness the life of one of your ancestors, whom would you pick? Why?
How would you feel if your best friend moved far away? Do you think this kind of separation was harder before we had the Internet?
Book details
- Author: Charise Mericle Harper
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Friendship, Misfits and Underdogs
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Balzer + Bray
- Publication date: April 15, 2014
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 8 - 12
- Number of pages: 352
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: November 11, 2020
Our editors recommend
For kids who love stories about intrepid girls
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