Parents' Guide to

Dreamer, Wisher, Liar

By Mary Eisenhart, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 8+

Fun, heartfelt summer tale of time-traveling tween.

Book Charise Mericle Harper Fantasy 2014
Dreamer, Wisher, Liar Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

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age 9+

Based on 1 parent review

NYCmomoftwogirls
NYCmomoftwogirls Parent of 6 and 9-year-old
March 11, 2018
age 9+

Funny and Heartwarming, by author of Just Grace books

My nine-year-old and I liked this book a lot. Last year, she read nearly all of the “Just Grace” books by the same author. Dreamer, Wisher, Liar was also a level she could have read alone (she reads at “S” or so in school), but I’ve been looking for some high-quality chapter books that I would also enjoy to read to her at night for some bonding time and this was it. I love that she laughed out loud at many parts, but it also had some more serious (but age-appropriate) topics of dicussson.

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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?

Our review:
Parents say (1):
Kids say (1):

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

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