The Dreamer

This book is about a young boy called Neftali. He has a strict father who pushes his own dreams on his children. Neftali loves to write poems but he was scared that his father would find out. He starts to write poems but in secret. He even changed his name so that his father wouldn’t find out. Neftali finds beauty and wonder in everything and everyone. Naftali loves to collect treasures, daydream, write and read but his barbaric father thinks that reading and writing are for fools. Neftali overcomes his fear of his father’s cruelty and his own shyness to become one of the most widely read poets in the world, Pablo Neruda. Neftali is probably the kindest and sweetest person but his uncouth father does not allow him to do anything that he likes. My favourite part is when Neftali ventured out to follow his dreams even though his father forbids to do so. My least favourite part was when his father criticised him for writing poems which made me feel disheartened and sad. I think that Neftali’s father was still sad about his wife’s death so he sowed it on his children, I know this because his wife also loved writing and reading. This book is perfect for 8 years and above. If you liked this book then make sure to try Ezperanza rising by the same author which is also a moving tale that is suitable for class discussions. *This is a fictionalized biography of the Nobel Prize-winning Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

The book tells people that they should be kind to themselves.

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