|
Basic InformationMore InformationLatest NewsAHA News: Protecting Children's Mental Health as They Head Back to SchoolParents' Pot Smoking Means More Colds, Flu for KidsTroubling Rise Seen in Both COVID, RSV Cases Among ChildrenPfizer, Moderna to Expand Vaccine Studies in Young ChildrenCan COVID Transmit Easily on Crowded School Buses?Kids Still Dying From Accidental Exposure to Fentanyl Pain PatchesWhen Are Head Injury Risks Highest for Young Soccer Players?Simple Step Gets More School Kids Eating Their VeggiesSurvey Finds U.S. Parents Split on COVID Vaccination for Kids Under 12Most Parents Clueless About Overuse Dangers to Young PitchersEven Young Children Can Have Breathing Issues During Sleep1.5 Million Kids Worldwide Lost Parent or Other Caregiver to COVID-19Severe COVID in Kids: Rare, but Brain Issues Can ResultPrescriptions for U.S. Kids Declined During PandemicHow Your Kid's Education Could Make You HealthierPediatricians' Group: All School Kids, Staff Should Continue to Wear MasksAny COVID Infection Leaves Strong Antibody Levels in KidsMake Summer Camp Safe for Your Child With Asthma, AllergiesDrowning Deaths for U.S. Kids Have Fallen 38% Since 1999Heart Troubles Ease Over Time in Kids With MIS-CHalf of U.S. Teens Plan to Get COVID Shot, But Can Numbers Go Higher?Parent's Words Key to Young Kids' Fears Around VaccinationSummer Drowning Deaths Can Happen Quickly: Know the FactsWhy Handwriting Still Beats Typing, Videos at Helping Folks LearnVaccinated Teachers, Students Can Skip Masks This Fall: CDCIs Your Kid a Fast or Slow Eater? Personality Might TellLockdown Weight Gain May Have Caused Surge in New Diabetes Cases in KidsWhy Do So Many Kids Never Get Swimming Lessons?Screen All Kids for Heart Problems, Pediatricians' Group SaysFast-Food Companies Spending More on Ads Aimed at YouthTreating Teachers' Depression Could Boost Young Students' Grades: StudyDirty Air in Pregnancy Might Raise Baby's Obesity RiskChild Drownings in U.S. Pools, Spas Are on the RiseAHA News: As the Pandemic Wanes, Get Kids on the Road to Good Health This SummerAllergy Treatment Crucial If Your Child Has AsthmaScientists Discover Rare Form of ALS That Can Strike KidsDebunking Myths That Have Some Parents Resisting COVID Vaccines for TeensBedtime With a Pet Won't Harm Your Kid's Sleep - and Might HelpMost Cases of MIS-C in Kids With COVID Resolve After 6 MonthsFetal Exposure to Ultra-Fine Air Pollution Could Raise Asthma RisksAHA News: Kids With Sleep Apnea Into Teen Years Could Develop High Blood PressureIs Your Child at Risk for Asthma?Number of U.S. Kids Hospitalized With COVID Is Likely Overcounted: StudyClues to Rare Disorder Affecting Kids With COVID-19Pandemic Caused Rise in Telemedicine Visits for Kids, But Will the Trend Continue?What Works Best to Ease Recurrent Ear Infections in Kids?Rural U.S. Schools Are Bringing Back In-Person Learning Faster Than Urban SchoolsIn Girls as Young as 7, Weight May Predict Odds for Eating DisorderRoad to Healthy Middle-Aged Brain May Begin in ChildhoodHow Summer Camps Can Shield Your Kids from Allergies, Asthma & COVID Questions and AnswersVideosLinksBook Reviews100 Things Guys Need to Know3 NBS of Julian DrewA Guide to Asperger SyndromeA Tribe ApartA User Guide to the GF/CF Diet for Autism, Asperger Syndrome and AD/HDA Walk in the Rain With a BrainAdolescence and Body ImageAdolescent DepressionAfterAggression and Antisocial Behavior in Children and AdolescentsAll Alone in the UniverseAmelia RulesAmericaAnother PlanetAntisocial Behavior in Children and AdolescentsArtemis FowlAssessment and Treatment of Childhood Problems, Second EditionAutistic Spectrum DisordersBad GirlBetween Two WorldsBeyond AppearanceBeyond Diversity DayBig Mouth & Ugly GirlBill HensonBipolar DisordersBody Image, Eating Disorders, and ObesityBody Image, Eating Disorders, and Obesity in YouthBoyBoysBrandedBreaking PointBreathing UnderwaterBringing Up ParentsBullying and TeasingCan't Eat, Won't EatCatalystChild and Adolescent Psychological DisordersChildren Changed by TraumaChildren with Emerald EyesChildren’s Dreaming and the Development of Consciousness City of OneConcise Guide to Child and Adolescent PsychiatryConquering the Beast WithinContentious IssuesCrackedCutDancing in My NuddypantsDemystifying the Autistic ExperienceDescartes' BabyDilemmas of DesireDirtyDoing ItDoing SchoolDying to Be ThinEating an ArtichokeEducating Children With AutismElijah's CupEllison the ElephantEmerald City BluesEmotional and Behavioral Problems of Young ChildrenEvery Girl Tells a StoryFast GirlsFeather BoyFiregirlForever YoungFreaks, Geeks and Asperger SyndromeFreewillGeography ClubGeorgia Under WaterGirl in the MirrorGirlfightingGirlsourceGirlWiseGLBTQGood GirlsGoodbye RuneGranny Torrelli Makes SoupGrowing Up GirlHandbook for BoysHealing ADDHeartbeatHelping Children Cope With Disasters and TerrorismHelping Parents, Youth, and Teachers Understand Medications for Behavioral and Emotional ProblemsHollow KidsHow Children Learn the Meanings of WordsHow to Keep Your Teenager Out of Trouble and What to Do If You Can'tHug MeIntrusive ParentingIt's Me!It's Perfectly NormalJake RileyJoey Pigza Swallowed the KeyJuvenile-Onset SchizophreniaKeeping the MoonKilling MonstersKim: Empty InsideKnocked Out by My Nunga-NungasLaura Numeroff's 10-Step Guide to Living with Your MonsterLearning About School ViolenceLeo the Lightning BugLet Kids Be KidsLiberation's ChildrenLife As We Know ItLisa, Bright and DarkLittle ChicagoLord of the FliesLoserLove and SexLove That DogManicMastering Anger and AggressionMind FieldsMiss American PieMom, Dad, I'm Gay.MonsterMore Than a LabelMyths of ChildhoodNew Hope for Children and Teens with Bipolar DisorderNo Two AlikeNot Much Just Chillin'Odd Girl OutOdd Girl Speaks OutOn the Frontier of AdulthoodOne Hot SecondOne in ThirteenOphelia SpeaksOphelia's MomOur Journey Through High Functioning Autism and Asperger SyndromeOut of the DustOvercoming School AnxietyParenting and the Child's WorldParenting Your Out-Of-Control TeenagerPediatric PsychopharmacologyPeriod PiecesPhobic and Anxiety Disorders in Children and AdolescentsPINSPraising Boys WellPraising Girls WellPretty in PunkPrincess in the SpotlightProblem Child or Quirky Kid?Psychotherapy As PraxisPsychotherapy for Children and AdolescentsRaising a Self-StarterRaising BlazeRaising Resilient ChildrenReclaiming Our ChildrenRedressing the EmperorReducing Adolescent RiskRethinking ADHDReweaving the Autistic TapestryRineke DijkstraRitalin is Not the Answer Action GuideRunning on RitalinSay YesSexual Teens, Sexual MediaSexuality in AdolescenceShooterShort PeopleShould I Medicate My Child?Skin GameSmackSmashedStaying Connected to Your TeenagerStick FigureStoner & SpazStop Arguing with Your KidsStraight Talk about Your Child's Mental HealthStrong, Smart, & BoldStudent DepressionSurvival Strategies for Parenting Children with Bipolar DisorderSurviving OpheliaTaking Charge of ADHD, Revised EditionTaming the Troublesome ChildTargeting AutismTeaching Problems and the Problems of TeachingTeen Angst? NaaahThat SummerThe American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook Of Child And Adolescent PsychiatryThe Arctic IncidentThe Bipolar ChildThe Buffalo TreeThe Bully, the Bullied, and the BystanderThe Carnivorous CarnivalThe Depressed ChildThe Developing MindThe Dragons of AutismThe Dream BearerThe Dulcimer Boy The Einstein SyndromeThe EpidemicThe Eternity CubeThe Explosive ChildThe Field of the DogsThe First IdeaThe Identity TrapThe Inside Story on Teen GirlsThe Little TernThe Mean Girl MotiveThe Men They Will BecomeThe Myth of LazinessThe New Gay TeenagerThe Notebook GirlsThe Nurture AssumptionThe Opposite of InvisibleThe Order of the Poison OakThe Other ParentThe Present Moment in Psychotherapy and Everyday LifeThe Real Truth About Teens and SexThe Rise and Fall of the American TeenagerThe Secret Lives of GirlsThe Sex Lives of TeenagersThe Shared HeartThe Spider and the BeeThe StepsThe Thought that CountsThe Unhappy ChildThe Vile VillageThe Whole ChildThen Again, Maybe I Won'tTherapy with ChildrenThings I Have to Tell YouTouching Spirit BearTrauma in the Lives of ChildrenTreacherous LoveTrue BelieverTwistedUnhappy TeenagersWay to Be!We're Not MonstersWhat about the KidsWhat Would Joey Do?What's Happening to My Body? Book for BoysWhat's Happening to My Body? Book for GirlsWhen Nothing Matters AnymoreWhen Sex Goes to SchoolWhen Your Child Has an Eating DisorderWhere The Kissing Never StopsWhose America?Why Are You So Sad?WinnicottWorried All the TimeYes, Your Teen Is Crazy!You Hear MeYoung People and Mental HealthYour Child, Bully or Victim? |
| |
by Walter Dean Myers Amistad, 2003 Review by Su Terry on Jul 29th 2004 
The
Dream Bearer by Walter Dean Myers is a colorful
novel about a boy learning to cope with his father's mental illness and the adult
world around him. The story is set in Harlem. David
Curry is the 12-year old African-American protagonist. His life is not easy. His
mother is the primary wage earner. She wants to convert a neighborhood building
into a homeless shelter. His father is on medication to control his mental
illness, but frequently goes off it. He is only able to work as a day laborer,
and unfortunately is employed by the owner of the building his wife wants to
convert. His brother, 17-year old Tyrone, is involved with something unsavory.
David thinks that it might be drugs but is not sure. Whatever it is, it has Tyrone
on the run. Sessi Mutu is
David's African friend and neighbor. She is building a traditional African hut
on the roof of her tenement. Her parents have applied for American citizenship,
but Sessi and David are both worried what will happen
if their application is rejected? There is only David's childhood friend,
Loren, to talk to about his worries until he meets a homeless man named
Littlejohn Moses. Mr. Moses tells David that he is a "dream bearer". After
living 300 years, Mr. Moses is tired and is looking for another person to be
the new "dream bearer". As tensions grow at home between his mother
and father and his brother does not returned home, David find comfort and
insight in the dreams that Mr. Moses shares with David.
The novel presents a colorful
tableau of the urban world of Harlem. Parents struggle
to get by in the world. Young men get involve with gangs, drugs, and gambling. African
immigrants struggle to become American citizens, yet are reluctant to give up
their native ways and customers. Homeless people sit on benches in the park. Boys
grow up. This is an eye-opening book for anyone who does not live in an urban
environment.
Walter Dean Myers
is the author of more than 75 books for young people. Myers was born in West
Virginia but raised in Harlem.
His autobiography which was written for young people is entitled, Bad Boy: a Memoir (2002). He has
received many awards, including National Endowment of the Arts grant (1982
& 1989); the MacDowell Fellowship (1988);
American Library Association (ALA) Margaret A. Edwards Award for Lifetime
Achievement in Writing for Young Adults (1994), and ALAN Award (1994). Many of
his books have received awards including, Where Does the Day Go? (1968 Council on Interracial Books for Children
Award); The Dancers (1972 Child Study
Association of America's Children's Books of the Year); Fast Sam, Cool Clyde and Stuff (1975 ALA Notable Children's Books
List); Ain't All for Nothin'
(1978 ALA Notable Children's Books List, 1978 ALA Best Books For Young Adults
List); The Young Landlords (1980 Coretta Scott King Award, 1979 ALA Notable Children's Books
List, 1979 ALA Best Books For Young Adults List); Legend of Tarik (1982 Notable Children's
Trade Book in the Field of Social Studies from the National Council for Social
Studies and the Children's Book Council, 1981 ALA Notable Children's Books
List,1981 ALA Best Books For Young Adults List); Hoops (1994 Margaret A. Edwards Award, 1982 Edgar Allan Poe Award
runner-up, 1982 ALA Notable Children's Books List, 1982 ALA Best Books For
Young Adults List); Won't Know Til' I Get There (1982 Parents' Choice Foundation
Award); Tales of a Dead King (1983
New Jersey Institute Technology Authors Award); The Outside Shot (1984 Parents' Choice Foundation Award); Motown (1985 Coretta
Scott King Award); Didi (1985 Coretta Scott King Award); Adventure in Granada (1987 Child Study Association of America's
Children's Books of the Year); Fallen
Angels (1989 Coretta Scott King Award, 1988
Parents' Choice Foundation Award, 1988 ALA Best Books For Young Adults List); Me, Mop, and the Moondance
Kid (1988 ALA Notable Children's Books List); Scorpions
(1989 Newbery Honor Book, 1988 ALA Notable Children's
Books List, 1988 ALA Best Books For Young Adults List); Now Is Your Time (1992 Coretta Scott King
Award,1992 ALA Best Books For Young Adults List); Somewhere in the Darkness (1993 Newbery
Honor Book, 1993 Coretta Scott King Award,1993 ALA
Notable Children's Books List, 1993 ALA Best Books For Young Adults List,1992
Boston Globe/Horn Book Award,); Malcolm X
(1994 Coretta Scott King Award); Slam! 1997 Coretta Scott King Award; Harlem (1998 Caldecott Honor Book, 1998 Coretta Scott King Award, 1998 ALA Best Books For Young
Adults List); and Monster (1999
Michael L. Printz Award, 1999 Coretta
Scott King Author Honor Award, and 1998 National Book Award Finalist). Mr.
Myers lives in New Jersey with
his family. Shooter (2004) is his latest novel.
The Dream Bearer by
Walter Dean Myers is a well written novel. The book is
recommended for Age 10 years
and up. I recommend this book.
© 2004 Su Terry
Su Terry: Education:
B.A. in History from Sacred Heart University, M.L.S. in Library Science from
Southern Connecticut State College, M.R.S. in Religious Studies/Pastoral
Counseling from Fairfield University, a M.Div. in
Professional Ministry from New Brunswick Theological Seminary, a Certificate in
Spirituality/Spiritual Direction from Sacred Heart University. She is a
Licensed Minister of the United Church of Christ and an Assistant Professor in
Library Science at Dowling College,
Long Island, NY.
|
