DREAM, by Barbara O’Connor, Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), Aug. 26, 2025, Hardcover, $17.99 (ages 8-12)
A small-town girl with big aspirations sets out to enter a songwriting competition she is destined to win in Dream, by Barbara O’Connor.
The sky is the limit.
Idalee Lovett is content with her life in small-town Colby, North Carolina, living in her family’s huge house with rooms for rent. But she has big dreams, just like her mama. While Mama is on tour for the summer with her cover band, Lovey Lovett and the Junkyard Dogs, Idalee decides to hone her craft as a songwriter―since her truest wish is to hear her country songs on the radio one day.
When the local radio station announces a songwriting contest with the winning song being recorded by an up-and-coming singer, Idalee is determined to win. It would definitely be possible if only she could buy the shiny blue guitar in Asheville’s music shop. Idalee doesn’t have much money, but she knows exactly how to get it―the long-lost treasure her late granddaddy hid somewhere in their house. With the help of her friends Odell, Howard, Charlie, and an adorable little dog named Wishbone, Idalee is going to search in every nook and cranny until she finds it. But little does she know, the biggest treasure of all is only discovered when you believe in yourself with your whole heart. —Synopsis provided by Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
Dream is a standalone companion to Barbara O’Connor’s best-selling novel Wish.
At the center of Dream is Idalee. Idalee is a girl with big dreams. Specifically becoming a songwriter. But as a mother, reading this, it felt like Idalee’s other big dream is to be noticed, specifically by her mother. Idalee is living in a family home full of stories, but the person she needs the most, leaves her to pursue her own dreams. Along the way, Idalee does find family in the quirky cast of renters and friends.
And it’s while Idalee is with those supporting characters that Dream shines. In some ways, it feels like writing an award-winning song is the framework for a bigger, more important story. The actual music-writing parts just don’t “sing” as well as the rest.
Dream is a sweet read that feels warm and nostalgic. It should appeal to younger middle readers.
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