Her brother, Robert, was also provided with chapters set from his perspective. This was necessary as they remained apart for much of the book but his actions were still important ones. He was initially involved in more scheming and so I enjoyed learning about the plans for Malstain's demise from him. Now the adventure itself is just so well done and wrapped up even better. There's nothing I can say that I didn't like. The pacing was perfect, I could easily keep up and it wasn't as predictable, which I was pleasantly surprised to learn. It felt like we were given a lot of clues, bits and pieces to put together along with our two main characters, and while it wasn't too complex, I had moments where I failed to piece the puzzles. That's absolutely not a bad thing at all. And when you actually finish the book, you get this sense of accomplishment and happiness that you were able to put these things together and come to a conclusion.

Rachel wiped her eyes and said she would. She looked out across the darkness. It was endless and unknowable. Rich and strange (and kitted out with an eye-catching cover), but stronger in the set pieces than the internal logic. Some children may skim over the deeper messages of this book, but they provide crucial opportunities for discussions, both at home and in the classroom. Rachel shivered and took the rather grubby piece of old rug that he had unwrapped from around the violin case.The magical side of the book doesn't dominate and it doesn't overwhelm and confuse, which I was delighted about. We get to read the dreams that comprise this book, and these are wonderful little segment, not too long, but just right, and I wish the ARC had illustrations. I can't even imagine how gorgeous the physical copy will be! Ahhh, I wish I had one right now! Robert and Rachel are the two main characters who happen to be siblings. Their father, Felix, is a librarian who takes them on Rachel's birthday to the library in the quest of an adventure and to find a forbidden book, the book of stolen dreams. They get the precious book but Felix gets arrested by the brutal President Charles Malstains' soldiers and put into prison. The book withholds some secrets that Charles Malstain is after. Now it's up to Robert and Rachel to find the secret of the book and return it to it's rightful owners. But in the process of doing so, they make many friends but enemies too who are also after the book. You do? Ha! I knew it!” He jumped in delight. “Where are your wonderful parents? Are they getting you a hot chocolate from the cafe? I’m afraid to say it isn’t very good.” Rachel isn’t sure why the secret she’s keeping is so important but she knows it holds the key to freeing Brava from its cruel, tyrannical dictator and the only way she’ll ever get to see her father again.

But, my dear—why do you look so sad? Is it the poor quality of the hot chocolate? No, I see now. Your parents aren’t here with you. You are alone. Where are they?” For teacher friends, this book would serve as a great stimulus to inspire writing. I would plan sequences of lessons around the following writing genres:This is a superbly written book that I highly recommend for children who are not put off by a little darkness in the stories they read. Rachel is escaping her home in the city of Brava and heading to Port St. Clement to find her brother. Her mother is dead and her father in prison. She is cold, hungry and hasn’t slept for days. The two main characters, Rachel and Robert, each have important parts to play in the hunt for the secret of the book, but it is Rachel who really steals the show. With a big heart and courage to match, she has a strong sense of justice and the importance to fight for what is right, even when the cost may seem to be too great to bear. The magic that was uncovered proved fascinating. I loved its slow introduction in the book and loved learning how it impacted the lives of these children. David Farr integrated it seamlessly into the story and I was engaged in all the different aspects that combined to make this a fascinating and fast-paced story.

Lo que más me ha gustado ha sido la historia… ES QUE ES ALUCINANTE. Cada vez que acabas un capítulo te dan ganas de leer otro porque acaba con el inicio de otra movida más chunga todavía. Lo que más me ha gustado son sus aventuras tipo que flipo con que una niña de 12 años viaje sola a otro país que está en otro continente solo porque le han dado una notita. (No es spoiler, es el primer capítulo) My dear, listen to me very carefully. Your brother will find you—or you will find him. I promise you.” This gave me all the vibes of Inkheart, and Northern Lights, while reminding me that these days, it's quite unusual for characters to die in middle grade books. Seeing characters killed off and tortured added to the stakes of this adventure story, I just found the middle quite slow. Excuse me. I couldn’t help noticing you are alone. Please, my dear girl, you have no reason to fear.”A lot had to do with the writing and the set up of the story. This story is written from a third person omniscient point of view as we follow two siblings. I felt so far removed from these characters however. The start was okay, I could feel the love for their parents and especially their father but when it comes to the setting and world, not so much. The overall atmosphere was fantastic, it was easy to imagine all the quirky clothing, from people having penguin hats to pointy noses that looked like beaks, to legs of dictators that looked like carrots. And then, of course, there is the aspect of a library and a book, and if you're a bookworm, which I believe most of you reading this are, how could you not be interested in a bookish, magical, adventure.

The story is set in an alternate world, which in my mind I pictured as similar to 1920s Russia. The weather is cold and an oppressive regime has seized power. There is some technology, such as cars and airships, yet the only phones available are ones that connect to the wall, music comes from violins and pianos and messages are sent via letter or written in books.The mix of characters here provides such wonderful possibilities. From the evil tyrant president who hates children and has turned a country into a wasteland, from the brave, smart, adorable kids like Rachel and Robert on a mission to save their father and the whole country, to a whole heap of side-characters that either made me giggle, or want to hug the book. We don’t know why this has happened, but Farr immediately sets up a tense and unsettling atmosphere. We are introduced to our protagonists, Robert and Rachel Klein, when they accompany their father to the lending library where he works. This journey is done at night, and nobody is told about it so we know it is dangerous. All we know is that it has something to do with The Book of Stolen Dreams that Felix Klein steals - rumours are that it is scheduled to be destroyed - and charges his children with protecting until they can hand it over to a man called Solomon. Esta história é inspirada na família do escritor, nomeadamente uma tia-avó e tio-avô, que conseguiram fugir nos Nazis, na Alemanha.