By David Farr (author) , Kristina Kister (illustrator) Part of the The Book of Stolen Dreams series
"Long journeys alone, powerful opponents and bravery in this fantasy thriller"
Paperback In Stock £7.99 £7.19
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October 2021 Debut of the Month
Farr is a master storyteller as evidenced by his phenomenally successful screenwriting and directing for the stage. This is evident in the confidence with which he controls all the elements in this complex, engrossing fantasy thriller – his first novel for a child audience.
Rachel and Robert live in a dictatorship in Brava that makes life very drab and humdrum – as well as very dangerous. Their father is a librarian – and on Rachel’s birthday he involves them in the theft of an important and forbidden book from the precious books room in the city library.
For that theft he is captured – leaving the siblings with their ailing mother. When she dies it is planned that they will be separated into different parts of the grim orphanage that exists.
Can they escape that fate, find out the secret of the book they keep hidden and keep it out of evil dictator Malstain’s hands? Meeting a wonderful cast of characters along the way – some good, some bad – they set off on individual journeys across the land to escape Malstain’s reach.
This is a rich story, full of adventure, peril, and huge bravery from the children and many of the other characters, as well as awful evil. It will keep readers engaged and probably reading long after bedtime and lights out! Inspired by Farr’s great Aunt and Uncle’s escape from Nazi Germany this adventure is set in a timeless world that could be anywhere so that it will chime with children the world over. I hope Farr goes on to write more for children if this, his debut, is anything to go by.
An exhilarating, awe-inspiring debut from a master storyteller writing for children for the first time, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell, Eva Ibbotson and His Dark Materials.
Read the full description
When Rachel and Robert are passed a stolen book by their librarian father, they have to go on the run and protect it at all costs. With their father captured and everyone hunting for the Book, they must uncover its secrets and track down the final, missing page. But the cruel and calculating Charles Malstain is on their trail. When the children discover the astonishing, magical truth about the Book, they resolve to do everything in their power to stop it falling into his hands.
For if it does, he could rule forever. Step inside the pages of an immortal adventure and discover a truly unforgettable journey of wonder, courage and magic...
' A new and important voice for young people.' - Michael Morpurgo
'Dazzling! An instant classic. An eye-wateringly funny and jaw-droppingly fantastical adventure, chock-a-block with rare books, airships, and penguin-shaped hats.' - Ben Miller
'A wonderful story. Gripping and magical.'- Anthony Horowitz
'Told by a distinguished script writer with clarity, feeling and clever plotting.' - The Sunday Times
'A heart-stopping adventure of the kind that should appeal to fans of Eva Ibbotson and Philip Pullman.' - The New Statesman
'Storytelling at its very best.' - Sophie Anderson
'A lyrical book set in an extraordinary world.' - The Radio Times
'A truly magnificent story.' - Books for Keeps
'An unforgettable adventure.' - The School Librarian
David Farr was born and raised in a small town in Surrey. His father is English and loves nature and his mother is a descendant of German-Jewish grandparents who helped their children escape Germany for England in the Second World War.
David studied English at Cambridge University where he co-founded Cambridge Talking Tongues, a small theatre company, alongside two female friends, including actor Rachel Weisz. They won a Guardian Student Drama Award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 1991. He went on to be a theatre director of Bristol Old Vic, London’s Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith and Associate Director at the Royal Shakespeare Company. His screenwriting credits include the multi- award-winning The Night Manager, Spooks , Hanna, and the Sky production of The Midwich Cuckoos starring Keeley Hawes. David and the late John le Carré became friends while working on the screen play for The Night Manager .
As an ancestor of those German child refugees who lost everything when they fled, including their German citizenship and identity, David was proud to have campaigned for the Article 116 Exclusion Group against a gender discriminatory loophole in German law and to have recently reclaimed his own German citizenship.
Photo credit Susannah Baker-Smith
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The Book of Stolen Dreams is great. I think that anyone who loves to read should definitely read this book!
The Book of Stolen Dreams is great. This book is about a girl called Rachel Klein and her older brother, Robert. When their mother passes away and their father gets sent to prison, they are in big trouble. Before their father was sent to prison, he was hiding a very valuable book, called The Book of Stolen Dreams, from an evil president called Charles Malstain. This president wants to destroy the book and now it’s Rachel and Robert’s job to hide it. I like the poems of dreams that come after a few chapters.... Read Full Review
Dramatic, full of twists and turns and a determined main character - I really enjoyed this book and recommend it to any Year 5 and 6 children!
The Book of Stolen Dreams follows a girl who has a missing brother, a father in jail and a mother who has passed away. When visiting a city, she meets a man who takes her on an airship and despite her father's warnings about not trusting strangers, she still follows through with it. This turns out to be a bad decision when she ends up being kidnapped in exchange for some money. Rachel has no choice but to try and escape, but will she?
I really enjoyed the book because it was dramatic and always referred to the past, which gives the reader more information about Rachel. This helped us understand her as a character and to understand the story more.... Read Full Review
When I was reading this book I felt like I was in the adventure with Robert and Rachel, the main characters, and I didn't want to stop reading it. This book is great for anyone who likes mysteries and suspense, and it appeals to both boys and girls. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who likes an adventure and a good plot.
I love books that have a mystery to them so I was excited to start reading The Book of Stolen Dreams. I wasn't disappointed as it had me gripped from the start. The story is about a boy and a girl trying to find the missing last page of a mysterious book that they are given. This gets even more tense when the children's father is captured and they have to try and save him. I love the villain in the book, Charles Malstain, as his character makes you feel scared for the children and wondering what will happen if he catches them. When I was reading the book I felt like I was in the adventure with Rachel and Robert and I didn't want to stop reading it as after one event happened, you wanted to know what was going to happen next.... Read Full Review
An exhilarating, awe-inspiring debut from a master storyteller writing for children for the first time, perfect for fans of Katherine Rundell, Eva Ibbotson and His Dark Materials. When Rachel and Robert are passed a stolen book by their librarian father, they have to go on the run and protect it at all costs.
The LoveReading4Kids Editorial Team have read and reviewed The Book of Stolen Dreams and determined it is suitable for children aged 9-12 years old
The Book of Stolen Dreams features in the following genres: Featured Books for 9+ readers, Featured Books for 11+ readers, Books Reviewed by our Reader Review Panels, Debuts of the Month, Recommendations, Adventure Stories, Fantasy / Magical, Thrillers, Children's and Young Adult Fiction, Children’s, Teenage and Educational
Hardback, Paperback. £7.19, down from the £7.99 cover price. In Stock.
The Book of Stolen Dreams was written by David Farr and published by Usborne Publishing Ltd
The Book of Stolen Dreams has 389 pages
Yes it is part of The Book of Stolen Dreams series
£7.19, reduced from £7.99. In Stock.
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