The Dream Dealer

Where has Finn’s mother gone? Why will his father never talk about her? Why does he have no real friends – except for his mouse, Hercules; at least, until Delphi arrives at the school? But even she cannot stop the bullying. Then the ice-cream van turns up at the school gates selling ice cream, yes, but also Ice Dreams – your very own to help you feel better. What does the Dream Dealer really want? Why is he so interested in children? What is he collecting in his jar? It is these questions that Finn must try to answer and in so doing find his dream – a dream that will last.

Aimed at young readers in KS2, the central idea of this novel is both original and imaginative. It is this that carries it through rather than any other element. Both plotting and characterisation are sketchy, while the writer’s style is undemanding and unoriginal, incorporating plenty of dialogue rather than long descriptive passages. In this, it looks back at the original stage production from which it derives and which still influences the overall composition.