Daydreamer

May 6, 2024
An 11-year-old’s imagination offers escape in Cameron’s creative and chaotic debut, set in 1986 in an unidentified city. Charles Housen’s mother calls him lazy, his teachers say he doesn’t listen, and his babysitter insists he’s “too stupid to learn,” but in truth, whenever Charles tries to read, the words just “squiggle and twist.” When that happens, or when kids torment him, Charles retreats to an imaginary sanctuary filled with friends he’s drawn and creatures described by Mr. Wilson, his apartment building’s superintendent. Mr. Wilson claims he’s secretly a dragon in human form, which is how he knows that Charles’s new neighbors, Mr. Calixte and son Will, are actually trolls whom Charles should avoid. But when Charles overhears Will being abused by his father (“The daddy’s hitting the boy!”), he can’t help but try to save him, like the hero he is in his mind. Charles’s first-person-present narration overlays fantasy and reality, transforming bullies into ogres and gang members into goblins; while this approach heightens drama, it also occasionally obscures plot and saps momentum. Still, in employing compassionate prose, Cameron illustrates the transformative power of storytelling to deliver a kindhearted tale. The cast is ethnically diverse. Ages 10–up. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary.

June 15, 2024
Unbeknownst to Charles, his dragon's wish will alter his intersecting worlds of fantasy and reality. Charles' life is shaped by stories. Daydreaming serves as the Black 11-year-old's escape to the "inside" place he calls his Sanctuary as he navigates dyslexia and tries to cope with being bullied at school. Many adults in his life overlook his extraordinary artistic abilities and perceive him as misbehaving or lazy. Fortunately, Charles has an ally in Mr. Glory Miles, the super at the Beatrix, the apartment building where he and his mom live. Other people, those who don't know about dragons, see Mr. Miles as "an angry old man"--but Charles knows that he's his dragon. Glory reveals the history of the dream folk, who "were survivors of the Great Dream before Time" back in Africa when "some people could fly." When abusive father Mr. Calixte and his son, Junior--trolls disguised as people from Haiti--move into the Beatrix, they spark unease and tensions. Some people get sick, and others go missing. Charles feels compelled to help Junior, despite Mr. Miles' warnings to stay away from the trolls, and he embarks on a quest with his two imaginary best friends, Ruby and Fig. Pivoting between escapism and reality, this creative debut features strong character development in its exploration of the ways Charles copes with multiple challenges that will resonate with many readers. Captivating and cathartic. (author's note) (Fiction. 10-14)

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