Dream Master (The)

Description

‘There are always rules… I am the Dream Master.
Not you. What I say goes. And I say this dream is gone, so beat it.’

There are good dreams and there are rotten dreams, and once they’re over, they’re over. Or are they?… For one morning, as Cy is about to wake up from a terrific dream about Ancient Egypt, he discovers that he can get back into his dream world. There’s just one problem: the Dream Master, who isn’t used to stroppy boys standing up to him and wanting to break all the rules. And as Cy moves back and forth between the present day and the land of the pharaohs – sorting out all kinds of problems with schoolwork and bullies – dream life and real life become ingeniously intertwined!

Reviews

…a highly entertaining novel… …amusing and yet thought provoking…
BOOKSELLER

…exciting… (read it and)… weave a little magic for yourself.
YOUNG TELEGRAPH

Especially recommended for any child doing topic work on Egyptians… a mixture of disastrous and hilarious… treads assuredly the line between thrills and laughs.
OBSERVER

Confusion and fun at school… Some good scary bits.
THE TIMES

…the pace never lets up … subtle sensitivity… a delightful novel.
HERALD

…an entertaining read.
SENTINEL

Pacey, clever, entertaining…
SUNDAY TIMES

… an exciting and original tale…
LONDON PARENTS GUIDE

Breslin shows that she can write as confidently for younger children as for teenagers. The DREAM MASTER is light, witty, tightly written and well composed.
TES

… an exhilarating read… entertaining… while also expounding the value of trust and friendship.
BOOKS FOR KEEPS

A richly entertaining novel, full of information, invention, fun and tension.
SCOTSMAN

“This book grabs you from the first spooky moment when Cy wakes from his dream about ancient Egypt and decides to get back into it again. An ancient Egyptian boy (Aten) comes out of Cy’s dream and becomes involved in Cy’s waking world. The Dream Master controls everyone’s dreams and doesn’t like boys like Cy trying to control their own dreams. Sometimes this book is scary and sometimes it’s really hilarious. … I didn’t want the story to end.
(Ilona, aged 8, Edinburgh Book Festival)

Extract

Intro… Helped by his Dream Master Cy has managed to return to a favourite dream about Ancient Egypt. (Chapter 6) Except that this time, instead of being outside in the desert near the great pyramid, Cy has ended up inside a burial chamber…

‘This must be a Pharaoh’s tomb,’ said Cy as he wandered around, picking up objects to look at them and replacing them carefully. There were little wooden statues covered with beaten gold, heavy armbands studded with glass beads and precious stones, boxes with intricate inlays, and some small model soldiers. An alabaster jar gleamed softly, the figures on the side silhouetted in the light. In one corner stood a wooden mummy case. In another was a throne-like chair with a leopard’s head on each arm and four paws for feet.

A decorated chest showed the Pharaoh with his wife. Cy stared harder. Just for the briefest flicker Cy had thought that the Pharaoh had looked a bit like his dad. He looked again at the Pharaoh’s wife. Tall ostrich feathers rose proudly from her head-dress, and immediately above was the shape of the long cross with the loop at the top. The ankh. Eternal life. The magical symbol of the life of the soul… Cy rubbed the back of his neck. He had an odd feeling growing inside … as if there was someone else close by. It must be the drawings, Cy told himself. He was surrounded by them. Scenes from everyday life, people working in the fields, hunting, fishing, and trapping birds with nets. The hieroglyphics on the wall seemed to resonate with colour. The clothes on the painted figures glistened white, their kohl-ringed eyes gazed out at him. Cy shivered. Lauren was right. He had too much imagination.

But the feeling of being watched was overpowering. Was it the sign-writing which was making him so uncomfortable? The little pictures of the birds and animals with their bright eyes. Or the larger statues, some of which had glass eyes which caused them to regard you with an eerie, lifelike look? Cy took a firm grip of his thoughts and tried to concentrate.

The prickly sensation still didn’t go away. He paused to look at some papyrus scrolls and then, on the outer rim of his hearing he heard a soft noise.

Cy froze. He hadn’t imagined that, had he? Not intentionally … but in a way he had, because nothing could exist in this dream without him thinking about it, even if only for a microsecond. Could it?

Cy lifted his head and listened. There it was again… a soft creaking noise, and then, suddenly, he was aware of a movement. He whirled round. The noise was coming from inside the wooden mummy case standing upright in the corner.

Resources

Activities

Dream Master (The) – Literacy Activities & Fun Sheets

Book Notes

Have you ever woken up in the middle of a really good dream? Just at the most exciting bit, when something sensational is about to happen? It’s happened to me – tons of times. Then, one day I think… supposing you could get back into your own dream…?

When I was in Cairo Museum in Egypt, our guide Heva led us to the tomb relics of Tutankhamun. And… I looked upon the face of the Boy King.

There stood his Pharaoh Throne with back of beaten gold. It showed Tutankhamun sitting – his Queen anointing him with perfume. On her foot one sandal, while he wears the other. I wonder… could this be a sign of great affection between two people?

I love hieroglyphics. Mysterious symbols telling secret things. I imagine drawing all those shapes. Were they as hard to form as our alphabet?

Would it make a difference if you carved out your letters? What if you engraved them into a soft thick surface?

To help Cy practice his writing, Aten shows him the Egyptian Letter Learner. Pressing outlines deep into the wet sand allows Cy to form his letters in an other way. A bit like having an extra Dimension…?

My books are pathways to other Dimensions.

I think…. I wonder…. I imagine…

That’s how I write my stories.

Theresa Breslin