Gossamer by Lois Lowry. (Grades 4-7)
I read this one a year ago and I must confess that I remember hardly anything about it. My booktalk for this one would go something like "Umm... it's about dreams... and a boy who goes into foster care and lives with an old lady and he'd been abused... And... yeah, you should read it!" Clearly, I need to reread. Here's what I wrote last January right after I finished it:
"Lois Lowry explores the nature of dreams in her latest book. Chapters alternate between Littlest One, a creature learning how to bestow dreams on sleeping humans and animals, and a pair of humans brought together by fate. The old woman is lonely and bored and decides to take in a sweet little foster child, never dreaming that they would send her the abused and angry John. John is an 8-year-old boy who's been taken away from an abusive home and lashes out at anyone who tries to get close. Now the nightmares are after John and Littlest will do whatever she can to protect him.
It's a very interesting idea, although the book is short and the action maybe goes too quickly. I found it a little unrealistic how quickly John came to accept his foster home. Still, it was an enjoyable story and could spark some interesting discussions in classrooms or book clubs."
Better reviews can be found at Fuse #8 and Blog from the Windowsill.