The Dreamkeepers

While visiting Wales, 12-year-old Derek Morgan and his eight-year-old sister, Eve, are caught in an ancient struggle between the Dreamkeepers and an evil sorceress. The Dreamkeepers are held in an ice spell, while the sorceress is trying to enthrall Eve--and only Derek can release the magic that will free the Dreamkeepers, thus bringing hope and joy back to the nearby village. Brodien-Jones never pauses long enough in her breathless narrative to sufficiently explain the various actions here, and as a result her characters' motivations remain a bit murky. Despite its arresting imagery, the novel's lack of exposition makes it, like a dream, too personal to be fully enjoyed by anyone other than the dreamer herself. Ages 10-14. (Oct.)