Dilby R. Dixon's The Time Dreamer


Children - Grade 4th-6th
202 Pages
Reviewed on 08/12/2018
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    Book Review

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Dilby R Dixon’s The Time Dreamer by Tony J. Perri takes us on a magical adventure through our imaginations. Dilby Dixon is an eleven-year-old just about to graduate from Elementary School and head off to Junior High. Dilby was once a non-entity among his schoolmates, the butt of jokes and bullying, but since Dilby introduced his peers to his Dilbonary (a collection of made-up words that Dilby has fashioned into a dictionary of sorts), Dilby has become a “cool kid” and not one to be messed with. Apart from his Dilbonary, Dilby has a secret that only his best friend, Grace, knows. Dilby is a Time Dreamer. Time Dreaming allows Dilby to travel to strange worlds in his imagination when he is asleep and to experience many things way above an eleven-year-old's usual environment. When Dilby discovers that he can bring people and things with him on his Time Dreams, and also bring things back from the places he visits, an exciting and enthralling summer is ahead for the three friends, Dilby, Grace and George.

Dilby R Dixon’s The Time Dreamer is aimed at a middle school audience and, as such, author Tony J. Perri hits the mark extremely well. The concept of time dreaming is not something I have come across before and, as a unique construct, it allows young readers to believe and hope that there is something special about them, no matter what their circumstances. I particularly enjoyed the way the author was able to weave moral messages into Dilby’s thoughts and ideas without coming across as too preachy. The author’s use of words from the Dilbonary for a number of common things from the story was clever. This is a sweet, almost a coming-of-age story as Dilby begins slowly to explore the feelings that may exist between himself and his best friend/possible girlfriend Grace. Totally age appropriate, this is a great adventure read for middle school aged children. I enjoyed this unique and gripping story.

Deborah Lloyd

The story begins the day after Dilby R. Dixon finished 6th grade. He woke up with an inexplicable black eye after a time dream. But he could not miss the Goodwin Elementary School carnival and yearbook signing party. He planned to meet his friends, Grace, George and Harold, there. It was an eventful day, as Dilby talked to Mr. Bailey, the widower next door, spoke to Lamont, who had been the new student, and was part of an incident with the pop girls. His classmates knew he had written the Dilbonary, a journal of words he created. What they did not know was that these words came to him in time dreams. In Dilby R. Dixon’s The Time Dreamer, written by Tony J. Perri, an adventure unfolds. Dilby has extraordinary experiences in Riseanfall in his dreams, and he has exciting escapades in his everyday life.

This book will stimulate an elementary school-aged child’s imagination, with Dilby’s special abilities and spiritual perceptions. The author has included a brief description of numerology and the fact that Dilby’s life has been defined by the number 11. There are many words that Dilby uses throughout the story, and his Dilossary, his word for a glossary, is added in the front of the book. Author Tony J. Perri has written an unique children’s book in Dilby R. Dixon’s The Time Dreamer. It is the second one in a series, and it seems more will be written about this youngster’s adventures as he discovers how to use his special powers in positive ways.

Katherine Williams

Dilby R. Dixon's The Time Dreamer is a fantasy middle grade novel by Tony J. Perri. It is the second book in the Dilby R. Dixon's series. Dilby is a young boy who is graduating from the 6th grade and is leaving his elementary school. But he is not like the other kids: Dilby has learned he is a time dreamer, which allows him to have special powers. One day, Dilby realizes that his journal of special words, which is called the Dilbonary, is stolen. With the help of his friends, George and Grace, Dilby must find his journal, face a bully and find his dog, Hopper. He must also travel to Risenfall, a land where all time dreamers go. Dilby has a hard time balancing his time dreamer life and real world life, but on his journey he learns more about himself and who he is as a person.

Dilby R. Dixon's The Time Dreamer will excite any middle schooler; once they start reading they will want to learn more about Dilby and his adventures. Dilby is a great character that I think a lot of young kids can relate to; sometimes it is hard to know who your true friends are, especially around the middle school age. The plot of the novel is certainly interesting, and Tony J. Perri’s great writing makes you feel like you are in on the journey to Risenfall. His descriptions are great and the pace is fast enough so that you get a good handle on what is going on in the story. My favorite part of this novel is learning about the journal, aka The Dilbonary. I think it is very special in that it allows kids to learn more about words and numbers. I suggest this book for anyone who is looking to read about a world beyond Earth. This book teaches you that as long as you believe in yourself, you can do anything you set your mind to.

David Ridgeway

Loved this book. I really enjoyed this as a great follow up to The Dilbonary. The author has some great teaching moments hidden in plain site using Dilbys experiences through time dreaming. Really good read for mid graders.