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Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite
In Pannell and Sigfusson’s The Big Dream, Brandon is a downtown schoolboy whose final English grade depends on an essay about his summer plans. He thinks his ordinary routine cannot fill the assignment until GameTeck announces a remote-operated car race in Riverside. The contest offers a place in a new video game for winning designs, so Brandon decides to build a crow-shaped racer with his friends. Their plan begins on Brandon’s roof, where pigeons share space with a crow that collects shiny objects. To enter, Brandon needs money for a kit, permission from his parents, help from his friends, and enough practice to handle a real racecourse. As summer nears, one school essay turns into a plan that could change how Brandon sees his own life this year.
Pannell and Sigfusson’s The Big Dream is a wonderful middle-grade adventure and is a brilliant story with a lot of heart. The authors make Brandon easy to root for, and we end up liking him because his big summer idea becomes a lesson in honesty, friendship, and follow-through. The incorporation of birds is creative, and while there's mischief afoot, my younger reader had a lot of fun imagining what was happening. The settings are specific enough to make Brandon’s world easy to picture. His rooftop holds pigeons, a coop, and a jar of found objects. His grandparents’ farm has a pond, pier, barn, and open practice ground for the racer. Younger readers, and those who are young at heart, who enjoy friendship, family humor, and inventive summer stories, will love this. Very highly recommended.
