The Dream Bearer by Walter Dean Myers (0-06-029522-8)
I had read rave reviews of this title on some of the children’s lit lists that I am on. How right they all were! David is scared of his father Reuben and his mental illness and then there is his brother Ty who is hanging with a new tough crowd. Luckily, David also has his loving mother and his best friend to keep him balanced. Then a strange old man, Moses, enters the neighborhood, claiming to be over 300 years old and to be the bearer of dreams. Will David be able to make sense of his chaotic family with the help of Moses?
Walter Dean Myers is one of the greatest writers for teens and older elementary kids. This quiet and gripping story allows us to see into the heart and life of David and return to our own lives understanding our own dreams and lives better. What could be better?

The Water Gift and the Pig of the Pig by Jacqueline Briggs Martin (0-618-07436-8)
What a title! And what a great read aloud story. The text has a rolling feeling, rather like ocean swells, that carry the reader forward. This strange combination of animal story, history and the gift of dousing, creates a magical story in a gentle way.
This book is not one that will fly off the shelves without some pushing, but children who do have it read to them will be amazed by dousing and will want to immediately head out and find a forked stick to try it out with. I would use it at a storytime for older children, probably as the first book while they are open to more quiet titles. Match it with other more energetic sea and water books.