Nightmares!

Nightmares! by Jason Segel and Kirsten Miller

Charlie Laird can't sleep. Not because he's not tired, but because he's avoiding the worst nightmares he's ever had. His dad marries Charlotte, who he is sure is actually a witch. And after moving into the scary purple mansion at the end of the street, every time he closes his eyes he is attacked by creatures he'd rather never meet. Through these awful dreams, Charlie learns that nightmares might not be as imaginary as they seem. and he soon delves into a new world to save his family and his life.

Nightmares! is a delightful book that teaches readers about friendship, family, and facing our fears. Jason Segel (The Muppets, How I Met Your Mother) brings a lot of humor into this fantastical tale. The "dream realm" is very creative, and as they travel through it, you meet a lot of characters that kids will appreciate and have fun reading about, from Medusa's apathetic son to bunnies with a bad bite. It's uplifting to see all the characters face their fears and fight back against a cruel bully.

A great technique of the book was the use of nightmares to help the kids through their realities, and realize what was really wrong that they needed to deal with. Charlie learns a lot of lessons about being afraid and about accepting his life through the dreams that he meets and the help of his friends. I think a lot of kids could relate to Charlie and the problems that he faces. We all get scared at times, or assume the worst about things that really end up not being that bad. This is the first book in a series, and reading it made me excited to see what adventures they would go on next!

Find Nightmares! in the Intermediate Section.