THE BIG DREAM

A young boy determined to build a remote-controlled car for an upcoming race faces obstacles in Pannell and Sigfusson’s middle-grade novel.

Brandon Woodberry is a sixth-grader who struggles to stay awake in his last class of the day; when he falls asleep, he’s awakened by sliding out of his seat and landing on the ground. Amidst the laughter of his classmates, he learns that there’s an important final essay due on the upcoming Monday. Although the prompt is simple––to write about plans for the summer––he’d rather hang out with the birds on his rooftop (he’s especially close to a crow he’s named Ralph) with his friend Josh. Brandon is looking to expand his rooftop coop, which already holds 20 birds, by catching some wild pigeons. However, those plans are set aside when he learns about a remote-control car race whose winner will have their car design featured in a video game. Though Brandon’s father doubts he has the experience or technical know-how to win (“It’s huge. Too big for you to handle right now”), Brandon isn’t so easily deterred. He plans to raise enough funds to buy a car-making kit by getting a summer job, and to conscript his group of friends to be his pit crew. Their first attempt to make money via a car wash isn’t as lucrative as they hoped. When Ralph starts to find money around town, Brandon thinks he might actually reach his financial goal—but the involvement of the police throws a wrench in his plan. They’ve created a special unit to aide them in investigating a series of bird-related thefts—and even Brandon’s father is involved, interviewing those affected to write a news article. Pannell and Sigfusson work together well in crafting this second installment in The Crow’s Tales series; no knowledge of the previous book is necessary, as readers are immediately immersed in the world and its characters. While some plot threads are dropped abruptly, most are adequately wrapped up by the end. Brandon’s grit and determination shine through as an inspiration to young readers, as does the book’s positive depiction of friendship and cooperation.

A heartwarming tale with an engaging premise and satisfying conclusion.