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Summary

The realm of dreams and nightmares is a fragile and volatile world. One that needs protecting from dangers both within and without. But when some of the protectors go missing, a fourteen-year-old boy is tasked with keeping the dream world from tearing and nightmares from invading the real world...

Stats

Genre: Tween (10-14 years) portal fantasy (real-world characters who cross into a fantasy realm) with a strong suspense feel

Series length: Three books            

Violence: Moderate fantasy violence

Magic/Supernatural: Strong supernatural

Romance: Minimal 

Christian/spiritual element: Some overt Christian content

Recommendation: Excellent for reluctant readers. More geared to boys than girls, though many geeky girls would enjoy this series too.

You might like this book if you liked... 
The Chronicles of Narnia ​or Alice in Wonderland

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Opening Lines:

The howls grew louder. The hounds were closer, closing in.

"They've got my scent!" Archer Keaton growled as he raced down the moonlit mountain path into a misty dell full of black pines. "Gotta throw them off." But how? Then he knew.

Archer launched himself skyward. He let his feet brush the tree-tops a moment, and then purposefully let himself crash down through the crisscrossing pine branches.

Dream Treaders (Dreamtreaders, Book 1)
by Wayne Thomas Batson

Fourteen-year-old Archer Keaton discovers he has the ability to enter and explore his dreams. He is a dreamtreader, one of three selected from each generation. Their mission: to protect the waking world from the Nightmare Lord, who wreaks chaos in the Dream World. But as Archer’s dreams become more dangerous and threatening, so too does his waking life.

​Rigby Thames, the new kid from England, builds a suspicious rock star-like following at Dresden High School a little too quickly. Even Archer’s best friend and confidant, Kara Windchil, seems taken in by the cool guy with the wild blond hair, which definitely rubs Archer the wrong way. Archer must face two foes in two worlds, but he cannot succeed alone. Archer sets off to find other dreamtreaders in a desperate attempt to defeat the enemy terrorizing his friends and family.

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 Opening Lines:

The terrain in the dream on this night was like the ocean's surf during a riptide, only twice as violent.

"This is crazy!" Archer shouted. He kicked out his surfboard, carved a hard left on the Intrusion wave, and nearly wiped out. Relentless Dream winds whipping his dark red hair into his eyes, he circled back to see what had caused such a jolt in the Dream surf. 

There it was: a breach the size of a manhole cover had burst right off the tip of his board. This rip in the Dream fabric, the layer of matter between the sleeping and waking worlds, spewed glowing blue, purple, and crimson particles. The thing was huge, like a giant wound gushing...or a mini-volcano erupting.

Search for the Shadow Key 
​(Dreamtreaders, Book 2)
by Wayne Thomas Batson

Fourteen-year-old Archer Keaton discovers he has the ability to enter and explore his dreams. He is a dreamtreader, one of three selected from each generation. Their mission: to protect the waking world from the evil lurking in the Dream.

The Nightmare Lord has been thrown down, but his throne is no longer empty. Rigby Thames has taken up the evil mantle with Kara Windchil as his queen. Now the only living dreamtreader, Archer Keaton finds himself on the outside of two worlds looking in. Dream Walking Inc. is taking the world by storm, allowing Rigby to build an unstoppable empire. Worse still, Rigby has unleashed the Tendrils, shadow people who can cross over into the waking world. As Archer’s family and friends begin to disappear, unexpected help comes in the form of the Wind Maiden, a mysterious angelic being who seems to know how Archer can rescue his loved ones and defeat the new Nightmare King. But the cost may prove too dear for Archer to pay. 

​Steeped in epic fantasy and intrigue, this second book in the Dreamtreaders series teaches kids important Christian values such as being a light in the darkness, resisting temptation, and keeping your faith, even when you feel like you’re standing alone. 

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Opening Lines:

"Dad, look out!" Archer shouted. From the backseat, Kaylie shrieked.

Mr. Keaton swerved, but it was too late. The SUV clipped something, and it sent the vehicle spinning on the icy road.

"Archer, help!" Kaylie cried.

"I'm on it!"

Archer threw out a buffer of his will, a spongy cushion of blue light that adhered to the SUV and gently fought the wild rotation. As the vehicle's spin began to slow, Archer increased the tread on the tires. They caught, and Mr. Keaton regained control of the steering. 

War for the Waking World
​(Dreamtreaders, Book 3)
by Wayne Thomas Batson

Would you be willing to fight for your dreams?

Fifteen-year-old Archer Keaton has the ability to enter and explore his dreams. He is a Dreamtreader, one of three selected from each generation. Their mission: to protect the waking world from the Nightmare Lord who dwells beyond the Slumber Gate. But as Archer’s dreams become more dangerous and threatening, so too does his waking life. 

​In this fast-paced conclusion to the exciting fantasy trilogy, the dream world and the waking world bleed into each other when a rift is formed between the two. People in the real world suddenly find their waking lives resemble their wildest dreams. Now it’s up to Archer and his fellow Dreamtreaders to race to reverse the rift before too much damage is done and to battle Archer’s ex-best friend, Kara, who sits on the throne of the Nightmare Lord. Kara is building an army of her own. Will Archer be strong enough to stand against her?