Eddy's Dream - Hardcover

K-Gr 2-When Eddy's first-grade inner-city classmates talk about their dreams and then decide to dramatize them, Eddy refuses to take part and tells the others they "look stupid" in their costumes. As their recitation of their dreams progresses, he continues to be scornful until Trisha reveals that Eddy is sad because he wants to visit his Grandma in Puerto Rico. The kids pretend to take a plane there and although he protests that, "This is so dumb," he finally enters into the play and cheers up. The narrative combines school-day slice-of-life with bibliotherapy. The children's dialogue and behavior are fairly typical of this age group. While the black-and-white photographs increase the realism of the story, they are unlikely to attract the intended audience. Furthermore, the quality of the pictures and their reproduction varies. Although the action seems to be in one day, the students' clothes change (in addition to the costume changes), making it difficult to be sure who is who. Eddy's turtlenecks go from plain dark to wide stripes to solid light. The teacher not only changes outfits, but she also changes hairstyles. In addition, it isn't always clear from the photo which child is speaking. Teachers and guidance counselors may welcome this book as a useful discussion starter but it's unlikely to have the popularity with children that Cohen's previous school stories have enjoyed.-Louise L. Sherman, formerly at Anna C. Scott School, Leonia, NJ

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