Victoria E Pannell and Thorir Sigfusson

Will Brandon’s dream of winning a remote-controlled car race come true?

Twelve-year-old Brandon is looking forward to a fun filled summer break with his friends in Riverside. It is the final week of term, but before school ends, Brandon has to complete an English essay about his plans for the summer. As Brandon ponders his essay, the bell rings and school closes for the summer. Brandon retreats to his rooftop pigeon coop with his friends, Josh and Skip. Brandon has twenty pigeons in his coop, and is visited frequently by a friendly crow, he named Ralph. When the boys hear of a new remote-controlled car race being held in the town, they cannot wait to enter. The race is being organised by video game developer, Game2Teck, and the winner will feature in a new video game. But the car kit and race fees are expensive and could cost up to $2,000. Brandon summons Josh and Skip to an emergency meeting, to discuss ways to raise the money. Each boy gets a summer job, and they plan various other fund-raising events, including a car wash and a bake sale. When they notice crow Ralph collecting shiny objects from the floor, they spot a novel opportunity to make even more money for their racing scheme. But, when money and valuable trinkets start disappearing across the town, Brandon and his feathered friend find themselves in a spot of bother. Will the boys make enough money to enter the race? Will Brandon’s goal of winning the race come true? Or is it all just a pipe dream?

The Big Dream by Victoria E. Pannell and Thorir Sigfusson is a fun book for middle grade readers about a young boy named Brandon and his school friends. The boys desperately try to raise money over the summer break to enter a remote-controlled car race. They will stop at nothing to achieve their dream even if it means bending the rules, just a little bit. This is an entertaining story and young readers will laugh out loud at the boys fund-raising adventures and the (mis)adventures of Ralph the crow, who is drafted in to help. The book beautifully captures the essence of summer, childhood friendships and the innocence of youth. A delightful read, with a surprising, unexpected twist at the end.

Star rating: 5 Stars

Summary: A delightful, fun-filled summer adventure of pigeon hunting and remote- controlled car racing, featuring a very special crow.