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Atheneum Books
for Young Readers |
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Young Babak has a dangerous gift: He can dream the future. Mitra, his brave older sister, is sworn to protect him. For them to survive living on the streets, she must do whatever is necessary—including using her brother's talent for profit.
When Babak is asked to dream for a powerful Magus, he receives a mysterious vision of two stars dancing in the night. Determined to solve this prophetic riddle, the Magus takes the boy and his sister on an arduous journey across the desert. What they discover will change the world in a way that no dream could ever predict....
A note from the author
One day, while reading Abbas Milani's beautiful book,Tales of Two Cities, I came upon a passage that told of an old Persian tradition, the idea that some people have the special ability to have dreams for others. Something about this idea caught me. For a couple of years I toyed with it, imagining a character who might have this ability and trying to find the right time and place for him. But I could not.
Then, on another day much later, while I was driving past a church renowned for its lovely Christmas pageant, a vision of the Three Wise Men flashed into my mind. I'd always loved the Wise Men! But now, I wondered: Who were they? Where did they come from? What did they hope to find? I decided to write about them as soon as I finished the book about the dreamer, (if I ever managed to figure that one out). And then I thought. They're part of the same book.
In 2002 my sister Laura and I went to Iran, on the trail of those ancient seekers. (She provided the courage; I, the itinerary.) With the help of our expert Iranian guide and driver, we traversed the Iranian plateau, explored ancient ruins, gazed down into a qanat, picnicked in the mountains with a Kurdish family we'd just met, wandered around a caravanserai, floated down an underground river, and visited mosques and museums. We confirmed some things I knew, debunked some things I thought I knew, and made discoveries I could never have imagined. Later, I received much help and support from Iranian friends, most notably Abbas Milani of Stanford University and Hossein Ebrahimi (Elvand) of the House of Translation in Tehran. Both men generously drew upon their own and others' knowledge to confirm some of my guesses and correct my mistakes.
One of the hardest things about writing this book was to integrate the themes of the two stories: the story of the boy who dreams for others (and his sister Mitra, who turned out to be the main character), and the story of the Magi. For a while, I despaired of ever pulling it off. But in the end, an answer came. At least, an answer that satisfies me.
Readers' Guide to Alphabet of Dreams
Awards and recognition
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American Library Association Best Books for Young Adults |
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Beehive Award Nominee 2007-2008 (Utah) |
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Booklist Top Ten Religion Books for Youth |
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Children’s Book Council Notable Social Studies Trade Book |
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Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices List 2007 |
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Dorothy Canfield Fisher Master List 2007-08 (Vermont) |
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Junior Library Guild Selection |
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Kids Online Books for Holiday Giving 2006 |
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Maine Student Book Award 2007-08 Reading List |
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New York Public Library’s Books for the Teen Age 2007 |
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OCTE Oregon Spirit Book Award for Young Readers 2008 |
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Oregon Book Award, 2007 |
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Oregon Young Adult Network Book Rave List 2007 |
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