Dream shifter is a story about a young girl, Gwendolyn, who can shift into animals while she dreams. In this story, she is woken abruptly and left trapped in the body of an elk. Even worse news, hunting season is about to start. How is she going to stay alive long enough to figure out how to get back to her human form again. The clock is ticking… This is a fun story that takes you on an adventure as Gwen avoids hunters, while searching for a way to become a girl again. It is full of excitement and fun and I would definitely recommend reading this story to your kids.
I really enjoyed this book. The world building was wonderful and really made you feel like you were there. I loved the characters and how well they went together. This is a delightful YA fantasy and any easy read. I love reading this author and look forward to reading more by her.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Misti Maggiohttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngMisti Maggio2022-11-23 10:58:582022-11-25 11:56:36Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Misti Maggio
I think at some point in everyone life people can relate to this book. Having a dream and turning into someone else whether that’s an animal or a person and having an adventure in dream space. It is a touching story. The author does a great job on explaining a child’s life then turning into this grand adventure.
Dream-Shifter is a fantasy/children’s book that is intended for readers ages eight to twelve years old but I think anyone can enjoy reading this children’s book. We are huge fans of this author and this one may be a bit longer than her other books but we made it a fun bedtime story. My son is almost five and he loved this magical story about Gwendolyn and how she has the ability to shift into the animals shes dreaming about. But what happens when she gets woke up abruptly and is stuck as an Elk? I highly recommend reading this book to find out what happens next as we follow along with Gwendolyn and her journey. I can’t wait to read more from this Author.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Dawn Daughenbaughhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngDawn Daughenbaugh2022-11-23 04:51:242022-11-25 12:02:59Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Dawn Daughenbaugh
Such a sweet story with a big message. Gwendolyn was an amazing character. A dream shifter at night, and all it takes is one event to keep her transformed in her shifter form almost permanently. She works with her family to find a cure within a 3 month time. It’s a fun and fantastic adventure! It’s a story all ages will love to read and experience!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Laurenhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLauren2022-11-22 23:27:502022-11-25 11:53:46Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lauren West
This isn’t the first book I’ve read by the author. Dream-Shifter is the first multi chapter book that I’ve had the chance to read by the author. My daughter absolutely loved this book.
Gwendolyn is the one who dresses like the olden days. She likes to be old fashioned, but she didn’t expect to be a dream shifter. She bugs Wally and lets him know what is going on. The quote I chose for Gwendolyn is: “Let’s start with you telling me the whole process from the beginning. What happens when someone dies?”
Even though this book is aimed toward middle school ages, I still read this to my younger kids (ages 5 and 8). It was easy to read to them and they understood what was happening in the story. They loved every minute of reading this to them and requested we read it again soon. In the meantime, they’ve been pretending to be like Gwendolyn and “shape-shifting” into different animals. It’s so much fun watching them use their imaginations.
I have loved all of Lois Wickstrom’s books, but this one was different than the others I’ve read from her. Dream-Shifter is geared towards kids that are 7-12 years old, and everyone in my household enjoyed it! I highly recommend picking this up and sharing it with the kids in your life.
Gwendolyn is a middle school dream-shifter. When she dreams, she turns into different animals depending on each dream, which sounds like an amazing talent! Typically, she awakens as a human again but when she is startled awake, she is stuck as an elk. Gwendolyn doesn’t know what to do next and to make matters worse, it’s elk hunting season! Will she be able to find anyone who can help her, or is she stuck as an elk forever?
I really enjoy Lois Wickstrom’s books and Dream Shifter sounded so promising so I was incredibly surprised by the fact that I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would. Dream Shifter was still chock full of all the wonderful lessons that the author uses her stories to teach such as learning ways to handle our problems in healthy ways, if you can’t solve a problem one way search for another, we are always learning in life’s classroom, animal welfare for the elks during hunting season, how people should always ask before touching someone, and maintaining awareness. One thing that confused me was how the subject matter switched from middle grade to young adult, for example, I’m not really sure that what I would consider middle grade aged children would be thinking about paying for massages before big races. Second, a middle grade child obsessing over winning the race to earn money for journalism school. Also, once Gwendolyn gets to the magic house I couldn’t tell if the other characters were her friends or if they really didn’t like each other because they seemed to be really mean and manipulative. Gwendolyn’s parents also seemed weirdly detached, and behaved as if she was a much older child. Although I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I thought I would I will still be looking forward to this authors other books and stories.
Gwendolyn is a really sweet pre-teen who has an interesting trait. When she sleeps, she becomes the animal she dreams of, then wakes up as a human again. The only problem is that if she is startled awake, she stays as the animal she is. Turns out it happens to her by an alarm, and she is stuck as an elk till she finds a way to get it fixed. She is told of a magician and goes to them for help. She has an adventure doing so and learning things along the way. It’s a cute read for teens.
This is a cute story. Not really a run of the mill paranormal tale. It was a different kind of a shifter story that I really enjoyed. The story had some adventures and I enjoyed going through them. I have read other stories by this author and like how she weaves her stories. I will look forward to reading more from her.
I do not read many books aimed at teens, but this was such a fun book to read and easy to get into. Gwendolyn is a dream-shifter that changes into the form she is dreaming about, and comes out as an elk, right at elk hunting season. Now she has to learn what it means to be an elk, and try to return to herself, without being hunted. That aside, she is also challenged by time. If she doesn’t find a way to revert to her human form within 3 months, she will remain an elk forever. This is definitely geared towards the middle school chapter book genre, and my kids would easily love this one, but even as an adult it made me smile and appreciate it. I would recommend it to anyone that wants something a little unique.
Gwendolyn is not your typical 12-year-old girl. At night when she goes to sleep, she can shift into the shape of any animal that she dreams of. Usually when she wakes up, she is human again. Up until the day there is a fire in her home and a fire alarm wakes her up in the middle of the night. Now Gwendolyn is an elk and is unable to shift back to human form. She is anxious to shift back to human form because she has Journalism camp that she wants to attend. Oh, and there is the problem that it is elk hunting season.
Gwendolyn asks for help from a magician, but he seems to be unable to shift her back. The magician does give her access to his magical library in case there is a book that can help her. Of course, the book she needs has a magical spell on it and she cannot get anywhere near it. Will Gwendolyn shift back to human form before Journalism camp begins? Will she be able to keep safe as an elk from the hunters?
A very cute story geared towards 8–12-year-olds. This book contains magic, drama, and adventure with some twists and turns along the way. Gwendolyn is a remarkable young girl who is smart, funny, and brave despite the odds she is faced with. She knows want she wants and will not be deterred by obstacles that get in her way. A beautiful story about self-discovery and the importance of not giving up.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Tara Johnson Barneshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngTara Johnson Barnes2022-11-22 14:53:092022-11-25 11:47:26Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tara Johnson Barnes
If you’re a fan of Lois Wickstrom’s books and the Disney movie, Seeing Red, you will love this selection! Gwendolyn, a middle school student, is a very determined and goal-oriented girl with ambitions of one day being a journalist. Her main priorities right now are finishing her paper on time and a running competition where the prize money will go towards a journalism camp at the university. Then unexpectedly, there is a fire in her home and realizes she needs to escape when she wakes up as an elk. The changing into the elk doesn’t come too much of a surprise as Gwendolyn comes from a family of dream-shifters, humans that can transform into animals while dreaming. The unfortunate part is that now Gwendolyn is stuck in this animal form. She then embarks on a mission to continue her strides to make it to journalism camp and find a way to transform herself back to human form before time runs out. Being a kids book, there are so many great takeaways from the situation Gwendolyn has been dealt with. Learning to be flexible, sticking to your goals, coming up with new ideas, and seeking others in times of need are all great points to be instilled in kids. Another great thing for kids to enjoy is that fantasy aspect, which is a big trend nowadays. Thinking of this as I’m reading the book is to seek the opportunity of reading this book along with your kid/pre-teen together. This opens up such great discussions and bonding as well.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jennifer Ramoshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJennifer Ramos2022-11-22 13:45:402023-08-05 13:52:35Dream-Shifter. Book Review by Jennifer Ramos
This is not my first read by Lois Wickstrom, I think her books are very entertaining, short reads for children of all ages. This one, Dream-shifter is geared towards the older adolescents, but is without a doubt a great story! Imagine waking up and you are the animal that you were dreaming of!! Gwendolyn is a dream-shifter, she transforms into any animal when she is asleep but turns back into her human form as long as she isn’t startled awake. Well, one night all of that changes and a fire at Gwendolyn’s home startles her awake and she finds herself stuck waking up as an elk. And despite Gwendolyn’s best efforts, she is stuck as an elk for quite some time, will she ever change back into her human form, or will she forever be stuck wondering around as an elk?? Lois Wickstrom definitely covered suspense, adventure, and great character building!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Mary E Espinozahttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngMary E Espinoza2022-11-22 11:49:312022-12-08 15:00:52Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Mary Espinoza
This is a great fantasy read for older children. The author does an amazing job of making fantasy feel like it could be reality. This is a heartwarming story of a young girl and her adventures as she navigates her life however things aren’t that straight forward.
Gwendolyn is a dreamshifter. That means at night she shifts into whatever she dreams about. Normally this isn’t a problem she always wakes up the next morning back in her human form. However, this one night she gets startled awake by the fire alarm in her home and gets stuck as an elk. Now she has to figure out a way to get herself back into a human all the while making sure she keeps safe and away from hunters. Can she stay safe in the form she is stuck in? Will she be able to change back or will she be trapped as an elk forever?
I have never heard of a dream shifter before. I really loved the idea of it and how the author put it into a book that not only I loved, but I think my ten year old will as well. Gwendolyn is a 12-year dream-shifter. She shifts into the animals that she dreams about. Fun right?! Well each night she prepares for the dreams and normally enjoys them. There is one catch to being a dream shifter though. If you wake up normally on your own you shift back to human. BUT if you get woken up suddenly (like from a fire alarm) you stay shifted! Crazy right?! Lets just say that her parents were shocked the first time it happened. Unfortunately, she learns that if you don’t shift back within a few months you get stuck in the form that you last shifted to!! So, she’s leaping around as an Elk and having fun, when she’s bolted awake from the fire alarm. They forgot to turn off the space heater that they used to make smores indoors. Not only is Gwendolyn stuck as an elk now, but their home burned down. To top off her already horrible night, she learns that it’s almost elk season! Which means she has to find a place to hide! Where do you hide an elk?? She’s stuck as an elk with no knowledge on how to turn back and now she must keep away from hunters! Thankfully she can speak English and she still thinks mostly like a girl. But how do you explain this to people? And who would believe her?! Getting the help from a magician that she’s a little scared of is her last resort, but she must. He gives her access to his magical library which she finds out that her grandmother’s written books are part of! Maybe she can find some answers finally!! He does end up having a book that might help, but for some reason she can’t get near it. Oh odd!! Will Gwendolyn spend the rest of her life as an Elk? Will she get hunted and killed during the season?! Hiding out at the magician’s house, putting on magic shows for kids to pay for room and board is just the start to this fun and interesting book!! I got sucked in and I hope my daughter will as well. I’m excided to share it with her. If you have never heard of a dream-shifter (like me) you are in for a treat!!
I’ve read a few Lois Wickstrom books with my youngest child and we always love them. Dream Shifter was the first full length novel I’ve read by this author vs the usual younger children stories with illustrations. Dream Shifter was just as imaginative and enjoyable as the books I’ve read before it though! I enjoyed the creative storyline and the characters were fantastic. I actually read this book myself but I feel that my 8 year old would have loved it. I really look forward to reading more from such a creative author.
Fantasy adventure for middle schoolers A unique fantasy adventure that has shifters, magic, drama and suspense. 12 year old Gwendolyn faces many issues when her Dream Shifting abilities get interrupted and she is stuck as an elk. What is she going to do? Delivered in a way that is easy to follow, the author weaves a story that is relatable as it is fantastical. There is something for everyone in this book. Highly recommend.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Rayne Easthttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngRayne East2022-11-20 05:17:552022-11-21 11:57:32Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Rayne East
A great book for middle school readers. Gwendolyn is a dream-shifter, she transforms into any animal when she is asleep but turns back into her human form as long as she isn’t startled awake. One night a fire at Gwendolyn’s home startled her and she finds herself stuck being an elk.
The book is well written and I liked it. It has suspense, action, the shape shifting by the main character, and so muck more. I’m looking forward to hearing what my son thinks of the book. I’m sure I would have enjoyed this book when I was in middle school.
What a fun read for middle elementary school agers. I’d say to anyone who is ready to read a chapter book, this one is perfect. It has everything a reader is looking for. Fantasy, magic, journalism, and the most important is the adventure. Gwendolyn is a Dream Shifter so she shifts in her dreams but wakes up as a girl. That is until she is woken in the middle of the night to the fire alarm. Her life changes drastically and now she needs to turn things around. Elk season is here and, well she is an elk. How will she change? Can she change back to the girl she is? No Spoilers. This author has become one of my favorite writers for children’s books. All of her books are fascinating and easy to follow. Her stories never drag on, she keeps the reader reading. Her characters are always fun to read about. They are also easy to relate to. I am looking forward to the next story.
Gwendolyn is a middle school aged girl who is a dream shifter. Basically that means that she shifts into what she is dreaming about. A house fire awakes Gwendolyn up abruptly which causes her to wake up in her dream shift, an elk. Not knowing how to shift back into a girl, she tries to maneuver life as an elk during hunting season at that. Feeling like she is constantly in danger, her parents convince her to stay at a magician’s house while he tries to find a cure for her.
Meanwhile her life as a girl is slowly falling apart. No one believes that she is a talking elk. Everyone thinks that it is some elaborate prank being played on them.
This was a nice book for older children, I would say ages 9 to 12 mostly. Gwendolyn had to learn to live her life while difficult situations kept happening to her. She had to overtake some obstacles in her life to go back to normal. All with a fantasy and magical aspect to it making it more engaging for the children.
Dream Shifter is the perfect chapter book for young adults. The main character is Gwendolyn who is 12. She can become any animal in her dreams. Very entertaining story, easy to read and quite a fun book. I can’t wait to share it with my grandchildren.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Toni Sellershttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngToni Sellers2022-11-18 17:47:322023-08-05 13:57:46Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Toni Sellers
This was a middle grades chapter book. I enjoyed it! Gwendolyn, the main character is a dreamshifter. While in her journalism, she is assigned to interview a funeral director. After she meets Marjorie a fire erupts in her home and Gwendolyn finds herself waking up as an elk. Now Gwendolyn is having to live life with her family as an elk. She has to learn to adapt to her new form (those growing antlers!) and finds that everyone accepts her as an elk.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Tanya Wallhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngTanya Wall2022-11-17 13:29:132022-11-18 12:01:21Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Tanya Wall, November 2022
This is a nice story that give a good message. I enjoyed the idea of this one. It is an area of paranormal I have not ran across before. It is an interesting idea and really could go far. This one is intended for a younger audience as if follows a teen girl. She is looking toward her future and being stuck in a elk’s body isn’t not her ideal. But until she can figure out how to go back to being a little girl she is going to still push forward with her human agenda.
This story has ha nice flow to it. I just struggled a bit with what happened while she was an elk. The things she did and her focus was what bothered me. Otherwise its a cute book. That cover is just adorable and one of the reasons I picked this up.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Lisa Helmickhttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngLisa Helmick2022-11-14 19:04:132022-11-18 11:23:59Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Lisa Helmick
Lois Wickstrom has a wonderful knack for creating stories that jump off the pages of the book to transport readers into the world she has created. Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom is a wonderful fantasy book that takes the reader on a journey with Gwendolyn and her parents as they navigate life with her ability to shift into animals when she dreams. Unfortunately, there is always the possibility of becoming stuck as an animal if she is woken suddenly for example by a loud sound. Gwen is tragically stuck as an elk a few weeks before the elk hunting season begins. She has many things that she was looking forward to as a human- an article she was supposed to write for her journalism class, a race she wanted to compete in, and her biggest dream a summer journalism camp. How will she do any of it if she is an elk?
Gwen and her parents are told about the Birthday Party Magician, Taran who might be able to help her, but when he tries to it does not work. According to Taran, she only has until November 25th to become human again. Lois takes the reader through Gwen’s quest to become human again with many twists and turns. Find out if Gwendolyn must spend the rest of her days as an elk by reading Dream-Shifter. This is one adventure you will not regret!
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Jamie Burnshttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngJamie Burns2022-11-14 13:12:322022-11-18 11:19:23Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Jamie Burns
Gwendolyn is a standard pre teen faced with an issue of being stuck as an Elk. The book is based on her experiences as an Elk. Trying to navigate her world without hands thus she needs more help from the people around her. I found it funny that it wasn’t taboo that she was a dream-shifter, usually this is the standard case with most magic. Instead she must convince those around her that she is in fact Gwendolyn. Other people’s acceptance of her being in an elk body are all different. She is hilarious and outgoing trying accomplish getting into journalism camp. There was one part I didn’t like towards the end since it came out the blue and didn’t think that it was needed. I don’t want to spoil the story so I’ll leave it at that. I thought overall the story is a fun coming of age story and having to live with body changes.
https://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.png00Callie Lunahttps://itsybitsybookbits.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/IBBB_2020_logo_sq.pngCallie Luna2022-11-14 08:45:092022-11-18 11:17:51Dream-Shifter by Lois Wickstrom – Review by Callie Luna
Gwendolyn is a young girl of twelve years old who lives with her parents and spends time with her best friend, but unbeknownst to the outside world, Gwendolyn is a dream shifter and this means that every night when she goes to sleep, she changes into whatever animal form she is dreaming in. Normally this doesn’t cause a problem, as long as she wakes up slowly and naturally, she will become a human again, however, if she is woken up suddenly, she can become stuck as that animal.
One night, Gwendolyn is dreaming of being an elk and is woken suddenly by a fire alarm blaring into the night, but as an elk, she can’t escape until her parents come and open her door, but there is a problem, it is elk hunting season and she is an elk, albeit an elk who can think and speak like a human girl! As a couple of days pass by, Gwendolyn tries to return to her human self, mainly because she has plans of going to journalism camp, but they will only accept humans, this makes her desperate to turn back, but the book she needs isn’t at home, but her parents have managed to find out who has it, a magician who lives nearby.
When Gwendolyn and her parent approach the magician for help, he agrees, as long as she stays with him and earns her keep doing magic shows, but with all the distractions around her, will Gwendolyn be able to find a way to turn back into a human, or will she be stuck as an elk forever? This is a charming story which is full of magic and mayhem, as life lessons are learned and expectations are created, all while avoiding external dangers which keep you reading until you find out what happens to Gwendolyn in the end.
This was a unique story which centers around Gwendolyn a 12-year-old girl who can become an animal in her dreams. When she wakes up naturally, she is a girl again. However, one evening when she is dreaming of being an elk frolicking around with other elk a fire alarm jars her awake. Gwendolyn, stays an elk-and it is elk hunting season! Gwendolyn has to learn to adapt to this new change will still having her own voice and mind. There were a few things she needed to accomplish as a girl, can she still finish these tasks as an elk? This book is a great read for all ages, but geared toward middle school readers. There’s plenty of action and adventure, along with a lesson to be learned. Will Gwendolyn remain an elk? You will have to read to find out!
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