Jazz, short for Jasmine, and her parents have just moved to Brighton from Sydney so that Jazz’s dad, Mikey, can pursue his career as a music producer. Jazz is finding it difficult to fit into her new school, and her love of surfing seems destined to be quashed forever. Not only do Brighton’s beaches have stones instead of sand and the water is downright freezing, but there’s not a surfboard in sight.
When she meets her older cousin, Amber, at a family dinner in London. Amber senses Jazz’s unhappiness and tells her about the Moonlight Dreamers, a secret society of like-minded friends that she founded years earlier. Amber suggests that Jazz seek out a group of soulmates too and form her own Moonlight Dreamers.
At first Jazz is wary, but then she decides to leave postcards for prospective soulmates, just as her cousin had. And so a new group of Moonlight Dreamers is born. Allegra, Hope, Portia and Jazz may be very different but they soon become firm friends who are always there for one another. They listen to each other’s problems and support each other’s hopes – and help make each other’s dreams come true.
Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, known for her books The Moonlight Dreamers and Tell it to the Moon. Dreaming by Starlight is Curham’s latest uplifting and hopeful novel in The Moonlight Dreamers series, perfect for children aged 12+. While Dreaming by Starlight includes characters and elements introduced in The Moonlight Dreamers, this book can be read as a standalone.
Dreaming by Starlight is a heartwarming story that will reel in young readers looking for relatability and friendship, taking you to a place of imagination. Relocating from sunny Sydney to the seaside shores of Brighton, England, Jazz is struggling to find her feet in this unfamiliar territory. So when her cousin, Amber, encourages her to find her people, she goes on an adventure of self-discovery which leads to her forever friends.
Each on their own journey, Jazz, Allegra, Hope and Portia start off as complete strangers who don’t have much in common. But with time they turn into friends and soulmates, supporting one another to chase their own dreams while always being there for each other. I wish I had a group of friends like the Moonlight Dreamers, and I think kids will be inspired to seek out their own group of soulmates after reading this.
If you’re looking for a book with adventure at its heart that’ll also uplift you, then I highly recommend Dreaming by Starlight. Curham has created a relatable world filled with unique, lively and bright characters who complement each other beautifully.
Many of our young preview readers also loved this novel; you can find out what they thought here.
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