Dream Catcher: A Young Person's Journal for Exploring Dreams    by Patricia Garfield Order:  USA  Can Tundra, 2003 (2003) Hardcover     Reviewed by Hilary Williamson This is a journal, for catching dreams, with a wonderful introduction on setting the stage for dreaming, how to recall and interpret dreams, and (the part I enjoyed the most) beliefs about dreams from all over the world. Patricia Garfield tells us that our emotions 'are acted out each night on the stage' of our dreams, and that dreams help shape our lives. It's an empowering message. She recommends that we make a particular effort to understand recurring dreams, which suggest unresolved problems, and summarizes the basic dream themes, such as falling, being improperly clothed or lost in a maze, or flying. She tells us that we can change our dreams and so change our lives. Dream related myths from around the world include the Egyptian dwarf god Bes, Greek Orpheus and his lyre, Irish Dagda's harp, Japanese Baku who ate nightmares, the African Dream Doll, and Scandinavian Johnny Shuteye who makes children sleepy and gives them wondrous dreams. Journal entries have space for both 'Day Notes' and 'Dream Notes' and are interspersed with dream interpretation guidance, such as 'Do you dream of being lost or trapped? / You feel confused or uncertain about what to do in some waking situation.' Dream Catcher is a lovely journal that would make a wonderful gift for any young person interested in self exploration through dream interpretation. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Teens books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews