The Great Dream Robbery

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Have you ever had a really strange dream? Maya Clayton definitely has. Last night she dreamt that her dad, the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter, had been trapped in a nightmare by his evil boss Lilith Delamere! When twelve-year-old Maya Clayton’s sleep expert father invented a special device that allows you to slip into other people’s dreams he was excited at the prospect of discovering more about the human imagination. What he did not plan was for his villainous boss of Somnia Incorporated, Lilith Delamere, to trap him in a nightmare from which he cannot escape. After the success of the Kid Normal series, I was excited to receive the new novel from Greg James & Chris Smith. I have to say I certainly wasn’t disappointed, as I thoroughly enjoyed it from beginning to crazy end. I love that the machine was called CHEESE. OK, it also brought forth some hunger pangs because I love love cheese. Teddy and Bea were such terrific characters. Love how they are twins but their personalities couldn’t be any more different. Bea is rational, calm, smart. Teddy is like the Cheshire Cat. I had to get used to Teddy a bit but after a while I just really liked the guy. He was so funny and his plans were wild but also great.

By the crazy creators of the hilarious and clever Kid Normal series, The Great Dream Robbery is even more imaginative - even using imagination to drive the plot. As always, the authors often stop to speak directly to the reader, whether to explain something, apologise for something or to just make us laugh. But it's not just a dream - it's real and Maya and her new friends the Dream Bandits must rescue the Professor before it's too late! All they need is a bit of courage and a LOT of imagination.The authors added: "The National Literacy Trust is undeniably brilliant so it is a joy to be part of their Connecting Stories initiative. The children we’ve worked with through the National Literacy Trust are always funny, feisty and fizzing with ideas.” The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people's dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere has trapped him inside a nightmare and Maya and the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it's too late! Maya will face a dangerous journey and some difficult choices. But sometimes all you need is a dream . . . and a bit of courage. Loved the plans the kids had and loved that they all did it in dinky old van with a mattress on top. Loved that the van was electric and had a laugh at how they had to divide the energy between driving or the lab in the book. The fourth wall being broken! I just love it when books do that and I was already looking forward to seeing it happen in this book. They also did it in their Kid Normal book, so I knew I would be in for a treat in this book.

Featuring a hospital heist, some banana-loving llamas and a talking cat called Bin Bag, this is one mind-bending adventure you won't want to wake up from. Here at Twinkl, we know how time-consuming it can be to create engaging literacy resources. So, we’ve taken the stress out of resource creation with this range of engaging activities based on the well-loved book by Greg James and Chris Smith. There are a variety of fun materials to choose from that are certain to support learners in reading this exciting tale. Maya loves to dream, both daydreaming (which gets her in trouble at school) and dreaming at night. When a boy from one of her dreams turns up in real life, she's really not sure what's going on. But he knows. His name is Teddy Flamewood and he and his sister are there to help Maya use her dreaming skills to put things right. Teddy and Bea's Mum has also been caught up in something strange at Somnia Industries, and they want to know what. Together they become The Dream Bandits and put together an ingenious and totally bonkers plan to save their parents.

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This madcap adventure could have only been dreamt up by the crazy minds of Greg James and Chris Smith, the duo behind the brilliant Kid Normal series. There latest book, The Great Dream Robbery, is part science-fiction, part mission impossible, part mystery that needs solving and a whole lot of fun. The authors describe their new release: "Thestory centres around 12-year-old Maya who is desperate to fall asleep and save her father Professor Dexter who is in his own living nightmare. In line with the National Curriculum, all of our ‘The Great Dream Robbery’ activities have been designed especially for use within children aged between 7 and 11 years old. You can also trust that they’re stimulating for your little learners, having been created in collaboration with our team of experienced primary school teachers. How are these ‘The Great Dream Robbery’ activities useful? Professor Dexter’s motto has always been "What if?", and has led him to the verge of a huge breakthrough in dream research at Somnia Inc. But six weeks ago, there was a terrible accident that left him trapped in a nightmare that he can’t wake up from. The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people's dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere has trapped him inside a nightmare and Maya and the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it's too late!

Pupils, from across the town, received copies of The Great Dream Robbery for their school library, after putting questions about their writing journey and dreams to the authors, during the interactive virtual visit. The Great Dream Robbery is full of rich language and descriptive paragraphs entwined within the humour. There is an endearing cast of characters, as well as the truly villainous character of Lilith Delamere. In an attempt to stop Lilith’s dastardly plan, there is an extremely bizarre battle involving a unicorn called Donald, a seal and an army of line dancing robots. This book could definitely be enjoyed in the classroom - probably as a class reader. Or as in my case, in the library for book club – as it has left me with a plethora of activity ideas. The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people’s dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere trapped him inside a nightmare so Maya and the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it’s too late."

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The conclusion was wonderfully frightening even though I knew exactly what they had to do. But how do you think straight facing something so horrifying? Inject some fun into your reading lessons with our selection of fantastic ‘The Great Dream Robbery’ activities. Created in partnership with Puffin Books, they’re the perfect way to support reading ‘The Great Dream Robbery’ with your class. Featuring a hospital heist, a mattress salesman, hairdressing accessories from a skip, a unicorn singing show tunes, and lots of cows, this witty comedy thriller showcases the resourcefulness and courage of a trio of youngsters known as the Dream Bandits.

We know that author visits help play a vital role in helping children to create positive associations with reading, support their wider learning and inspiring them to dream big. Reading has a proven link to children’s wellbeing and there couldn’t be a more important time to support the health of our children and young people. Unlike most 12 year-olds, Maya Clayton is desperate to go to bed early. Falling asleep is the only chance she has to save her dad - the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter. One pupilgot the chance to ask the authors ‘what inspired you to become authors?’, while another pupil asked ‘what made you choose to write a book about dreams?’.

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During the event, Greg James and Chris Smith delighted children by sharing tips on creating stories and encouraged them to use theirimaginations to come up with the best stories possible. Greg James said to the pupils "Make sure you’re having fun – that is the most important thing with any book! This madcap adventure could have only been dreamt up by the crazy minds of Greg James and Chris Smith - part science-fiction, part mission impossible, part mystery that needs solving and a whole lot of fun' Read more Details But something went terribly wrong and Dad is in hospital, unable to wake up. His boss Lilith Delamere is paying all the expensive hospital bills, but Maya thinks there's something not quite right about the tall, dark haired lady who looks like she hasn't slept for months!