Jake, Lucid Dreamer

A coming of age novel told by a 12 year old boy who has lost his mother to cancer. The character of jake is well crafted. The reader can feel his emotional struggle and anger over his mother's death and the trials of middle school. He has vivid dreams where he learns to control many of the things happening to him. In his day to day life, however, things often feel very out of control. He is dealing with bullying at school and the strong emotions of grief. He doesn't want to tell his father everything he is feeling, and is trying to deal with it all on his own.

This is a young adult book, but anyone who has ever lost a loved one can relate to the turmoil of emotions that Jake is feeling. I think it would be a great addition to middle school libraries and classrooms.