The Stream: Discovery

Charlie Patterson is an exceptionally bright young man, with no close friends. When his grandfather – a nursing-home resident and Charlie’s dearest friend – becomes trapped within the world of dreams, the Stream, Charlie and his friends set off to retrieve him. There they will encounter fur-covered dragons, deserts of colored glass, distorted history, and other strange beings, as well as a growing darkness.

Charlie's entire summer has been filled with increasingly disturbing dreams. Most feature a strange, dark-haired girl, who watches, but does not speak. Her name is Robin LeBeaux, a lovely seventh grader from New Mexico with a tragic past, and she is quite real. Despite Charlie's insistent logic, and Robin's enthusiastic illogic, they become fast friends. Together, guided by Robin's deceased sister, they discover a singular talent - the ability to walk into and influence others' dreams.

Charlie and Robin are determined to find Charlie's great-grandfather, G'pa Joe, and bring him back, no matter the cost. There is but one small the dark Lord Siri has other plans for the dream world … and Charlie.

Critiques have "One of the most challenging ordeals a young-adult writer can encounter is the problem of making a child protagonist exciting, believable, and enthralling to readers both young and old. Jones doesn’t even need to try."