Gideon McGee's Dream

This book is wonderful reading for both adults and children, especially adolescents. And especially during these times when there seems to be so much focus on the dark side of what is happening around us. Gideon McGee's Dream takes us to the only place -- inside ourselves -- where we can find the key that will open the door and introduce light where the shadows threaten to deprive us of the hope and enthusiasm necessary to live life fully and with courage. Thank you Bill Marshall for such a jewel. :-)

I loved Gideon McGee's dream. It's engaging, moving, and thought-provoking. Though 50 myself, and of the opinion that I may appreciate the depth of the book more than younger folk, I have given it as gifts to my teenage daughter, and to other young people. To me, it has two themes: the adventure of growing up and the relationships between individuals, especially family members, along the way. Like two ropes wound together in a hawser, the combination is even stronger than either theme alone. This is a great book to read, a great book to give, and a great book to generate conversations worth remembering.

I'm a language arts teacher, and read Gideon McGee's Dream a year ago when it first came out. Forty pages into it, and before Gideon took his tour with Zacharaias, I knew I was going to have my 9th grade class read this book. By the time I finished the book I knew I had struck gold. What a treasure! What a timely book!! This book touched my students in ways I had not seen before. It was as though what Bill Marshall was writing about was already known by my students, but only needed a key (Gideon McGee's Dream) to release. If you have a kid in your language arts, philosophy or English class who doesn't contribute, this book will do the trick. I enjoyed this book as much as my students. Maybe more. And at a time when children are killing children, this book couldn't have come at a better time. It should find it's way into the hands of everyone over the age of twelve. Five stars isn't enough.

This book gives people the opportunity to believe that the world does not happen to them, that they can happen to the world if they are empowered to do so. People can grow up in this society today thinking that they have no control (as Giddeon once believed), and through reading about this teenager and his quest for "something better", the author "teaches us" that we can achieve if we believe. Some of us learn this as youngsters, some as "not-so-youngsters", some never. But if we ALL read this book, more people may believe in themselves and in the potential beauty in the world, if we see it that way. Another lesson the author teaches us is that, things are what they are and we all perceive and translate the same situation in different ways so we have CONTROL over how we all see things - we can make a situation good or bad depending on our outlook.There are many lessons in this book and the author's storyline grabbed me and wouldn't let me go, not only while I was reading, but long after I finished the book.Any one who can read will not only enjoy the story but get a great deal out of the author's knowledge, lessons, and belief that life can be (and actually is) much better than some of us think. I think every kid in middle and/or high school would benefit from reading this book. I believe that it can only help our youth which are, of course, our future. It should be part of the curicullum in every school system in the country. It certainly won't touch everyone who reads it (as nothing possibly could), but I believe that the more people who read it, the better. I wish I had read this book as a young person. Of course its never too late, but why wait until you're in mid-life to start believing in your potential? Then you have all those years of bad training to undo. We do want our children to believe in their full potential, don't we?

I originally bought Gideon McGee's Dream for my fifteen-year-old son, who had been having troubles that I need not go into here. My friend that recommended it to me suggested that I read it first because I'd probably get as much out of it as my son would. I'm glad I did. This is a beautiful work on the spirit and really picks up steam as it goes along. It's unpretentious and just what my son needed at this point in his life. He actually wanted to talk about it, and this from a kid who doesn't like to read. This book is a real treasure, a must read for adults and teens alike.