The Dreamer

In this book by Pam Munoz Ryan is a a tale of a little boy, Neftali, who is sickly, a daydreamer, and wants to explore the world.  His only problem is his controlling father who wants him to be a doctor or a lawyer.  Neftali must abide by his father's rules or be subjected to his father's wrath.  In the story, Neftali and his sister Laurita care for a wounded swan and like the swan Neftali finds the courage to become strong "fly" on his own.  He begins working for his Uncle Orlando, who is very outspoken against the Chilean government, and is forced to deal with his father.  Will he give into his father or speak up for what he knows is right?  This powerful and touching story is a must read for anyone who has dealt with trying to find their place in the world.
Neftali was a poet who wrote about nature and ideas that werenot always popular.  The story of his childhood in this book is fiction, but the ideas are very real.