Eleven-year-old Zac and everyone else in town dreads falling asleep. Bad dreams are beginning to keep the Waking World awake. The Waking World will be thrown into chaos if people are afraid to sleep....if they see their worst fears in nightmares.

Zac's grandma, Eve Wonder, is one of the Knights of Nod from the land of Nocturne. She is returning to fight alongside the others who are trying to stop the Dream Stealers.

Zac finds friends on the adventure; he also discovers that he has magical powers. A fiery battle leaves the Knights of Nod in charge... for now . Reading ZAC AND THE DREAM STEALERS to my children who are in the low end of the 8 -- 12 suggested age range was fun! Who wouldn't want to jump into a backyard pond that led to Nocturne? So much magic is there: vampires, werewolves, flying camper vans, elves, trolls, locator compasses, and more.

The Dream Stealers are really frightening, especially Shadow the leader. Rumpous Tinn carries everything in his long, white beard. Zac and Granny are great together; she asks him if she's ever let him down. Zac thinks that she never had.

Another great partnership between an older and a younger person springs up between Tinn and Noelle, a girl who has been trapped (and invisible) with the Dream Stealers since the vampires attacked her village.

Some of the descriptions and situations may be too scary or disturbing for younger readers. My kids didn't like when the dream about Zac's deceased mom turned into a rotting, hunched monster.

Most of the magic in ZAC AND THE DREAM STEALERS is thrilling, creative fun!