The Gold of Dreams (Sunburst book) [Paperback]

Jose Maria Merino (Author), Helen Lane (Author, Translator)

Book Description

Series: Sunburst book | Publication Date: April 1994

Fifteen-year-old Miguel, the son of a conquistador, embarks on a dangerous search for a temple of gold in the uncharted territories of Mexico.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

PW found this "rousing and enjoyable" adventure set in 16th-century New Spain "reminiscent of Don Quixote , Swiss Family Robinson and Treasure Island. " Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5-9-- Miguel, 15, is a dreamy boy whose preoccupation with deeds of valor stems in part from the stories he has heard about his deceased Conquistador father. He finds that daydreaming is no preparation for reality, however, when he accompanies his godfather and an old family friend on an expedition of 200 men to uncover a golden temple that is rumored to lie in the Mayan territory to the south. This book takes a hard look at the internal splintering of the Americas. Miguel himself is split. His mother and her family are Native Americans; while he thinks of himself as Spanish, he nonetheless reveres his maternal grandfather. A sense of uneasiness runs convincingly through the book, as Miguel seems to regard the Mayans as the enemy, yet cannot shake a sense that the Spaniards are not dealing squarely. This conflict is carried out even more clearly in the case of a teenaged interpreter whose internal division causes him to betray both relatives and his liege lord. Another subplot revolves around the identity of a capable young ragamuffin who turns out to be a girl, and this ties in with the trials of the expedition leader's fiancee, who must carry on when her husband-to-be is killed. The narrative style drags at times, and the plot relies a bit too heavily on coincidence, but the characterization is good, and the issues dealt with are important ones. The wages of greed are clearly shown, as are their powerful pull. Read in conjunction with Marrin's Inca and Spaniard (Atheneum, 1989), this can serve to flesh out the effects of warring cultures on an entire population. --Ann Welton, Thomas Academy, Kent, WA
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 217 pages
• Publisher: Sunburst (April 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0374425841
• ISBN-13: 978-0374425845
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,720,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars The Gold of Dreams, January 10, 2002

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Gold of Dreams (Hardcover)

The book The Gold of Dreams by Jose Maria Marino is an enchanting tale about a young Mexican boy who goes on a treasure hunt with his godfather and an old family friend. The book was quite good except for the fact that the book started out fairly slowly. During the boy's journey, the purpose was to find treasure. The purpose soon became to survive...
I would recommend this book because it is exceptionally exciting towards the middle of the book. The different characters are explained with great detail and are extremely realistic. Take Miguel, for instance. He is a fifteen year-old boy and the decisions and thoughts he comes up with resemble those of an average 15 year-old. There is nothing that is obviously unbelievable. The different events have a lot of action (in the middle) so the reader wants to continue. Another reason this book is well written is because the characters all have unique stories of their own. Miguel, for instance, has a missing father and has always wanted to know him. The characters seem to be carefully and realistically planned out and have little secrets that one might not notice from their first description. These are the little things that many people overlook but make this book what it is.
People might dislike this book because it starts out slowly and seems to be a boring book at first. The action starts towards the middle but this is usual for most books. This should definitely not be reason to stop someone from reading this book. The action at the end is definitely worth it. All of the parts come together to weave this book together. The reader gets to see what happens to all of the different characters, which you usually get very into. The end is clearly the best part of the book also because when one finds out what happens, they get a good feeling inside seeing how the characters progressed and developed from the beginning. Miguel learns many things about his different friends from the journey that he takes because they all have to work together to survive. This book is truly a very engrossing and informative book about the Mexican culture. I strongly advise the reader to read this book if you he/she is considering it.

4.0 out of 5 stars Miguel's Gold of Dream, January 5, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Gold of Dreams (Library Binding)

The beginning of The Gold of Dreams by Jose Maria Merino was slow but after the story progresses it becomes more intriguing. It is very realistic which would be hard for the author because the story does not take place in modern times. It is about 15 year old Miguel, son of a Conquistador, who goes to an adventure to find gold in South Mexico with his godfather and companions. During their trip they fight Indians, battle a giant squid, search for gold, pearls and other treasures and Miguel learns the truth of some surprising things. I would recommend this book even though it is a historical book it is exciting, parts of the book keep you reading. The main character Miguel learns a lot about his life and some of the truth about his friend Juan, his father, and the friar. The two cultures he has, the Christian from his father and the Indian from his mother's side, confuse him. You understand much more about the times around the Spanish Conquistadors. I can see why some people might not like this book and I agree with them. Many parts were either dull or exciting. Also some parts were so detailing that it was disgusting. Sometimes, since it is a Spanish translation, they used many Spanish words without a glossary to explain them which made parts confusing. Everything seems to revolve around Miguel so much that it would not be realistic but it is a book and it does what it has to to keep the reader interested, which it does.