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    Gossamer
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    Gossamer
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    Gossamer
    Audiobook2 hours

    Gossamer

    Written by Lois Lowry

    Narrated by Anne Twomey

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    Littlest One is a tiny creature slowly learning her job of giving dreams to humans. Each night she and her teacher, Thin Elderly, visit an old woman's home where she softly touches beloved objects, gathering happy memories, and drops of old scents and sounds. Littlest One pieces these bits together and presents them to her sleeping human in the form of pleasant dreams. But the dreaded Sinisteeds, dark fearsome creatures that plague their victims with nightmares, are always at work against the dreamgivers. When the old woman takes in John, an angry foster child with a troubled past, the Sinisteeds go after him with their horrifying nightmares. Can Littlest One, and her touch light as gossamer, protect John's heart and soul from the nightmare of his dark past?


    From the Trade Paperback edition.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPenguin Random House Audio
    Release dateMay 23, 2006
    ISBN9780739335277
    Author

    Lois Lowry

    Lois Lowry is the author of more than forty books for children and young adults, including the New York Times bestselling Giver Quartet and the popular Anastasia Krupnik series. She has received countless honors, among them the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award, the Dorothy Canfield Fisher Award, the California Young Reader Medal, and the Mark Twain Award. She received Newbery Medals for two of her novels, Number the Stars and The Giver.

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    Reviews for Gossamer

    4/5

    682 ratings114 reviews

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    • 5/5
      TW: child abuse, domestic abuse, nightmares

      For fans of A Monster Calls, Gossamer tells the tale of a dream-giver and the young boy she bestows dreams upon. He is a troubled child with an unsettling past, and he needs all the good dreams he can get, especially with the Sinisteed Horde that is fast approaching him, intent on giving him horrible nightmares.

      "Sad parts are important ... you must include the sad parts, because they are part of the story, and they have to be part of the dreams."
      The book is short and bittersweet, with darker themes than most of Lowry's work. I wish that there was more in this world, as it is very interesting and unique. I love sandman-esque stories. The worldbuilding was well done and the characters were all excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

      "Change means leaving things behind, and that's always sad."
    • 3/5
      John, a young boy, is placed in a house with a nice lady while his mom struggles to get stable income. Meanwhile, the bestower, or "good" fairies, touch items in the house to give John, and the elderly lady to which he's assigned, good dreams and memories because it's their job. The lady and John have been struggling adjusting to one another as the little boy is a little mean, rowdy, and fibs about his dad being heavily involved in his life, when in fact, he has had little to do with the boy and often abused him. The Littlest One is the newest fairy on the team and is being trained by a very experienced veteran. Because the Littlest One is so spirited, the veteran trainer assumes it as disrespect and disobedience, and finds it annoying, so a different trainer is assigned. However, in a panic situation with "bad" fairies coming, the Littlest One does the right thing and acts quickly on her feet when she continuously gives the little boy good dreams against the bad fairies' wills. The bad fairies inflict bad dreams and further damage the person they're giving them to. Each fairy has an assigned house until their mission is complete and their memories of the house erase. After all this, John finally settles in with the grandmotherly lady and her dog, Toby. By the time that happens, the mom is able to take John back and both feel much better about their lives.
    • 5/5
      Gossamer gives us the pathway to explore an imaginary world. This book is about how little creatures help humans dream at night. They kind of reminded me of tooth fairies. In the novel we are introduced to a little boy that has been taken in by an elderly lady. The boy lived an abuse life so he acts out. Sinisteeds start to inflict the boy with horrible nightmares, but it is Littlest One's duty to protect the boy from the nightmares. A cool activity would be to make dream catchers and discuss how and why we dream.
    • 5/5
      This is a great story that is full of fictional elements while adding a real life situation, being a foster child.I would use "Gossamer" in the classroom to have students draw conclusions about name significance in books. The names Gossamer, Strapping, Thin Elderly, Fastidious, the Heap and even John are allusions to the characters' or place meaning or purpose. This would also be a great book to have children decide the other elements of a book.
    • 4/5
      Gossamer is a story about a tiny creature named Little One learning how to give dreams to humans. Little one and his teacher, Thin Elderly, go inside a woman's home and touch different objects in order to gather information to place into the woman's dreams. The woman fosters a boy named John, who has had a troubled past. The sinisteeds try to go after John by giving him horrible nightmares. It is Littlest One's job to protect John from the sinisteeds and lead him to a happier life. I really enjoyed this novel and thought it was so interesting. This story made me think about what triggers certain dreams. Lowry came up with such a unique idea to write about and I think all readers would enjoy this story.
    • 5/5
      In GOSSAMER, Lowry has created an alternative world of Dreamgivers -- an oh-so-believable concept in which creatures bestow dreams on humans. Yet she weaves this ethereal world with the real world, the two universes mirroring one another in some ways; that is, both have good and evil, the bedrock of the fantasy genre. Lowry effectively uses multiple points of view to tell the story, and it works. Some readers, no doubt, are swept into the human world, eager to see how John, the abused boy, and the woman who takes him in are faring. I was swept into the world of the dreamgivers and loved the descriptions that Lowry painted as Littlest One touched the human's things, gathering from them fragments of happy memories in order to bestow pleasant dreams. The varying points of view add depth to the arc of the plot. The boy's story of abuse unfolds as does his arduous journey to trusting people; the mother's story of poverty, and also abuse from her domineering husband, adds a level of understanding to John's story all leading to a satisfying end. People can survive horrendous abuse if they have enough support and love surrounding them; trust is possible again. People also heal themselves -- and I think that's the essence of what the dreams are about. Dreams are our unconscious working on us during the night; and maybe dreams do harvest the bits and pieces of happiness in our lives to lead us to new understandings.
    • 5/5
      I really liked this book. I am not a names person and did not know that Lois Lowry had written The Giver. This had trapping of her style in it and I was amazed to find out exactly who she was. She is an amazing writer. She always has the most original story to tell. Starting with dreams and their origins. We find out that these mystical, magical beings are the dream givers. I love the style Lowry uses by switching between reality and imagination.The story centers around an old woman who adopts a little boy. He is very angry and terrible at times. But, life has dealt him a bad hand and he is coping the best he can. He was heavily abused by his father and his mother did not do much to stop it. The other side of the story centers around these magical almost fairy like beings. They give people dream by taking memories from everyday items. By touching these items they are able to concoct amazing dreams for people.The little boy is in bad shape and the evil sinesteeds know it. They are the nightmare givers. They are trying to break the boy. Littlest, one of the dream givers, risks her life to help the boy by giving him an amazing dream that strengthens him and makes the nightmares not as bad. It is a great book that shows us the power we have over bad things and thoughts.
    • 4/5
      Gossamer is fantasy novel about fairy-like beings who are dream-givers. The dream-giver's mission is to bestow perfect dreams upon people using items they find around the house, such as a photograph. Eventually, the story centers around a John, a little who comes from a broken home and lives with an older woman. But when sinisteeds arrive and inflict horrible nightmares upon dreamers, it's up to dream givers to protect them. Gossamer provides readers with an opportunity to explore their imaginations. It also makes readers wonder about the possibilities of the existence of dream-givers and sinisteeds. This novel is appropriate for students who are in middle school and can fully understand what's occurring within the book.
    • 4/5
      Lowry's story is about a young fairy-like creature on a journey to learn how to impart dreams on humans. Littlest-One is assigned a boy in a foster home who has nightmares because of the evil Sinisteeds. Littlest-One must learn to fit off the Sinisteeds to save the boy from his horrible nightmares. I personally am not a fan of fantasy themed books, but I did find this book enjoyable. I thought Lowry's story was an interesting take on what causes dreams. It also teaches a great lesson for children to believe in themselves like Littlest-One did.
    • 4/5
      Such an interesting book. It really makes me think as an adult where my dreams come from... what creates them... what fuels them. I would love to have read or been exposed to this book at a younger age. It would be excellent for a classroom either for individual reading, or read aloud--i think it would really get kids going. This type of fantasy unleashes a new way of thinking and it would be great to hear student feedback.
    • 5/5
      Littlest, the main character faces many challenges and changes while being a dream giver. Beginning her job under Fastidious, we see right away that Littlest will have a lot of charisma and spunk. As time goes on, she is eventually moved to a learn under a new leader's rule Thin Elderly. This duo, to me, is very similar to John and the old lady. Littlest was a little hard to handle at first, but was taken in by Thin Elderly and able to transform into a caring and overall happier being. Littlest and Thin Elderly spend all nights looking after John and the old lady. They must be very careful and quiet while doing their job of collecting different objects to give good dreams that include happy memories and positive thoughts. They dread the days that the Sinisteeds threaten bringing nightmares to the ones that they look after. Littlest eventually grows very attached to John and the old lady which adds sincerity to this entire story. I liked how we were able to see deeper into what was really going on with John and his mother through multiple points of view. This was a little tricky to understand at first so I could see how this may pose a problem to younger age groups. However, I think it was the perfect addition.
    • 3/5
      This is a fantasy piece about the beings that bring humans dreams. I really didn't enjoy it that much. I am very much a reader of science fiction and fantasy, and this just didn't do it for me. It was okay, with some nice imagery, but I just felt it was a little underdeveloped as far as the development of how the processes and the beings' social structure. It felt more like a short story than a novel to me. I suppose it could be an introduction to the fantasy genre, since it blends the fantastic with reality. I might use it for that purpose to delineate what qualifies a text as fantasy. I just like my fantasy more fantastical. Reading Level: 4.9 Interest Level: 5-8
    • 4/5
      This book is about creatures who move at night to help humans dream. We meet a character named Littlest One who is in training to become a more successful dream maker. We also come across an older woman who is caring for a young child who comes from a horrible home life. This young boy, John has experienced horrific things and his mother left his father and trying to improver her life to help support her son. These creatures help protect John from the Sinisteeds, these are creatures that create nightmares. Overall, this book was fine but had a few explicative things that happened with John's past that was a little unsteady to read.
    • 4/5
      Lois Lowry's Gossamer is great piece of juvenile fictional literature. Lowry does a fantastic job of merging a setting of fantasy and reality as the fantasy of dream givers are able to help a young boy, and his very real child abused past, cope with the damage. I enjoyed this reading as it was definitely out of my comfort zone as I don't normally read too much fiction. At first the fantasy characters were difficult for me to sort out with names like "Littlest One" and " Fastidious", but after reading several chapters and the plot developed I really enjoyed the book. I would love to share this book with an older group of students, possibly fifth graders depending on their developmental levels. This book would be great for students from abusive homes to seek an opportunity to reach out to the teacher, and teach students about social sciences of abuse and bullying.
    • 5/5
      The story Gossamer is about a dream-giver named Littlest, a boy named John, and a woman. They all had a story. This story can be an inspiration for everyone. The dream givers in the story place happy dreams into those who are sleeping. Dream givers also fight off nightmares. Littlest is assigned to John and throughout the story she really makes an impact on his life. In the story we get to follow each characters life and see change. The dream givers reminded me of guardian angels.This story in my opinion will teach children or anyone about hope and to keep fighting. This story could be read by anyone and they would really enjoy it.
    • 3/5
      My main experience with Lois Lowry has been through The Giver, that I read years ago, but as an adult. The book recently came out as a movie, which I have not seen. I remember thinking the book gave some good fodder for thought for kids, and that it was well written.Gossamer came to me via BookCrossing. Had I not been faced with an overwhelming task which required little brain power, and much patience, I probably wouldn't have popped the CDs into the player, but I was, and I did. This is a gentle story, mostly about where dreams come from, and the power of keeping hope over despair.
    • 5/5
      Gossamer by Lois Lowry tells a story of dream-givers, sinisteeds, and humans. I was never a huge fan of Lois Lowry, but this book was awesome. It tells of a little dream-giver called Littlest One and Littlest One spends the entire book trying to prove himself and he does just that. There is another character called John and John has come down on really hard times. He has had a hard life and Littlest One and John, unknowingly work together to create better lives for them both, metaphorically. The dream-givers collect memories and use them to bestow good dreams onto humans.
    • 5/5
      Lowry takes readers on a journey through the training of a new dream-giver named Littlest One. With the help of her teacher, Thin Elderly, and the leader of their Heap, Most Ancient, Littlest one strengthens a young foster child named John. She bestows dreams onto John to help fight off the nightmares the Sinisteeds have inficted on him. The novel tells the story of a John and his mother, and the aduse they endured from John's father. Readers are introduced to John's foster mom, the old woman and her dog Toby, who will play a key role in John coping with the issues he has endured. The story gives readers a sense of bravery and undeniable srength, as we witness the healing of a young boy by his creative and dedicated dream-giver.
    • 4/5
      Gossamer by Lois Lowry is a fictional story about little creatures who work hard at night to deliver strengthening dreams to humans. John is a foster child who has had a difficult childhood due to the abuse of his alcoholic father and the neglect of his immature mother. Littlest, is one of the dream giving creatures who sacrifices to protect John from the Sinisteeds better known as nightmare inflicting creatures. John is placed under the care of a lonely kind woman who gives John all her understanding for his disrespectful and ungrateful behavior. Lowry gives the story a sense of realism by the beautiful descriptions of the characters, and the wonderful strategy she uses to describe the plot going from the real world to the imaginary simultaneously.
    • 4/5
      In this novel, there is a group of dream givers that are unknown to humans and work mostly at night when the humans are a sleep. They go around and give dreams to different people. They are each assigned their own house. One dream giver, Littlest One, was being trained by Thin Elderly. She is a young and ambitious dream giver. She is so eager to become the best dream giver in the world. She is even able to stop the sinisteed from harming the little boy in her assigned home. Littlest One shows determination and pride as she goes through her dream giver training. She has such a big heart and is willing to bend the rules to protect her people. Her ambition and eagerness make her great. She is even rewarded with her own dream giver to train in the end, Most Littlest.
    • 4/5
      I book made me think so much of what dream givers look like. Do they look like fairies? When I was reading this book it made me think that they did look like fairies. It also made me think are dream givers real. I think that most people that read this book had the same imagination I did also. I really enjoyed this book so much. One of the best books I read so far in my children literature class.
    • 4/5
      Lowry brings readers into the whispering world of dream givers. This book tells the story of Littlest One and John trying to figure out their purpose's in life. With the theme of being positive in all situations, Lowry's characters strive to reach that goal. I loved this book! I believe that any young reader who is into fantasy will enjoy it too.
    • 5/5
      Littlest One is learning how to become a dream giver. Littlest One is assigned with Thin Elderly so he can teach her the responsibilities of being a dream-giver. They get assigned to the house of this isolated old lady who is taking the responsibility of taking care of a boy named John. When they get back to the Heap, Most Ancient warns them that the Sinisteeds are attacking and looking for a particular victim. Sinisteeds inflict something called nightmares. When Littlest One and Thin Elderly go back to their assigned house they find a Sinisteed. The helpless boy was sleeping but began to cry in his sleep from what this creature had done to him. Littlest One and Thin Elderly have to protect this house and stop the Sinisteeds from letting there nightmares affect the little boy. Littlest One began to learn more about how to him bring John courage, strength, and happiness through his dreams to overcome the Sinisteeds because they find out John is the victim they were searching for. The night all the Sinisteeds come to attack the house they are hoping their good dreams are enough to defeat the Sinisteeds. As the boy sleeps you can see the good dreams overcoming the nightmares. Littlest and Thin Elderly have won the battle in this house. You can see how much Littlest One has grown since she has first started. Littlest is now ready to go out on her own. This novel brings imagination to life. It gave me a sense of realism with everything that is happening. It even made me feel that dream givers exist even if they don't. I really loved this book.
    • 3/5
      The story was a bit far fetched but it gave explaination to things you can't really explain. The author used imagary to paint the pictures of the characters. It would be fun for children and a easy read for a class.
    • 3/5
      This was a very interesting book. Lois Lowry tried to get her point across with when you have a dream-giver it isn't so bad after alll. Little one is gossamer because he is in control of John's dreams and to make sure no evil nightmares from Sinisteeds. Thin elderly seems to be the most mature character in the novel because maybe she has more experience. I really enjoyed the book.
    • 3/5
      Dream givers work at night, tip toeing around houses gathering special memories to give back to the humans as a dream. For instance, photographs, buttons, and sea shells. Then, they insert these dreams as the humans sleep. When the dream givers touch these objects, it brings them back to the memories the humans once shared. This was a great story. Personally I would not read this to a child; Simply because of the description of the sinisteeds entering the home. I believe it may give a child night mares.
    • 5/5
      I loved this book! Once I started reading I could not put the book down. I wanted to know what was going to happen with the John and his family situation. I also wanted to know what dream-givers were and what Sinisteeds did. Lois Lowry did an amazing job with this book. She was able to express things that were vital for the readers to know through dialogue. The novel focused on Littlest One a dream giver and the little boy John. It showed a way that this little dream giver was able to make connections between the boy and the woman who was taking care of him. Lowry does an amazing job at making you think that having dream givers give you your dreams could be possible by the way that she wrote this book.
    • 4/5
      This is a lovely and intriguing novel. Told from the third person point of view, all characters are explored unbiasedly. Lowry shows how Littlest One turns into Gossamer and saves John, a boy suffering with nightmares and a tousled life. There are extensive literary elements present, in addition to various character's whose stories intertwine. It truly is an adorable story that makes you think about dreams and about how you can use your talents to help others.
    • 5/5
      Gossamer took a realistic troubled life story and mixed it into an imaginary world. With the help of Dream Givers,especially Littlest one, the characters change for the better. They are happy from the dreams and guidance they receive. Even the older Dream Givers are inspired by Littlest One, who is the newest of the group.Even the Sinisteeds,the nightmare givers, cannot compete with her. She is a joy and an inspirational character. I love how this book touches on a problem without giving a negative feeling to the reader.It might help children understand that dreams comes from memories and events that happened and that nightmares always end. I got a sense from the book that anyone, no matter how small can help you grow and become a better more rounded person. I would read this to my class to give them a sense of hope and show that no matter how big a problem, there is always a solution or something positive coming.
    • 4/5
      In Gossamer, Lowry tiptoes between fantasy and reality. Lowry uses fairly like dream givers to deliver dreams to people in need. The dream givers bestow happy dreams to cheer up John, the orphan boy and the lonely elderly lady, who takes care of him. Thin elderly teaches Littlest One, a dream giver, how to bestow dreams with a very delicate touch. During the story the Sinisteeds, nightmare dream givers, try to bestow dreams on John and the elderly lady. Littlest One and Thin elderly gathers happy thoughts to bestow on them to fight off the nightmares. The were successful and now Littlest One has proven herself. Littlest One is given a new name Goassamer.