- Chapter Books
- Ages 9–12
- Fantasy
When We Got Lost in Dreamland
When Malky and his little brother Seb get hold of a Dreaminator, they can share the same dream — flying over treetops, sailing Spanish galleons, anything they imagine. But impossible dreams carry impossible risks, and when Seb won't wake up, Malky must go back into the dream to save him. A thrilling, tender adventure.
- Best for9–12
- FormatChapter
- Length416 pp
- Read aloud~5 hr55 min
The vibe
What it’s like.
Style
- Conversational
Tone
- Exciting
- Adventurous
- Bittersweet
- Suspenseful
- Heartwarming
Themes
Experience meters
What’s it about?
The story.
When eleven-year-old Malky and his younger brother Seb become the owners of a strange device called a Dreaminator, they discover they can step into the same dream together. Suddenly nothing is out of reach: treetop flights, Spanish galleons, sporting glory, worlds beyond their wildest imagination. But shared dreams turn out to carry very real dangers, and when a dream goes badly wrong Seb slips into a coma and is rushed to hospital, unable to wake. Guilty and desperate, Malky realises the only way to bring his brother back is to leave reality behind and undertake one final, terrifying journey into the dreamworld — all the way to the Stone Age. Ross Welford blends heart-stopping adventure with a moving story about brothers, guilt and responsibility. Inventive and emotionally rich, it races between the wonder of the dreamscape and the fear of a family in crisis, building to a climax that is both thrilling and genuinely affecting.
Fit check
Right for your child?
Where it lands by age
Best for readers aged 9-12 reading independently, with good adult crossover appeal. The intense dream-peril and hospital theme suit older-primary and lower-secondary readers rather than the youngest or most anxious; it works as a shared read for confident nine- to eleven-year-olds.
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- Best fit · 9–12
- Read aloud · 9–11
- Independent · 9–12
Prose load
Moderate
Visual support
None
Reluctant-reader friendly
Workable
Read-aloud quality
Strong
Works well for
- Reading aloud
- Gift-buying
Preview before sharing if a child is sensitive to: illness or disability, scary imagery.
Bedtime suitability
1 / 5 · Wide awake
Sensitive-child
2 / 5 · Use judgement
Graphic intensity
1 / 5 · None
Best for
- 9 to 12
- Fantasy lovers
- Adventure fans
- Sibling stories
Avoid if
- Very sensitive children
- Upset by hospital scenes
- Bedtime reading
Particularly good for children who are…
- Illness in family
Why it lands
Why they love it.
Why kids love it
A device that lets you and your brother share the same dream — and do anything you can imagine — is an irresistible idea. When it goes wrong and Seb won't wake up, the stakes turn real and the final journey into the dreamworld is heart-pounding. Adventure, danger and brotherly love all at once.
- Adventure and freedom
- Surviving danger
- Having a secret base
Why parents love it
Welford's dream sequences are wildly imaginative, but the emotional core — Malky's guilt and his fight to save Seb — is what makes it stick. The handling of a child in a coma is tense but never gratuitous, and the ending rewards the reader. A gripping shared read that opens up big feelings.
- Great writing
- Conversation starter
About the author
Ross Welford.
If you liked this
Three ways out of this book.
If you liked this, try…
Lateral matches. Same shelf, different texture.
Come into this from…
Easier or preparing reads — perfect lead-ins.
Where to go next…
Escalation reads — a step up in scale, silliness, or stakes.
More like this…
Books that share themes and topics with this one.
