Preview of Beyond Dreams Summary:

Beyond Dreams is a collection of short stories that focus on high school students facing difficult challenges. Each of the six stories deals with a crisis, including school failure, domestic violence, drunk driving, teen pregnancy, racism, and the aging of a close relative. These themes hit home for many of Reynolds' readers who have either found themselves in similar circumstances or know someone who has. The characters in the collection must learn to make sense of the world around them and determine the best course of action to pull them out of their slump and better their lives. The protagonists in all the stories have found themselves on a much different path than they imagined in their dreams. However disturbing the subject matter, Reynolds gives her readers a hopeful message. She creates characters with the common sense and the motivation to overcome their hardships, and they succeed. With...