The Dream Bearer was my first exposure to Walter Dean Meyers, and I will continue to read his work. In this novel, the main character, David, is the heart of his family. His older brother becomes involved with drugs, his father battles a mental illness, and his mother is scared for everyone. David meets an old, intriguing man and through their short conversations, David attempts to understand the actions of the people in his life. He realizes if he could imagine what people dream about, he could better attempt to understand their life. It is with this knowledge that he discovers how to relate to his father in a way no one in the world seems to understand.