Professor Dexter’s motto has always been "What if?", and has led him to the verge of a huge breakthrough in dream research at Somnia Inc. But six weeks ago, there was a terrible accident that left him trapped in a nightmare that he can’t wake up from. But it's not just a dream - it's real and Maya and her new friends the Dream Bandits must rescue the Professor before it's too late! All they need is a bit of courage and a LOT of imagination. This madcap adventure could have only been dreamt up by the crazy minds of Greg James and Chris Smith, the duo behind the brilliant Kid Normal series. There latest book, The Great Dream Robbery, is part science-fiction, part mission impossible, part mystery that needs solving and a whole lot of fun.

I loved the later part of the book with them breaking into the dream lab! That was just so much fun to read and see what these kids get up to! Lots of imagination and tons of laughter from my side. Greg James and Chris Smithteamed up with the National Literacy Trust and Puffin Books, part of Penguin Random House Children’s Booksfor the event. Teddy and Bea were such terrific characters. Love how they are twins but their personalities couldn’t be any more different. Bea is rational, calm, smart. Teddy is like the Cheshire Cat. I had to get used to Teddy a bit but after a while I just really liked the guy. He was so funny and his plans were wild but also great.

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The authors added: "The National Literacy Trust is undeniably brilliant so it is a joy to be part of their Connecting Stories initiative. The children we’ve worked with through the National Literacy Trust are always funny, feisty and fizzing with ideas.” By the crazy creators of the hilarious and clever Kid Normal series, The Great Dream Robbery is even more imaginative - even using imagination to drive the plot. As always, the authors often stop to speak directly to the reader, whether to explain something, apologise for something or to just make us laugh. Pupils, from across the town, received copies of The Great Dream Robbery for their school library, after putting questions about their writing journey and dreams to the authors, during the interactive virtual visit. The villain was great, I couldn’t even really dislike her. In fact I mostly just felt sorry for her. I knew that underneath all that anger was a tired woman who just wanted to freaking sleep for once but thanks to nightmares and dad she wasn’t able to. So I was looking forward to seeing her change, see her understand. But before that we get some great parts in which she is a wonderful villain. Evil, mean, and shouty.

The conclusion was wonderfully frightening even though I knew exactly what they had to do. But how do you think straight facing something so horrifying? During the event, Greg James and Chris Smith delighted children by sharing tips on creating stories and encouraged them to use theirimaginations to come up with the best stories possible. Featuring a hospital heist, some banana-loving llamas and a talking cat called Bin Bag, this is one mind-bending adventure you won't want to wake up from. In line with the National Curriculum, all of our ‘The Great Dream Robbery’ activities have been designed especially for use within children aged between 7 and 11 years old. You can also trust that they’re stimulating for your little learners, having been created in collaboration with our team of experienced primary school teachers. How are these ‘The Great Dream Robbery’ activities useful?The Great Dream Robbery is full of rich language and descriptive paragraphs entwined within the humour. There is an endearing cast of characters, as well as the truly villainous character of Lilith Delamere. In an attempt to stop Lilith’s dastardly plan, there is an extremely bizarre battle involving a unicorn called Donald, a seal and an army of line dancing robots. This book could definitely be enjoyed in the classroom - probably as a class reader. Or as in my case, in the library for book club – as it has left me with a plethora of activity ideas.

Maya loves to dream, both daydreaming (which gets her in trouble at school) and dreaming at night. When a boy from one of her dreams turns up in real life, she's really not sure what's going on. But he knows. His name is Teddy Flamewood and he and his sister are there to help Maya use her dreaming skills to put things right. Here at Twinkl, we know how time-consuming it can be to create engaging literacy resources. So, we’ve taken the stress out of resource creation with this range of engaging activities based on the well-loved book by Greg James and Chris Smith. There are a variety of fun materials to choose from that are certain to support learners in reading this exciting tale. Have you ever had a really strange dream? Maya Clayton definitely has. Last night she dreamt that her dad, the brilliant but slightly odd Professor Dexter, had been trapped in a nightmare by his evil boss Lilith Delamere! The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people's dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere has trapped him inside a nightmare and Maya and the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it's too late! The Professor invented a device that allows you to visit other people’s dreams. But the devious Lilith Delamere trapped him inside a nightmare so Maya and the mysterious Dream Bandits must find a way to rescue him before it’s too late."Loved the plans the kids had and loved that they all did it in dinky old van with a mattress on top. Loved that the van was electric and had a laugh at how they had to divide the energy between driving or the lab in the book. The Great Dream Robbery’ is a book written by BBC Radio 1 hosts and children’s authors, Greg James and Chris Smith. It tells the story of 12 year old Maya who, unlike most other children her age, actually wants to go to bed early. Why? Because falling asleep is her only chance to save her dad, Professor Dexter, from the deceitful villain Lilith Delamere, who has trapped the Professor inside of a nightmare. Maya joins forces with the Dream Bandits to rescue him before time runs out. More information about Swindon Stories can be found at https://literacytrust.org.uk/communities/swindon/

The authors describe their new release: "Thestory centres around 12-year-old Maya who is desperate to fall asleep and save her father Professor Dexter who is in his own living nightmare. Featuring a hospital heist, a mattress salesman, hairdressing accessories from a skip, a unicorn singing show tunes, and lots of cows, this witty comedy thriller showcases the resourcefulness and courage of a trio of youngsters known as the Dream Bandits.Its events aim to improve attitudes and behaviours towards reading for pleasure, and supporting wellbeing in diverse, disadvantaged communities, following itsresearch which shows children who enjoy reading are happier in their lives. When his daughter Maya visits him in the expensive, secure, private hospital his boss is paying for, all she can do is watch him sleep. Until a boy appears in her dreams suggesting that the "accident" was no such thing and that she alone has the power to rescue her dad.