Plot
The story follows Stevie, a 12-year-old perfectionist who struggles with the chaos of her younger brother, Elliot, an aspiring magician. Their family life, once happy, is crumbling. Their parents are constantly arguing over their future: Mom wants to move the family to Duluth for a stable teaching job, while Dad wants to stay put and continue pursuing his dream of being a rock musician.
Desperate to stop the divorce and keep everything the way it was, Stevie and Elliot discover a mysterious book called The Legend of the Sandman . The book claims that if they can find the Sandman in the dream world, he will grant their ultimate wish. They perform a ritual and fall asleep, entering the dream realm together.
In the dream world, the siblings discover they are "Lucid Dreamers"—they can control aspects of the world as long as they hold hands and focus. They are joined by Baloney Tony, Elliot's smelly, wisecracking stuffed giraffe who comes to life.
To reach the Sandman, they must traverse surreal landscapes derived from their own subconscious, such as "Breakfast Town" where food is alive and absurd nightmares involving teeth falling out or giant pop quizzes. Throughout the journey, they are hunted by Nightmara, the Queen of Nightmares, who tries to wake them up to force them back to reality.
The siblings eventually reach the Sandman’s castle, hoping that he will cast their wish where their parents will not move away to Duluth. However, unlike the benevolent figure they expected, the Sandman traps dreamers by offering them a "perfect" fantasy life that never ends, keeping them asleep forever so he can feed on their dreams. He offers Stevie a simulation of her life where her parents are happy and—crucially—where her brother Elliot never existed.
Stevie is initially seduced by this perfect world, leaving her physical body comatose in the real world. Elliot, who resists the Sandman's temptation, teams up with Nightmara. It is revealed that Nightmara is actually a "tough love" mentor; her role isn't to scare kids for fun, but to wake them up so they can face their real-life problems and grow.
Elliot breaks into Stevie’s fantasy to save her. Stevie realizes that a "perfect" world without her brother feels wrong and empty. She rejects the Sandman’s illusion, choosing the messy, imperfect reality over a fake paradise. Together, they use their lucid dreaming powers to defeat the Sandman and escape.
The family agrees to move to Duluth so Mom can take the job, but Dad compromises by agreeing to start a new band there. The parents are still working through their issues, but they are united in their love for the kids. Stevie accepts that life (and her brother) will always be a little chaotic, and she learns to embrace the imperfection rather than trying to control everything. [2]
