I love this series. So sad to see it end. Such a sweet everyday story about a family from Portland. It's Ramona for the next generation. Love the interactions between siblings and family members (good and bad) and the every day worries of public, changes at school, changes at home and everything in between. If you have not read any of this series yet I would encourage you to get started ASAP!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This book follows Ryan Hart as she finishes middle school. She has a big speech to give, as well as a prank to play on her brother. This was a fun, but impactful read. It focuses on typical middle school issues, as well as Black history and Black excellence.

This series continues to be delightful. I couldn't ask for better content for my Black daughters to read. There is no huge conflict, just normal everyday life. Like the previous 3, this one is also full of great messages. I think this is the last in this series, but I hope Watson continues to write for this age group.

WAYS TO BUILD DREAMS is the fourth and final installment of Renée Watson’s Ryan Hart series and just like the first three books, this one does not disappoint. This book features Ryan navigating fifth grade and preparing to go to middle school. Relationships with family members are once again at the heart of the book as Ryan adjusts to the changes in her family resulting from the arrival of her baby sister and figures out a way to pull a prank on her annoying older brother Ray. Like any fifth grader, Ryan is also managing school and ever-changing dynamics of friendship. The relationships and relatable, slice of daily life events are what makes this book—and series—a standout. Ryan is an engaging, realistic heroine who provides readers with a positive role model for hard work, kindness, and positivity. So sad to see this fabulous series come to a close!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC to read and review.

Renee Watson is one of my favorite children’s authors writing today. In Ways to Build Dreams she does what she does best again. In this book, she is able to bring forward well-developed characters with believable and engaging relationships with each other as well as bringing forward Black history and Black excellence. In this book, Ryan Hart works to continue doing as she has done in each of the books of her series, trying to live up to her name. Watson does marvelously at developing the relationships between Ryan and the others in this series throughout all the books while doing so in a way that does not rely on having in depth knowledge of the previous books in the series. All of the books in this series have been of a similar high quality and this one is the same. I would highly recommend Ways to Build Dreams to the kids, particularly the Black kids, in your life.

This book follows Ryan as she navigates the end of middle school. She's giving her first speech, making a surprise "prank" for her brother, and worried about her best friend moving to a different school at the end of the year. This was a very heartwarming book and I appreciated the tenderness Ryan has. I think this book would be perfect for classrooms and I can't wait to read the rest of the series.

Another amazing Renée Watson book! This is the type of books that really bridges the gap between east readers and chapter books for kids learning to read. Having a story that’s relatable and compelling makes this book a great recommendation for lots of different kids. I hope to see more from Watson!

Another wonderful coming of age chapter in the life of Ryan Hart. This book explores the idea of friendships changing with school changes as well as overcoming fears. I love the supportive relationship between Ryan and her brother as well.

Ryan Hart is a chef. A sister. A daughter. A great friend. When posed with the question “who do you want to be?” by her father, Ryan begins to wonder at all the ways to build a dream.

Watson is consistently masterful in developing this heartfelt series centering family, positivity, and striving to do good in the world. The Ryan Hart series is an inspirational and educational story for young children to always cultivate goodness through kindness, hard work, and creativity.

I would recommend this series to fans of the previous books in this series and coming off age stories.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. This was a great addition to this series. Ryan is a sweet character with a lot of heart. Many of my students love her and they will surely love this book just as much. I loved the message about dreams too.

This series has my heart! I’ve been reading it aloud to my littles since it came out and I can’t believe our girl Ryan is moving to the 6th grade soon!

In this one you get to be back with Ryan, her family and friends! As well as a school project for Black History Month on a person local to Ryan’s community. I loved learning fun new info in this one and think it would be a great pairing for projects in the future. A great addition to such a fun easy to read series for kids!

I love the Ryan Hart series. Ryan's family and friendships are so heartwarming. The artwork is super sweet as well. My only issue is that this particular book seemed to speed through events. I don't remember the other books doing that. I wish the book would have focused on fewer events but with more detail. That being said, I still enjoyed this installment of the series. I hope that Ryan's story continues and that she grows along with her readers.

Renee Watson's early middle grade series about Ryan and her friends and family is such a breathe of fresh air. This series entry takes Ryan through the second half of her 5th grade year. The challenges she faces aren't dramatic but are very real for kids this age, learning to navigate friendships, trying to catch a vision of how they can impact their world. A book that is celebratory and joyful. My only sadness: I think I read that this is the last in the series. I will miss Ryan, as well other faithful readers.

Review based on an eARC received through NetGalley.

The fourth book in a wonderful series. Even though these books were technically written for children younger than my age, I still find them very enjoyable to read. Ways to Build Dreams encourages the reader to follow their dreams and change the world in small ways.

"So instead of telling you to dream big and change the world, I want to say, go change your world-your family, your neighborhood, your community."

"Change doesnt happen because of the big moments-change happens because of the little, tiny decisions we make every single day. I hope we keep changing our world and building our future one tiny dream at a time."

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to preview this book!

With "Ways to Build Dreams," Renee Watson continues her delightful Ryan Hart series. In this latest book, which picks up soon after "Ways to Share Joy," Ryan navigates school, family, and life. The story takes readers through the second half of Ryan's fifth grade, as she continues to adjust to having a baby sister and the possibility that her friend Kiki might be changing schools. Other gentle and relatable incidents, such as helping her brother prepare for a poetry slam and figuring out how she might be a change maker, fill out the book. Readers familiar with Ryan Hart will enjoy revisiting her and her family. Additionally, "Ways to Build Dreams" gives children who have read the previous books the opportunity to grow up with Ryan.

"Ways to Build Dreams" is a middle grade realistic fiction book written by Renee Watson. It is the fourth book in the Ryan Hart series, of which I have read every book. I love these characters, the messages, and the realness of this book and all the books in this series. I have no hesitations placing it in my second grade classroom and recommending it.

Another delightful Ryan Hart story! I love that these books give students options that are short and sweet! And spending time with Ryan means learning and growing, so I can’t wait to share her stories with students!

First sentence: Everything feels new. The clothes I got for Christmas still fit in that stiff way that new clothes fit, and they haven't been worn enough to start fading. We've finally stopped eating holiday food and have gone back to more everyday meals--peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, burgers and fries, spaghetti. We're two weeks into the new year, and still people are saying Happy New Year! if it's the first time they've seen someone since December.

Premise/plot: This is the fourth Ryan Hart novel. Previous books include: Ways To Make Sunshine, Ways to Grow Love, and Ways to Share Joy. This LOVELY chapter book covers Ryan Hart's last five months in elementary school (aka, January - May of her fifth grade year). Readers spend time with Ryan Hart at school and home.

My thoughts: I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, crazy love the Ryan Hart series. I adore every single member of her family. I love Ryan, Ray, Rose, the parents, and the grandma. I ADORE the relationships between all the family members. I love seeing the complexities of those relationships. I love seeing Ryan hang out with her best friends. I love seeing her strive at school. I love the occasional trip to church. Everything about Ryan Hart's world is one I'm invested in--I just adore this series so much.

This one has so many perfectly-perfect scenes. I don't know if this is the last book, but if it happens to be the last book it is incredibly satisfying. (Do I want it to be the end? No. Never. I want to be friends with Ryan forever and ever and ever.)

Quotes:

Always, they ask, What do you want to do when you grow up? but I have never been asked, Who do you want to be? I've never thought about there being a difference.
Like she [her Grandma] is thinking again about how I am changing, changing. She is smiling at me in a way that tells me her love is not based on what I do, but who I am.