Dream On by Shannon Hale is another fun and meaningful graphic novel that my upper elementary students are going to love! Cassie is a relatable and realistic character ~ she’s sensitive, dreams of a better life for her family, and navigates the ups and downs of friendship just like many kids her age.

When Cassie receives a letter claiming she’s a winner, she can’t help but imagine how everything in her life is about to change. But as the story unfolds, readers are left wondering: will it really turn out the way she hopes?

This book balances humor, heart, and real-life challenges in a way that feels authentic and age-appropriate. A great pick for classrooms and young readers who enjoy stories about friendship, family, and the ups and downs of growing up.

I will be adding this to my library for my students to read. Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group | Roaring Brook Press for the ARC.

A beautiful tale of what it means to be sensitive and deal with friends and family problems and growing up.

This book was a good exploration on friendship and lonlieness. It dealt with a girl who was feeling a little bit lost in her big family and how the idea that she might be the winner of a contest sparked her imagination. Cassie is in her last year of elementary school and she's having some friend problems. Her best friend doesn't seem to be as interested in her as she used to be, and Cassie thinks it is because another girl is spending time with her. Cassie isn't jealous but her friend's new friend doesn't seem to want her involved at all.

Cassie thinks her prize winnings in this contest will help bring both her friends and family back to her. But in the end she must deal with her problems by talking about them and trusting both her friends and family to watch out for her. This was a good graphic novel for young people and I continue to like Shannon Hale's work. Five stars.

Cassie’s joy, big feelings, and inner world are so beautifully captured here. I’ve never seen the emotional rollercoaster of that in-between age—where you're not quite a little kid but not quite a tween either—shown with such honesty. I saw so much of myself in Cassie: trying to find your place, wondering who you’re becoming, and hoping one magical moment might fix everything.

What really stood out was the way the illustrations showed not just what Cassie said but what she thought. That self-talk? So real. And the way it shows that some of those thoughts aren’t always helpful? Brilliant. It opens the door to such important conversations about emotions and how we speak to ourselves.

Perfect for readers who feel deeply, are figuring out friendships, or just need to feel seen. Dream On is gentle, joyful, and full of heart.

Cassie is one of six kids. She hardly gets one on one time with her parents – and they don't have much money. Cassie has to share her bedroom (and bed!) with her sisters. To make matters worse, her best friend Vali is befriending the class bully, Stesha.

When Cassie gets a letter from a magazine sweepstakes with the words “YOU’RE THE WINNER” stamped on the front, she thinks winning prizes is the answer to all her problems. She could buy new furniture to replace their shabby old sofa. Or maybe she can take Vali on a fabulous vacation, or give her teacher a trip to Paris. However, she starts to learn that prizes won't solve everything.

This a good story for helping students deal with big feelings and it teaches readers how to express and cope with their emotions. The illustrations are whimsical and bright - and this is perfect for 3rd – 5th Grades.

Of course Shannon Hale has came up with a wonderful piece! It took me some time to finish this book (both with busy schedule and the plot) as Cassie’s loneliness and big sister responsibilities really hit me a little too much in the heart. Expecting to be her assistant, Cassie’s mom expects a lot from Cassie while she (the mom) juggles with maintaining the house and caring for their baby brother; Cassie is expected to keep watch of her other siblings who are probably 5 years younger than her (I don’t exactly know the age gap, but merely judging from the drawings and their interactions) while she, herself, is only a kid. Expected to also be able to regulate her emotions, Cassie is left alone to wander wildly with her daydreams of winning big prizes so that her family and friends can enjoy themselves and basically appreciate her presence. It saddens me that kids her age would even think that; that something only adults should worry about is being trickled down to a kid as young as her. Cassie strives to people please, self-doubt, judge/compare herself to others, and kept reserved with her thoughts and feelings. Ultimately all this bottled up and ended up causing such emotional damage.

Although this book was made for young readers, I would say this is better for a junior high school student rather than an elementary school student due to a great number of negative emotions in the book (loneliness, sadness, judging oneself, people pleasing, etc.) It requires the reader to be a bit more empathetic and sort of going through something similar to be able to understand the emotional level; someone younger would not necessarily understand fully what Cassie is going through.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an advanced copy for review!

Dream On by Shannon Hale is a beautiful, heartfelt graphic novel that really stuck with me. I love children’s graphic novels, and this one shows just how meaningful they can be. The story is relatable, the art is stunning, and it captures big feelings in such a thoughtful way. A must-read for kids—and adults too!

This didn't pop the way Hale's other books did because it was uneven. There was a lot of skipping around between Cassie's experiences at school and how she felt about her teacher, about her home life feeling ignored and somewhat unloved in a chaotic and busy household that didn't have a lot of money, and the friendships that ran hot and cold. Then, add to the mix the internal dialogue she carries around with her the entire time. I think there are graphic novels that have demonstrated/illustrated these internal thoughts better, instead it felt overstuffed and overwritten to Cassie's experiences, even though they are absolutely realistic portrayals of so many situations.

It was too complicated with too much external and internal dialogue which overwhelms the illustrations. It's the first in a presumed series but I'm not as excited to continue.

Cassie has big emotions and many ups and downs. She can see the wonderful in life. But as things with her best friend get complicated, she has a harder time seeing the wonderful and feels down more. Throughout the novel Cassie learns about her big emotions, the good parts of being sensitive, how friendships grow and change, and to not trust every "you're a winner!" flyer from the mail.
This is a great book for young girls who are learning how to make friends and growing up. Emotions are tough for everyone, but Hale's novel shows how one little girl works through hers.

My daughter is a Shannon Hale fan, so we read through this book together. I related so much to Cassie and wish I could have read this as a kid, I would have felt less alone. This book gave us some great words to describe our feelings. I'm so thankful for this book giving me an "in" with my kid.

Dream On by Shannon Hale (illustrated by Marcella Cespesdes) follows Cassie, a middle child in a large family who longs for the attention and praise of her parents. She feels somewhat invisible in her busy household, But, all that changes when a letter arrives announcing that she's the Grand Prize Winner. All she has to do is mail in a form about some magazines, and she can pick three amazing prizes--vacations, furniture, and vehicles are all up for grabs.

Cassie daydreams about how the prizes could change things for her family and bring her more friends. She also wants to celebrate her favorite teacher's retirement. (Note: the teacher is absolutely one of the coolest old lady teachers in kid lit.)

I will definitely be buying this book for my school library. (And not just because Shannon Hale is coming for an author visit next year!)

Welcome Back,

I am sorry for the unexpected break last week, but I hope everyone got a ton of good reading in! I was able to pick up a few books and explore a new (at least to me) reading app, which I might really enjoy. During my time away, I was able to finish a bunch of graphic novels and other books. One of the graphic novels was an E-ARC of Dream On (thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions). I love reading graphic novels, so this one was the perfect way to kick off some quiet reading time.

SPOILERS AHEAD

Cassie’s life is kind of chaotic. She has a lot of siblings, and she lives with her parents, who are always busy helping a sibling, cleaning, or working. But Cassie has a best friend that she can hang out with and things she really enjoys doing. However, Cassie has recently started to feel like something big is missing from her life, and she can not quite place her finger on it. One day at school, another student starts to kind of take over Cassie’s best friend. Without her best friend, Cassie begins to feel very lonely, but what if she is just being overemotional? Cassie is struggling with some very, very big feelings, but hopefully, she can figure out how to navigate her life in a way that is best for her.

I really enjoyed my time with this story. I felt like Cassie was taking on some big feelings and situations in life at a really young age. Cassie is not a teen but rather in late elementary or early middle school. She is a bit independent, but also is very sensitive to how people around her treat her and others. Navigating friendships can be difficult at any age, and Cassie is just trying to do what might be best for her. This graphic novel hits shelves in August of this year. I definitely recommend giving it a try.

Goodreads Rating: 4 Stars

***Thank you so much to the publisher for the E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

A heartfelt and adorable middle grade graphic novel. Cassie is an imaginative young girl who loves to daydream and spend time with her best friend Vali. When she finds a letter in the mail declaring that she's a grand prize winner, she can't help but imagine how these prizes could fix her life. She could finally get her mother's attention, show her favorite teacher how much she cares, or stop Vali from leaving her behind. Life isn't always easy for a girl who feels too much.

This was such a sweet little story about friendship and self acceptance. Cassie is quite relatable. The art is cute and colorful. 100% recommend, especially for young "sensitive" readers.

Shannon Hale is such a gift of a writer to middle grade students. As a third grade teacher, her books NEVER stay on the shelf and students always talk about her relatability to their lives. Dream On is. a gem of a book. I love the way Cassie’s life is not picture perfect and put together. I know students will connect with her financial struggles and wanting to make a better life for her family. Thank you, Shannon, for pushing into real narratives and relatable characters.

In Dream On, Shannon Hale tells the deeply emotional story of Cassie, a sensitive girl growing up in a big family with five siblings. When she receives a letter in the mail claiming she’s won a mysterious sweepstakes, it sets off a chain of hopes and disappointments that mirror the everyday rollercoaster of emotions many young readers face.

What stood out to me most was how deeply relatable Cassie’s emotional world felt. Her tendency to feel things intensely reminded me so much of my own childhood. Like Cassie, I often felt left out of things with my friends, unsure of where I fit in. I also resonated with her sadness over not feeling seen, especially by her mom—something that’s hard to talk about but was portrayed with real honesty in the book.

Hale does a wonderful job capturing the quiet struggles of being a middle child, of navigating friendships, and the ache of craving attention in a busy household. This book reminded me that even when we feel overlooked or misunderstood, our experiences matter.

I received an electronic ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Hale introduces a new main character, Cassie. She is an upper elementary student from a large family struggling to get by. She feels like she slips through the cracks and is invisible. I love the way Pien chose to illustrate this with the invisible hands reaching out and crying for someone to notice. Readers see her struggle with typical friend issues at this age and may identify with the ways others make her doubt herself - "too sensitive." I appreciate her teacher always supporting her and being herself as well. I also appreciate the "mean girl" sharing some of her thoughts and feelings too. Is everything resolved by the end? No but the characters have grown and have taken time to listen to each other and respond in real ways. Hale reveals a second book is coming in 2026 to continue their stories.

Dream On by Shannon Hale is salve to my 10-year-old heart! Cassie is an emotional kid (that’s not bad!) in a big family trying to navigate feeling understood by her family and friends. It’s a very real and practical representation of how children can work through (and continually work through) their world. Overall, Dream On is reflective and hopeful without being trite or sappy.

My students are going to devour this graphic novel. They’ll definitely be pulled in by Shannon Hale’s writing as well as Marcela Cespedes’s art and Latk Pien’s color work. The students will also love that this is part of a new series. Big recommendations for Dream On.

This graphic novel made me cry. Cassie Lu's inner thoughts felt so similar to my own thoughts growing up. Shannon Hale is able to capture the essence of a "sensitive kid," and reading through how this little girl feels and works through her emotions was so bittersweet. I loved the depth she was able to bring to these characters and she really shows what it is like to grow up as an anxious child who is worried about friendships, what their siblings think, and growing up as a middle child who is craving familial and friendly attention. This is a book I would recommend to my students who may be struggling with their identity as a young child who may be worried about making and losing friends. I loved this book. Thank you.

I'm excited to offer this to my younger readers of realistic graphic novels who gobble the likes of CUPCAKE DIARIES and ANIMAL RESCUE FRIENDS and are looking for something with a little more emotional heft.

First of all, the character of Mrs. Farmer is awesome! I love her unique stories and the way she sends the message that you don't have to do only things you are "supposed" to do.

Like Shannon Hale's other books, Dream On was entertaining and insightful. It brings many facets of real life to the table: friendship troubles, individuality, loss of grandparents, feeling big feelings, being highly sensitive, being a part of a big family, and more. The mail-in sweepstakes was a nice touch that can also spark some great conversations with kids. It can even be used to talk about digital citizenship/information literacy if you want to make that connection.

illustrations that are colorful and appealing to the eye. Not overwhelming with too much text. Seeing how the main character navigates the circumstances and who she is will help a lot of kids and adult readers.

Loved it!
Will definitely add to the library collection and recommend it to my readers.