Dream On

4.5

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Author(s)

Shannon Hale

Co-Authors / Illustrators

Marcela Cespedes

Publisher

Roaring Book Press

Genre(s)

Age Range

Release Date

August 26, 2025

ISBN

978-1250843074

Buy This Book

Love the Real Friends series? Don't miss the bestselling Dream On, the first in a new middle grade graphic novel series about hope, friendship, and heartfelt wishes from mega-bestselling author Shannon Hale, perfect for fans of Invisible Emmie and Click.

Something is missing from Cassie's life.

Her parents don't have much money, she has to share her bedroom (and bed!) with her sisters, and her family never seem to have time for her. To make matters worse, her best friend Vali is always busy with a new friend.

When Cassie gets a letter from a magazine sweepstakes with the words “YOU’RE THE WINNER” stamped on the front, she thinks it’s the answer to all her problems.

She could buy new furniture to replace their shabby old sofa. Or maybe a car so her family doesn’t have to take two trips to go places. Or maybe she can make Vali her best friend forever by taking her on a fabulous vacation. The possibilities are endless, like an all-you-can-eat buffet!

But will prizes really solve Cassie’s problems?

And what will she lose if she doesn’t win anything at all?

With bright and charming illustrations by Marcela Cespedes and Lark Pien, Dream On is a joyful story filled with imagination, big dreams, and wonder. This book is perfect for readers who want to enjoy a gentle and accessible friendship story, as well as anyone looking for SEL themes about empathy, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness.

This story also features children experiencing high sensitivity, big emotions, and feelings of sadness, making it a helpful tool to spark conversations and connections with young readers.

Editor review

1 review

Friendship, Family, and Fitting In

October 23, 2025 (Updated: June 15, 2026)

Overall rating

4.5

Plot

4.0

Characters

4.0

Writing Style

5.0

Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)

5.0

Cassie feels that something is missing. Her dad lost his job, she has to share her bedroom, and no one really has time for her. In addition to all of this, her best friend, Vali, has found a new friend and is always busy with her.

Things start looking up when Cassie gets a letter from a magazine sweepstakes claiming she is the winner of several cool prizes. She thinks these prizes will solve all her problems; she can get a car so her family can take one trip instead of two, and she can get a vacation to take her friend with her so she can make her be her best friend forever. What happens if Cassie doesn’t win those prizes, though? Will the prizes really fix everything magically for her?

What I Liked: While the description of this story sounds like a lot is going on, this book does a great job of weaving in the multiple things in Cassie’s life. Throughout the story, you get a glimpse of how the many things going on are stacking up for Cassie and how this makes her feel. The many things going on in Cassie’s life pile up on each other, and it's interesting to see how one of them impacts the other.

The illustrations throughout this book do a great job of moving the story along and creating a captivating story. The illustrations are vibrant and help evoke different emotions while reading. They also do a great job of highlighting Cassie’s feelings through the various difficulties that she is facing, such as multiple arms reaching out for her mom when her mother is busy, or the disappointment on her face when people make fun of her.

Final Verdict: Dream on is a heartfelt book for children ages 8 and up, and does a great job of showing children with high sensitivity who have big emotions that this feature of theirs is not just a weakness but also a strength. Children will enjoy that some of their struggles are reflected in this story, such as navigating sharing your friend with someone else, and having your siblings take up your parents’ attention. This book also does an amazing job of tackling trying to fit in and how the things you do to fit in can negatively impact others.