Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC!

I wanted to like this so much more than I did, but it was just missing something. I found that it didn't quite hold the same emotional weight that I had come to expect from Shannon Hale after reading the Real Friends series. If you're looking for something similar to that series, you won't find it in this book, as this one is aimed much more at younger readers. All in all, I thought it was cute and sweet and would ultimately buy it for my school library, even if I didn't like it very much personally.

LOVE Shannon Hale and was so excited to receive this graphic novel. It's vibrant, fun and upbeat while still dealing with important issues. It's a great reflection on friendship and one I will definitely add to my classroom library.

Cassie has always had big feelings. Bad things feel like the worst and good things feel magnificent. Things become too much when her teacher moves her seat away from her best friend and she is challenged with making new friends in her class. This book will resonate with any kid who has ever felt like "too much" or just been sick of being called a baby because they're imaginative. Cassie's fears and joy are brought to life through bright, colorful art that really pulls the reader in. Fans of Hale's previous works are sure to love this one as well!

I'm super excited to use this book in graphic novel book club when it comes out!

I have read Shannon Hale's other graphic novels, and I thought that this one was super sweet and the characters themselves quite moving. The art was a bit different than the others, but I liked that the unique art style let it stand on its own from her Real Friends series. This will be a great sell for kids super interested in contemporary books like New Girl or Sunny Side Up.

I loved this book! I will definitely be looking to add it to my elementary library upon its publication. It was hopeful and emotional, and the characters were so likable.

A sweet graphic novel that looks at how getting older and shifting friendship dynamics can make things difficult. Our main character struggles with her interests and naivete when the world seems to want her to be more grown-up and cynical. By the end of the book, she's come to understand that she can balance the pressures from the outside world with her own sensitivity in a way that allows her to stay herself but also be a little less open to hurt. A recommend for fans of Hale's Real Friends series or Raina Telgemeier.

There is so much great stuff in this book in terms of real world growing up issues. I feel like reading this book with my daughter could prompt great conversation! I'm going to recommend this as one of her next reads.

I'm so fond of Shannon Hale's graphic novel collaborations with LeUyen Pham that it took me a while to get into this one -- I had to get used to the familiar prose with a different art style! I'm glad I stuck with it, though. Our heroine is a sensitive kid with big feelings. As an erstwhile sensitive kid with big feelings (and as the parent of another), I thought this was a sweet, smart addition to this year's middle-grade offerings. I'll definitely be acquiring this for my K-5 library!

Many thanks to the creators, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

Thanks so much for the Arc!

As a teacher & mom- I love keeping up with all the graphic novels!

My 9 year old & I enjoyed this together. She said she loved it and liked how it showed a lot about friendship. The girls in my class love Shannon Hale’s booked (Best Friends, etc.) Friendship can be such a touchy issue especially in the middle grades. I love that they can read books on this topic. I love the big dreams shown in this book when she wins the sweepstakes. I’d definitely use that as a fun teaching moment- having my students explain their dreams and what can be bought.

Cute story!

My daughter said "the best one yet!" She really loved it. I'd agree! Can't wait to get this one on the shelves next to Shannon Hale's others.

Cassie is the middle child in a big family without a lot of money, but she does have her best friend. Vali is the only person Cassie's told about the sweepstakes paper that came in the mail, telling her that she's already won a prize. But which to choose? A car or new furniture, either of which her family could use? A vacation for her and Vali? But Vali's been distant lately, spending time with a new friend who doesn't treat Cassie well. Cassie can barely get her mom's attention and her sister just tells her that the sweepstakes isn't real. Cassie wants is to fix everything--even if it's just a dream.

This is so relatable--the ways relationships change, the hurt of being left out of things, the attempts to fit in, and even the belief that those sweepstakes fliers are genuine. Cassie is learning a lot of difficult lessons all at once , in ways that upper-elementary and lower-middle school students can really use.

Cassie is always told she's a sensitive girl but she hates that. She prefers letting her imagination run away instead of focusing on the things that bug her. She thinks her problems are solved when she receives a sweepstake letter telling her she's won the grand prize if she mails in the letter with the magazine subscription. Spending her time imagining all the wonderful things she is going to do with her prizes, and how happy her friends and family will be, gives her small moments of happiness before things come crashing back down. She is moved to a new seat in school and is no longer sitting next to her best friend. Another girl in class befriends Cassie and her best friend, but then pits the girls against each other and tells them they're saying negative things about each other. The more Cassie tries to keep things the same, the more they keep changing, and the worse she ends up feeling. Finally, she is given the chance to have a one-on-one talk with her mom who listens to what she has to say and her mother explains that being sensitive is okay, but she can't use it as an excuse to be mean or lash out at others. Cassie realizes that she can still be her sensitive self, but she will need to make sure she communicates better with her friends and family. Filled with bright colors and heartfelt pictures, this is a great addition to Hale's collection of middle-grade graphic novels about growing up and being a good friend/person.

4 stars

Shannon Hale is back with yet another fantastic middle grade graphic novel! This time, the focus is on friendship, change, and accentuating the positive.

Cassie has middle child syndrome not only in her home but also in almost every other area of her life. She's extremely thoughtful, often considering how she can make others happier and spend more quality time with those she loves. She also constantly gets overlooked, excluded, or not fully seen at home, at school, and with her friends. She's a character to whom so many young readers will relate because Hale manages to pack in so many common challenges but with a truly hopeful tone that makes even the bummers reveal a sunny side in most cases.

The masses of incoming Hale fans will get what they want and expect here: nice pacing, a relatable and round character, and complementary images and words. This is a winner and an easy rec to many audiences.

Coming of age graphic novels are all the rage with my middle grades girls and this story didn’t disappoint! As a librarian, I am always looking for books that hit like the Babysitter’s Club but are more appropriate for 2-6 graders who aren’t quite as mature as the club. Cassie is a perfect fit. As she sees her best friend growing up a bit, she isn’t quite ready to leave the imaginary world of play and seeing that struggle fits with what I see in the classroom.

Such a great, realistic view on middle school, making & keeping friends, and living in a large family. Shannon (as always) hits the nail on the head.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this advanced copy of Dream On. I’m always looking for good graphic novels to add to my library since they are so popular with the students. Dram On by the author of Real Friends seemed like a perfect fit for students in middle grades. Unfortunately, I did not enjoy it. The story is set in the 80s, and kids will not be able to,relate to it. The main character, Cassie, seemed like a whiny eight year old. In the story, she finds a magazine sweepstakes and dreams about what her life would be like if she won. None of the other characters are any better and are all exaggerate characters. The only thing appealing about the story is the graphic novels to format, and even that is not enough o make this one a winner.

This middle grade graphic novel is will appeal to a range of elementary readers. The relatable main character, Cassie, is struggling to find her place with new friends, old friends, and at home in her large family. She thinks she has found a way to make life better for everyone around her by entering a contest but it only causes her more anxiety. One person Cassie can always count on is her quirky teacher, until she changes the seating chart moving Cassie's desk away from her best friend. Cassie must battle her anxiety to find a way to reconnect with her old friends and find her place among her siblings while navigating new friendships along the way.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook Press for providing me with this arc in exchange for my honest review.

Cassie wants something special that's just for her, whether that be her best friend, time with her mom, or a sweepstakes grand prize. She loves the happy fun things in life and that makes the not so good feel pretty bad. Like when she's having fun playing fairies and is told makebelive is for babies. Or when she adores her eccentric teacher, but other people call her weird. Cassie is told she is too sensitive, but what's the problem with having feelings?

This one really pulled at the nostalgic heartstrings for me! I remember clinging to the fun of imaginative play longer than my peers and feeling upset when my friend group shifted around. Shannon Hale did another tremendous job of bringing relatable feelings to life and Marcela Cespedes and Lark Pien's illustrations give them flight. A definite recommendation for middle-grade readers and graphic novel lovers!

Hale does not disappoint with this graphic novel. As the mother of a couple of children who feel deeply, and having been one myself, it made me feel all of the things. Kids with anxiety, kids who don't feel seen or heard, kids who are confused by life are going to relate to Cassie. They'll love this one.

I loved this equally lighthearted and heavy middle-grade graphic novel about the up and down emotions kids experience. Kids will be able to relate to the friendship and relationship struggles, and the illustrations are beautiful and vibrant. It skews more upper elementary, but middle school students would be able to relate also.