Dream Big

Shannon Hale

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Book cover for Dream Big
Book cover for Dream Big
Image for variant 9781250843104
Image for variant 9781250843111
Book cover for Dream Big
Book cover for Dream Big
Image for variant 9781250843104
Image for variant 9781250843111

Dream Big

Dream Big

Shannon Hale

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Description

Keep dreaming with the next book in the Dream On series, a graphic novel by Shannon Hale, the beloved and bestselling author of the Real Friends graphic novel series, with over 2 million copies!

A movie is being filmed right in Cassie's neighborhood! Is this her chance to be a star? Dreams come true when she and her best friend Vali get hired as extras. Plus, she'll get paid, which will help her parents with their money troubles. But when Vali drops out of the movie, Cassie is stuck with the mean kid actors. Even worse, it turns out she's in a horror movie, and the monster in it scares her. Will she get called a "baby" or "scaredy-cat"? Can Cassie make it through the movie without her fears driving her away?

Join Cassie as she finds the courage to face her fears and dream big!

With bright and charming illustrations by Marcela Cespedes, Dream Big is a joyful story filled with imagination, fun 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.

About the Author

Shannon Hale is the New York Times best-selling author of over forty books for all ages, including The Goose Girl, Book of a Thousand Days, and Newbery Honor recipient Princess Academy. With LeUyen Pham, she created her best-selling graphic novel memoirs Real Friends, Best Friends, and Friends Forever, and the picture book series Itty-Bitty Kitty-Corn. She co-writes books with her husband Dean Hale, like the Eisner-nominated graphic novel Rapunzel's Revenge (with Nathan Hale), Diana, Princess of the Amazons (with Victoria Ying), and best-selling chapter book series The Princess in Black (with LeUyen Pham). She lives in Utah with their four children and two ridiculous cats.

Marcela Cespedes, or Mace, as her friends call her, began stapling together sheets of paper to draw stories on them, from a very early age. Growing up, her love for comics never ceased to exist even when reading on road trips with her family would make her carsick. Her degree in Graphic Design and a subsequent Masters in Illustration have taken her to work in many creative industries such as advertising, animation, film, and most recently, publishing, where she finally brought together all her professional experiences with her love for books and graphic novels. Originally from Cali, Colombia, she currently resides between California and Wellington, New Zealand, getting the best of both hemispheres.

Critical Reviews

Praise for the Indie Bestseller DREAM ON (Book 1)
*An Indie Bestseller*
*A Good Housekeeping Kids' Book Award Winner*
NPR Best of 2025

★ "Heartfelt and accessible: another winner from a beloved author." - Kirkus, starred review

★ "Delightful and reassuring... Dream On is a luminous reminder that feeling things strongly also means truly enjoying the good parts." - Shelf Awareness, starred review

★ " [A] heartfelt graphic novel series opener about friendship, family, and finding where one belongs." - Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ "Hale is one of the biggest names in the middle-grade comics space; any new title from her is cause for celebration." -- Booklist, starred review

"If you have Raina-obsessed readers in your life who have read the "Smile" books, as well as her two stand-alone graphic novels, "Drama" and "Ghosts," here are some other recommendations." - Colby Sharp, The New York Times, 'My Kids Love Raina Telgemeier Books. What Should They Read Next?'

"This heartfelt graphic novel tackles family and friendship hardships with compassion and is recommended for fans of Raina Telgemeier." -School Library Journal

"Busy and colorful panel art reflects Cassie's shifting emotions and aptly captures the hustle and bustle of a home with six children and two harried parents; a supportive school environment; the protagonist's flights of fancy; and the abundance of a restaurant buffet." - Horn Book

Publishing Information

Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Pub date: 2026-09-01
Length: 240 pages

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