Ways to Build Dreams: A Ryan Hart Story by Renée Watson
A Review By: SS
Bloomsbury presents Ways to Build Dreams by Renée Watson, read by Sisi Aisha Johnson.
Newbery Honor and Coretta Scott King Award winner Renée Watson continues her bestselling young middle grade series starring Ryan Hart, a girl who is pure spirit and sunshine.
Middle school is just around the corner for Ryan Hart, which means it's time to start thinking about the future—and not just how to prank her brother, Ray!
During Black History Month, Ryan learns more about her ancestors and local Black pioneers, and their hopes for the future, for her generation. She wonders who she wants to be and what kind of person her family hopes she becomes. Drawing on the ambitions of those who came before her and her own goals, Ryan is determined to turn her dreams into reality.
Grow and shine and share with Ryan Hart in this series that brings ever more humor, more love, and more fun.
Review Notes:
Audio Book Publication Year: 2023
An installment in a Series? Yes
Narrator (s): Sisi Aisha Johnson
Ryan Hart is one of the sweetest protagonists, and I enjoyed this story as much as the first three. This installment of the series picks right up in the middle of fifth grade, with Ryan being tasked with figuring out how she plans to make a difference in the world. As she goes about figuring this out, she learns a lot about herself and what it takes to build dreams of her own. This story is just as warm and relatable as the previous stories in the series. Readers are able to see themselves in the characters because the interactions between friends, siblings, and adults are written in ways they could naturally occur in real life. Once again, Renée Watson addresses real issues 'tweens deal with like frustrations at school, home, and in their relationships with the people around them in a way that families can enjoy reading together, or young readers can enjoy reading on their own with ease and understanding. I enjoy the simplicity of how she addresses complex issues among her characters so young readers understand. Ryan discovers something new about herself and grows with each story. I hope there is another installment of the series so readers get to see how Ryan adapts to life in middle school.
Reading Recommendation? Yes!
Rating: 5 (I need another one!)
Content Warnings? None
