Learn all about what it takes to achieve your dream job in Kathie MacIsaac, Colleen Nelson and Scot Ritchie’s non fiction book If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It: How 25 inspiring individuals found their dream jobs.

I love this book! Kathie MacIsaac and Colleen Nelson have created a dynamic resource that will appeal to middle grade readers right now as well as in the future as jobs and work evolve. There are many things to like about this book not the least being that they have sought out diverse people in diverse careers to inspire young readers today.

Instantly when opening the pages, readers are treated to bright colours and a bold design thanks to Lorena González Guillén. Each two page spread features a person with an interesting and inspiring career. There are sidebars and asides to provide the reader with tips to achieve each job or jobs in similar fields as well as features about inspiring children and young adults who are following their dreams right now. The book is dynamic and interesting with Scot Ritchie’s illustrations providing a little bit of colour and extra vigour to each spread.

I particularly love that the book centres both white-collar and blue-collar jobs. There is a feature on a barber, a storm chaser, a teacher, a carpenter, etc. The authors also sought out people who perhaps would not traditionally hold such jobs, especially women in male dominated fields and vice versa. There are many opportunities throughout this book for ALL readers to see themselves reflected through the biographies of those featured. Colleen and Kathie did an impeccable job if seeking out a diverse cast of people to show readers, just as the title suggests, if they dream it, they can do it. I often find that books about inspiring people are very narrowly focused. I love that this book provides readers with a very broad understanding of just what kinds of jobs are out there and the different people who are successful in their fields.

At the end there is information about the future of work and which jobs we could see on the horizon as well as the skills readers need depending on the job they are seeking. It can be a difficult thing, figuring out what you want to be when you grow up, but with incredible inspiration from those featured in the book and Kathie and Colleen’s excellent way of bringing their stories to life, this book can provide a little bit of guidance.