Hooked on Books with Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac’s See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 People Just Like You Found Their Dream Jobs

This month’s Hooked on Books feature highlights a recent 2025 Forest of Reading nominee that opens children’s eyes to career possibilities they may have only imagined. We were thrilled to connect with co-authors Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac to learn about their journey behind See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 People Just Like You Found Their Dream Jobs. Nominated in the Yellow Cedar category for Non-fiction (Grades 5-8), this inspiring book encourages young readers to dream big and pursue careers they may have never considered before. While aimed at middle-grade readers, its empowering message makes it a must-read for people of all ages. We will be featuring new Hooked on Books interviews weekly - many of which will come from 2025 Forest of Reading nominees. Stay tuned for more can’t miss titles!

Ignite a Love for Reading Year-Round with the Forest of Reading Program

Wondering how to spark your child’s love of reading yearlong? You’re not alone! The Forest of Reading, Canada’s largest recreational reading program, has become a go-to resource for parents looking to inspire young readers. Managed by the Ontario Library Association, this program celebrates Canadian authors, illustrators, and publishers, with young readers themselves selecting the year’s winning titles. The excitement culminates at the Forest of Reading Festival, where winners are revealed in a grand two-day celebration. We have the pleasure of hearing from many of the 2025 Forest of Reading nominees in our Hooked on Books series.

Living the Dream: Inspiring Children to Discover Their Dream Jobs

Finding a career that truly excites and inspires you can feel like a daunting challenge. But what if the key to unlocking your dream job starts with seeing it, dreaming it, and believing that it's possible? In their inspiring book See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 People Just Like You Found Their Dream Jobs, authors Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac share the stories of 25 individuals who turned their passions into careers, proving that with determination, creativity, and a little bit of courage, anyone can pursue their dream job. In this interview, we’ll dive into the journey behind the book, the powerful lessons they’ve learned along the way, and how teachers and parents can help encourage students to see it, dream it, and do it.

About the Authors

Colleen Nelson is a grade 7 & 8 teacher from Winnipeg, Manitoba. Colleen is no stranger to the Forest of Reading awards, having won the Silver Birch Award in 2023 with her book, The Undercover Book List. Kathie MacIsaac, also from Winnipeg, is a literacy advocate who is passionate about books for middle-grade readers.

Hooked on Books Interview with Colleen Nelson and Kathie MacIsaac

1. How did your experience as a teacher help inspire you to write See It, Dream It, Do It: How 25 people just like you found their dream jobs?  

Colleen: I’ve been teaching for about 20 years and the idea for this book came to me when I was thinking about how a child might want to be an engineer, but have no idea how to go about becoming one. The original idea behind the first book, If You Can Dream It, You Can Do It, was for it to be a how-to manual for kids interested in the same careers as the people we featured.  

When I shared my idea with Kathie, she loved it and we embarked on the journey together. When we were first making a list of the jobs we wanted to include, I asked my grade 7/8 students to share their ‘dream jobs’ with me. We got a lot of marine biologists, psychologists and lawyers. This was helpful, but it also showed us that exposing readers to unusual jobs, like a park ranger or forensic artist, could open their eyes to other options.  

While working on See It, Dream It, Do It, I was in a colleague’s classroom and noticed her students had written architect, YouTuber and LEGO designer as their dream jobs and I thought those were excellent ideas. Kathie and I worked hard to find people with those jobs so we could include them in the book. Imagine my joy to find Tiago who is both a LEGO designer and a YouTuber! 

I also know that with nonfiction books, many of my students like short, manageable text in a browsable book. Our hope was that readers would find the words and layout engaging. Of course, Scot’s illustrations help so much and add fun to each page. With all the sidebars and backmatter, I think it’s a book that can be picked up over and over again and you’ll always learn something new.

2. Which interview from this book surprised you the most about the interviewee’s chosen career? 

Kathie: It’s hard to pick just one because I learned so many interesting things I didn’t know! I think Jean Nault’s career as a forensic artist surprised me because of the unique blend of artistic skills and police work. Jean obtained a university degree in fine arts before becoming a police officer, but he didn’t expect he would use art in his policing career. Now he has a challenging and rewarding job doing composite sketches, facial reconstruction, and investigative work helping solve crimes. I love that Jean’s profile could inspire young readers to think of ways they could combine skills or passions in a job that may not appear to go together at first glance.

3. Children are often asked what they want to be when they grow up, this book helps open up the conversation into how to get there. How do you think conversations about different education paths will help inspire the next generation? 

Kathie: Many of the people we interviewed had no idea the type of job they would end up loving when they first left high school. I think that’s important to recognize because our world is always changing, and there will be jobs twenty years from now that we never could have dreamed about today! Kids will need to adapt and respond to those changes and be open to new ways of learning and gaining knowledge. I hope our books shows that there is no one “right” education path but many ways that can lead to satisfying jobs in fields they love.

4. What steps can teachers and parents take to encourage children to explore the wide range of job opportunities available to them? 

Colleen: Buying our book is a great first step! Haha! Encouraging kids to think beyond what's familiar is also helpful. Instead of asking a child what they want to be when they grow up, try asking, ‘what brings you joy?’ and see what kind of answers you get. For example, if a student likes art, there are jobs in design, animation, film and even cake decorating!  

At the back of the book, we list some people who can help in the hunt for a career. From high school counselors to head hunters, there are lots of people with expertise in the current job market and the skills needed for the positions. I also think talking to people and asking questions about what they do is a great way to learn about jobs you might not have considered.  

5. What do you hope children (and parents) take away from reading this piece? 

Colleen: I think it’s important for parents to keep an open mind and remember that most people don’t stay with one job their whole lives. The thing that struck Kathie and I was how many people we interviewed didn’t find their dream job until they’d tried many different careers. Letting children find their way and follow their passions can be scary for teachers and parents, but it’s a necessary part of growing up. Just because a child doesn’t find their 'dream job’ in their 20’s doesn’t mean they never will. 

I’d like children to see the wide range of career opportunities that exist for everyone. The people we featured were so inspiring because many of them pursued careers that went against the norm, but they didn’t let that stop the. Lenna Charlie, for example, is a heavy equipment mechanic in the North and Quinlynn Haddon is a fishing captain in Florida. There’s really no barrier that can’t be overcome if you’re as determined as the people in our book.

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Stay tuned for more Hooked on Books features coming from the Teachers on Call Online and In-Person Tutoring team! We have many more interviews with inspiring Canadian authors that can be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Looking for more ways to encourage students to dream big for their futures? Check out our recent blog where our President, Joanne Sallay, explores careers in the mining field.