Cassie Was Here [Hardcover]

Caroline Hickey (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 1, 2007 | Age Level: 9 and up

Bree's mom is busy with work. Her brother Reid is mad at her about his broken arm. Cassie is two years older, smokes (or says she does), and has a tattoo. The only person Bree can depend on is her old friend and playmate, Joey, who's trustworthy--but completely imaginary.

 

Cassie Was Here begins with Cassie talking Bree into a haircut and ends with the two of them sneaking out at night to fix up an old dollhouse. Along the way both will learn about the unpredictable ways real friendships are made, and Bree will learn to need Joey a little less. Confident, funny, true-to-life, it's a story about being 11 and wanting to be 13; about friendship, family, and generosity; and about the awkward, tender transition from pre-teen to teen.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Bree's imaginary friend, Joey, disappeared when Bree was young. Now she is 11, and Joey is back, mostly because a recent move has left Bree in a funk and friendless. Her brother, Reid, is angry at her because he blames her for his broken arm, and her parents are all over her to dump Joey once and for all. So when 13-year-old Cassie comes to stay with her grandmother, who lives nearby, Bree is ready to make a new friend--especially one with a tattoo. First-novelist Hickey offers a simple yet strong story with some nice characterizations. Bree--and Joey--take a backseat to the more complex Cassie, who has just been kicked out of school. Hickey also neatly pulls off a relationship between Cassie and Reid that develops, much to the dismay of Bree. This has the careful, coloring within-the-lines feeling that often comes with first novels, but Hickey's keen eye for kids and their interpersonal relationships will serve her well in books to come. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

About the Author

Caroline Hickey was born and raised in Baltimore and now lives in Brooklyn with her husband. She studied English Literature at James Madison University, and earned an MFA in Creative Writing from the New School in New York City. Cassie Was Here is her first book.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Roaring Brook Press; First Edition edition (May 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1596432055
• ISBN-13: 978-1596432055
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,818,518 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Just My Imagination, July 10, 2007

By 

Little Willow (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cassie Was Here (Hardcover)

Joey is Bree's best friend. Bree talks to her when no one else is around - and that's been happening an awful lot lately, with Bree's mom at work and her older brother off doing his own thing.

Then a new girl moves in across the street. Confident, cool, and bossy, Cassie immediately impresses the younger girl. Will Bree leave behind her old buddy for a new one? She just might, seeing as how Joey is an imaginary friend. Hopefully, Cassie won't find out about her . . .

Cassie Was Here gently captures one girl's impressionable summer in the suburbs. Caroline Hickey's debut novel is adorable. Even if you've ever had an imaginary friend, you've probably needed a real friend - and you might have learned the hard way, like Bree does, that a good friend shouldn't make you do things you don't want to do. Recommended for ages 8 and up.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic for all ages, July 2, 2007

By 

Elizabeth G. Tunick "Liz" (New York) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Cassie Was Here (Hardcover)

I read this book before giving it to a ten-year-old babysitting charge so we could discuss it together and found myself enjoying it just as much (as an adult) as she did. It was honest and poignant, yet funny and light, too. Hickey's understanding of kids, their feelings and they way they communicate is remarkable and she makes the book accessible to all. I HIGHLY recommend this book to people of all ages - you'll be doing yourself a favor!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars re: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY MY 10-YEAR OLD!, May 1, 2007

By 

Bobby (New York, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Cassie Was Here (Hardcover)

Wow. It's impossible to say too many good things about Cassie Was Here. Over the past few years I've become all too familiar with youth-adolescent literature, and while many of the books my daughter has read have been a real hoot (I usually skim through them so I can discuss them with her from an informed perspective), this one had a lot of brains and even more heart. Let's just say I _more_ than skimmed it because it was really just so resonant (which made me feel less old!). This must be the author's first book since I'm sure work of this quality would have found its way to my daughter's bookshelf (or bedside table, or breakfast table, or the backseat of the car, or on the stairs so I can trip over it- ergh!). Hopefully she'll write another one before my daughter passes through the youth/adolescent window-- otherwise I just might have to pick it up for myself. (Normally I'd be too embarrassed to say that, but hey, it was really good.)