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For readers 8-12

Cassie Was Here

"Hickey's debut book captures the shaky essence of what it's like for an 11-year-old to be shy and desperately lonely in a new town...Bree's spunk and quirky behavior will endear her to even the most rooted of readers."

        —Publishers Weekly

Bree's mom is busy with work. Her brother is blames her for his broken arm. Cassie, who's spending the summer with her grandmother across the street, is two years older and too cool for Bree's games. Luckily, Bree has an old friend to keep her company: Joey, who's trustworthy, understanding--and completely imaginary.

 

When you're eleven, an imaginary friend can be awkward, and when Cassie starts taking an interest in Bree, things with Joey suddenly aren't as much fun anymore. Bree finds herself wanting to be more like Cassie, cutting her hair and changing her clothes. Then, as they're starting to make friends, Bree discovers that Cassie has some secrets of her own--like her friendship with Bree's brother, and the real reason she's in town. Is she the friend Bree's been waiting for? Or is she better off sticking with Joey?

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Reviews

"An unusually compelling narrator. Tweens will identify with the conflict between her little-girl and cool-teenager selves as well as with the intense ups and downs of her relationship with her older brother...[It] will leave young readers thinking hard about what it means to be a friend."

—The Horn Book Magazine

"This will speak to youngsters, especially girls, verging on that lurch into adolescence and viewing with a mixture of awe and alarm the teens who’ve made that transition."

—The Bulletin for the Center of Children's Books

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