Cassie Was Here by Caroline Hickey
Cassie Was Here by Caroline Hickey, graduate, the MFA in Creative Writing at The New School
Roaring Book Press, 2007
Barnesandnoble.com: 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 preteen to teen.