Книга: Cathy Cassidy «Chocolate Box Girls: Summer's Dream»

Cathy Cassidy (born 13 June 1962) is a British author of young adult fiction, mainly focusing on domestic fiction. She was born in Coventry, but now lives in Galloway, Scotland. She has written 14 books. She has also been the agony aunt for Shout, a magazine for teenage girls, and she has a series of three books at present about Daizy Star for younger readers.^[1]

Personal life

Cathy now lives in the Galloway Hills in Scotland with husband Liam, and two children, Caitlin (aged 17) and Calum (aged 19). She has been a vegetarian for over 30 years, and was a vegan for 8. Her lurcher, Kelpy, inspired the dog Legg-It in her first book, Dizzy.

She wrote her first picture book for her little brother when she was 8 or 9. Cathy was the agony aunt on teenage Shout magazine for 12 years and for many years taught art in local primary schools but is now a full-time author. She has revealed that she was once an art teacher at secondary schools, and went to university to take an art degree. She has drawn all the illustrations and the front covers to all the Daizy Star books. Her latest series, The Chocolate Box Girls, is inspired by chocolate. It is the story of five girls whose parents start a business in making truffles. She says that the names for each book are also the names of truffles, and she enjoys the "research" – eating and tasting chocolate and recalling her days in Somerset as a waitress. Cathy has so far written two books in the series, "Cherry Crush" and "Marshmallow Skye". She has just started writing the following book, "Summer's Dream". Next will be "Sweet Honey," and the last book will be about Coco.

Early life

Cathy wrote her first picture book when she eight/nine for her little brother. She loved making comic books, She would sell them to a friend for five pence and then claim it back and sell it again to someone else. She then went to art college in Liverpool, then got a job as a fiction editor in Jackie Magazine. As well as being an agony aunt for Shout, she taught art in seven different primary schools, then married her boyfriend Liam and then went back to college to train to be an art teacher. She taught in Coventy Secondary School for a few years.

Dream Team

Cathy Cassidy has an exclusive fan club known as the Dream Team whose job to contribute advice, suggestions and feedback in return for various benefits such as receiving Cassidy's books before their official release.

Queen of Teen

Cathy Cassidy has twice been nominated for the Queen of Teen award, in 2008, when it was founded, and 2010. Girls all over the UK can nominated their favourite author and the 10 most popular make the shortlist, in which girls once again must vote their favourite of the selection. Authors have included Sarah Webb, Louise Rennison (the 2008 winner) and Sarra Manning. In 2010, fans voted Cassidy as the winner, and she Cathy was crowned with a heavy tiara, pink sash and a silver throne.

Books

• Dizzy (2004)
• Indigo Blue (2005)
• Driftwood (2005)
• Scarlett (2006)
• Sundae Girl (2007)
• Lucky Star (2007)
• Gingersnaps (2008)
• The Cathy Cassidy Dreams and Doodles Daybook (2008)
• Shine On, Daizy Star (2009)
• Angel Cake (2009)
• Letters to Cathy(2009)
• Daizy Star and the Pink Guitar (2010)
• Cherry Crush - The Chocolate Box Girls (2010)
• Strike a pose, Daizy Star (2011)
• Marshmallow Skye - The Chocolate Box Girls (2011)

She has also written three mini books:

• Love Peace and Chocolate(2007)
• Ice-Cream And Dreams(2008)
• Cupcakes and Kisses(2009)

Summary of books

Dizzy

The main character in this book is a twelve year old called Dizzy. On her birthday her mother comes and takes her away to go traveling around the festivals in Scotland. Dizzy meets a fourteen year old boy called Finn. He is very musical and in the end becomes her boyfriend. There is also a seven year old called Mouse. He has had a bad childhood and is prone to shoplifting.

Indigo Blue

This book is all about Indigo Collins. She loves daydreaming. She has to flee from her mother's boyfriend with her mum and her little sister, Misti. When Indigo gets the lead role in a play that Jo, her best friend, wanted, and Jo's crush starts liking Indigo, Jo suddenly doesn't want Indigo any more.Then Aisha, the new girl, becomes friends with her and she doesn't need Jo any more.

Driftwood

A girl called Hannah narrates this book. At the beginning it was just her and crazy friend Joey, giggling about Hannah's brother Kit, who fancies Joey. Then Hannah meets Joey's adopted brother Paul and slowly everything changes. Joey persuades Kit to look after Paul and Hannah's group of two turns to four. Then one day Kit and Paul fall out and Joey and Kit get together. Then Hannah finds out that Kit and his friends have been bullying Paul and suddenly she has to choose whose side she's on.

Scarlett

Wild Scarlett has been expelled from school AGAIN and must go to live in Ireland with her father. She doesn't want to, due to the fact that he left her and her mother when she was ten to go and live with another lady. In Ireland, though, she meets the mysterious Kian and suddenly, life isn't that bad any more.

Sundae Girl

Shy Jude's mum gets ill on cigarettes and alcohol. Her Dad lives away and is crazy about the 1960s. Her Grandma has Alzheimer. Her best friend, Nuala, just doesn't understand.Nothing seems to going Judes way until she realizes the floppy haired boy from school could be her knight in shining armour.

Lucky Star

A sequel to "Dizzy". Mouse is now fourteen. He meets a girl called Cat with crazy and daring ideas in her head. Will she help Mouse to finally get his happy ending?

Ginger Snaps

Ginger was once an outsider, but not any more. She has managed to reinvent herself, become one of the cool girls, and has a lovely new best friend Shannon. But then old friend Emily comes into the scene and it's back to the old days. And when she starts dating Sam, the boy who rejected Shannon, her life gets complicated. Ginger finds herself on the outside looking in, but she soon finds out that what had happened was a great miracle.

Angel Cake

Anya has just moved to Britain from Poland and is finding it hard to settle in. Luckily, though, she becomes best friends with Frances, and helps Kurt to find a home for Cheesy the rat. Fat Frances and geeky Kurt are not the ideal friends but they're all Anya has. Then she meets bad boy Dan, who, according to Frances, is not boyfriend material, but Anya's sure that there's another side to him. Everyone says it isn't good to be with Dan, but Anya is prepared to show them who he really is.

The Chocolate Box Girls

The Chocolate Box Girls series is all about two families coming together. It features the adventures of sisters Cherry, Skye, Summer, Honey, and Coco. Cherry Costello is shy and imaginative, Skye Tanberry loves vintage things, Summer Tanberry is ballet mad, Honey Tanberry is difficult but loves art, and Coco Tanberry is an animal-loving tomboy.

Cherry Crush

Cherry Costello has just moved in with the Tanberry sisters. Life is perfect, except for one thing - Honey hates Cherry and her Dad. Then Cherry gets a crush on Honey's boyfriend...

Marshmallow Skye

Skye and Summer are twins. It used to be lovely when they were still close. But lately Skye's been feeling second best to Summer. And then Skye realises that her friends Millie and Alfie wanted Summer all along. But Skye has something that is hers and only hers. A box of clothes and letters belonging to Clara Travers, a girl who threw herself into the sea out of heartbreak, a girl who is rumoured to still haunt the forests beyond Skye's old home. Then Skye starts dreaming of the past,falling for a boy she can never have. Suddenly, Skye has a mystery to unravel.

References

External links

• Official website
• Cathy Cassidy at Fantastic Fiction
• Audio interview with Cathy Cassidy (mp3 file, 20:36), December 2008