Dizzy

What would it be like to walk into your living room and see acomplete stranger who says she's your mother? Dizzy hasn't seen Storm since she walked out on her and her dad eight years ago, but here she is, a hippie-crunchy earth mother, come to celebrate Dizzy's twelfth birthday and to convince Dizzy's dad to let her come away for the summer. A dream is coming true right before Dizzy's eyes and as the memories start flooding back, Dizzy knows she wants to spend as much time with her mum as she can. So the two steal off before dawn into the wild world of communes, hippies, out-door festivals, dirty fingernails and fun! As the weeks pass, Dizzy starts to feel things she's never felt before. She meets Finn, who gives her her first kiss-and Mouse, who's like the little brother she never had. This life is so different from the one back at home. Which life is the right one for Dizzy? Not since Sharon Creech has such a warm, fresh, wonderful voice emerged for this age group. Viking is proud to welcome the talented voice of Cathy Cassidy. From School Library Journal Grade 5-8When 12-year-old Dizzy is kidnapped by her hippie mother, whom she hasn't seen or heard from in eight years, she thinks that flighty Storm has her father's approval to take her to a solstice festival in Scotland where he will join them. As the weeks go by, Dizzy increasingly dislikes sleeping in a teepee, eating moldy bread, going without hot water, singing for handouts in town, and narrowly escaping arrest. Storm shoves her off on her friend Tess, and Dizzy realizes that Storm isn't the mother she had been wishing for. Dizzy and Tess's son bond and look after the neglected son of Storm's boyfriend. Readers will empathize with the protagonist as she fears that her father has abandoned her, and it takes a serious accident to right things. The eclectic characters and their lifestyle are presented as captivating yet questionable in the girl's first-person narrative, and the well-developed plot fosters concern for Dizzy from the beginning. A unique, satisfying story. Jean Gaffney, Dayton and Montgomery County Public Library, Miamisburg, OH Copyright Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From Booklist Gr. 7-9. Birthdays are special for Dizzy because they are the only day each year that she hears from her hippy, carefree mother, who abandoned Dizzy and her father when Dizzy was four. On her twelfth birthday, though, her mother, "Storm," unexpectedly shows up in person, wanting to take Dizzy to a solstice festival. Though her mother's bohemian lifestyle is fun, Dizzy increasingly realizes that Storm isn't the person she wants her to be. The diarylike, first-person, present-tense narrative details Dizzy's experiences, complex feelings, and growth as she learns to appreciate the importance of adult care and trust. With strong supporting characters--among them, 14-year-old Finn, who becomes a friend and more, and troubled seven-year-old Mouse, whom Dizzy comes to care for as a brother--this engaging first novel, set in England and Scotland, will attract kids with its likeable, sympathetic protagonist, whose life illustrates the challenges and rewards of adolescence, family, and love. Shelle Rosenfeld Copyright American Library Association. All rights reserved Dizzy by Cathy Cassidy is an irresistible story for girls aged 9+ 'I never sleep, the night before my birthday . . . it's the only day of the year I hear from her . . .' Dizzy's mum left when she was small. But every year, on her birthday, something arrives in the post - a present or a card with her mum's loopy writing on it. Dizzy has kept everything. This year is different. Nothing comes in the post, but something amazing is about to arrive on Dizzy's doorstep. Something that will whisk her away - and put Dizzy's world in a spin. Will her secret birthday wish come true? 'Touching, tender and unforgettable' - Guardian 'Cassidy's characters have real heart' - Sunday Telegraph 'Cathy Cassidy . . . is way better than Jacqueline Wilson' - Courtney, aged 10 ***Includes delicious recipes, character quizzes and more!*** A Ragdoll A Postcard From Marrakech A Rainbow-stripe Hat A Dreamcatcher A Silver Necklace With A Pink Stone In Dizzy's Mum Left When She Was Small. But Every Year, On Her Birthday, Something Arrives In The Post - A Present Or A Card With Her Mum's Loopy Writing On. Dizzy Has Kept Everything. But This Year Is Different. This Year's Present Is Her Mum, In Person. Tanned And Skinny With Loads Of Earrings And A Huge Smile, Storm Is A Human Whirlwind. She Whisks Dizzy Away For A Summer That Puts Her Whole World In A Spin. After an eight-year absence, Dizzy's "New Age traveler" mother suddenly shows up on her twelfth birthday and whisks her away to a series of festivals throughout Scotland in her rattletrap van