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Cassie Binegar Paperback – January 22, 2002
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After her grandfather's death, Cassie longs for an orderliness to life -' a pattern -' that doesn't exist among her raucous, loving family. But during an eventful summer by the sea, she begins to learn that some things do not stay the same forever. Colorful characters [and] Cassie's continuing and believable growth in understanding herself and others [make] this novel so distinctive." 'C.
- Reading age8 - 12 years
- Print length128 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- Grade level4 - 7
- Lexile measure700L
- Dimensions5.18 x 0.3 x 7.62 inches
- PublisherHarperCollins
- Publication dateJanuary 22, 2002
- ISBN-100064401952
- ISBN-13978-0064401951
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"Colorful characters [and] Cassie's continuing and believable growth in understanding herself and others [make] this novel so distinctive." — Bulletin of the Center for Cbildren's Books
“The writing is luminous.” — School Library Journal
From the Back Cover
After her grandfather's death, Cassie longs for an orderliness to life -' a pattern -' that doesn't exist among her raucous, loving family. But during an eventful summer by the sea, she begins to learn that some things do not stay the same forever. Colorful characters [and] Cassie's continuing and believable growth in understanding herself and others [make] this novel so distinctive." 'C.
About the Author
Patricia MacLachlan (1938-2022) was the celebrated author of many timeless books for young readers, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal. She was also the author of many beloved picture books, a number of which she cowrote with her daughter, Emily.
Product details
- Publisher : HarperCollins; Reprint edition (January 22, 2002)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 128 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0064401952
- ISBN-13 : 978-0064401951
- Reading age : 8 - 12 years
- Lexile measure : 700L
- Grade level : 4 - 7
- Item Weight : 3.21 ounces
- Dimensions : 5.18 x 0.3 x 7.62 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #3,141,296 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #2,753 in Children's Books on Death & Dying
- #6,415 in Children's Multigenerational Family Life
- #17,793 in Children's Books on Emotions & Feelings (Books)
- Customer Reviews:
About the author
Patricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and to this day carries a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she goes to remind her of what she knew first. She is the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lives in western Massachusetts.
In Her Own Words..."One thing I've learned with age and parenting is that life comes in circles. Recently, I was having a bad time writing. I felt disconnected. I had moved to a new home and didn't feel grounded. The house, the land was unfamiliar to me. There was no garden yet. Why had I sold my old comfortable 1793 home? The one with the snakes in the basement, mice everywhere, no closets. I would miss the cold winter air that came in through the electrical sockets."
"I had to go this day to talk to a fourth-grade class, and I banged around the house, complaining. Hard to believe, since I am so mild mannered and pleasant, isn't it? What did I have to say to them? I thought what I always think when I enter a room of children. What do I know?"
"I plunged down the hillside and into town, where a group of fourth-grade children waited for me in the library, freshly scrubbed, expectant. Should I be surprised that what usually happens did so? We began to talk about place, our living landscapes. And I showed them my little bag of prairie dirt from where I was born. Quite simply, we never got off the subject of place. Should I have been so surprised that these young children were so concerned with place, or with the lack of it, their displacement? Five children were foster children, disconnected from their homes. One little boy's house had burned down, everything gone. 'Photographs, too,' he said sadly. Another told me that he was moving the next day to place he'd never been. I turned and saw the librarian, tears coming down her face."
"'You know,' I said. 'Maybe I should take this bag of prairie dirt and toss it into my new yard. I'll never live on the prairie again. I live here now. The two places could mix together that way!' 'No!' cried a boy from the back. 'Maybe the prairie dirt will blow away!' And then a little girl raised her hand. 'I think you should put that prairie dirt in a glass bowl in your window so that when you write you can see it all the time. So you can always see what you knew first.'"
"When I left the library, I went home to write. What You Know First owes much to the children of the Jackson Street School: the ones who love place and will never leave it, the ones who lost everything and have to begin again. I hope for them life comes in circles, too."
Customer reviews
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- Reviewed in the United States on August 8, 2016One of my fave books as a child. I have been looking for it EVERYWHERE so that I could give it to my son to read. I couldn't remember the exact title (just that it began with a "Ca") and that the story was set on a beach. I took a chance and got this book to see if it was the one I vaguely remembered. It WAS!
I highly recommend it - re-reading it as an adult I just BAWLED. Kids will probably really identify with the heroine (I did when I was small). The story has aged well; not a lot of pop culture references. It's focused on emotion and relationships as well as family dynamics and how they differ from house to house.
The main character is a strong, independent female surrounded by strong, independent women. She is a bit of a "tomboy", so a boy might also be interested in this book. It focuses more on her feelings about life and family and where she fits in, not specifically "girl" issues - more tween/early teen issues that any kid can identify with.
The copy I got from the used books seller had a clear contact paper cover on the paperback book. Great condition.
Bonus: It was a signed first-edition paperback. A nice surprise!
- Reviewed in the United States on December 20, 2013We used this book to compare to another book. We talked a lot about the character and how she changed throughout the story. Enjoyed using it.
- Reviewed in the United States on August 26, 2021My 11-year-old daughter is not a big reader, but she loves this book (even though it's pretty "old" for her). I don't know much about it, but since it's getting her to read, I give it 5 stars.
- Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2000Cassie Bineger is about a 12 year-old girl who dosen't have much.They moved to a small house by the sea.Cassie has no friends untill she meets a girl at her school,her name is Margarret and she has a perfect life she has a brother a sister a mom and dad and she even has a big house.Cassie was the only child,her father had died and she had the smallest house.Cassie and her mom needed help so they asked there grandpa to live with them.Margarret and Cassie became very close they knew every thing about eachother they were like sisters. Then one day Margarret's dad got transfered she had to move,Margarret never saw Cassie agian. Cassie was alone agian and had no friends so she went up into her attic after school and wrote poetry all day long untill it was time for dinner sometimes she didn't even eat dinner she would just write her self to sleep.Cassie never really had a life. Every day she went to school she thought of a new thing to write when she got home. When ever she came home she saw a little boy named Gran they both liked to write poetry so they always wrote poems together.They became really good friends and they will always write poetry together no matter were they were. I choose this book because it looked really good it was very sad and exciting to read.This book is one of the saddest books I ever read but I liked it so im going to give it 4 stars. Cassie Bineger help me remember to be thankful for what you have.
- Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2001Amazon CustomerIn "Cassie Binegar," Cassie, the protagonist, did not like the idea of change. She wanted orderliness in her life and strived to achieve it. She eventually learned to view life through her family's eyes and learned a very valuable lesson; that things don't stay the same forever. I would definitely recommend this book for young adolescents. They will find it very easy to relate to the experiences in this book.