REVIEW: THE EXTRAORDINARY ORDINARY LIFE OF CASSANDRA JONES

The Extraordinary Ordinary Life of Cassandra Jones
Tamara Hart Heiner
72 pages

I was given a free copy in exchange for a fair and honest review of this independently published work.

This first episode in Tamara Hart Heiner’s Walker Wildcats Year 1 series focuses on the trials and tribulations of a fifth grader uprooted from her life in Texas and set down in the Ozarks in Arkansas. This well-written and sensitive portrayal of pre-teen society is engaging and real, capturing all the angst of that first walk down the new school hallway, finding someone to eat lunch with that first day and navigating the perils of making friends and getting in with the right group. Young readers going through a similar experience will find a great example in Cassie’s adventures, whether it is dealing with two best friends who hate each other, or handling unfair grownups who shout too much or being sad when not allowed to bring home a puppy. Great for young readers.