After years of being passed around to various relatives, Cassandra Jovanovich has found a home where she feels she belongs. All she wants to do is forget her past and pursue her dream of becoming an actress. But her new friend, Leanna Mets, "the most annoying person she has ever met," wants to know how Cassandra became an orphan, and encourages her to write her story. Cassandras memories reveal how the death of her grandmother and the cruelty of the other adults in her life turned her into the distrustful, secretive twelve-year-old she is. But with friendship and the courage to continue her dream of acting, Cassandra might find a way to connect the dots in her life back together.
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From School Library Journal
Gr 46This companion to Home Free (Second Story, 2009) tells the story of 12-year-old Cassandra Jovanovich. Because of her past (when she was five, her grandmother died and she was passed around from relative to relative), Cassandra is reclusive and distrustful of adults, but when she meets Leanna Mets, everything changes. The "most annoying person she has ever met" becomes her best friend and inspires her to tell her story. Cassandra wants to become an actor, and Leanna helps her to make her dream come true. Jennings has created a strong and fierce female character who overcmes the odds to come out on top. VERDICT A solid, if additional, coming-of-age friendship story.H. Islam, Brooklyn Public Library
Review
Spirited, inquisitive and quirky, almost twelve-year old Cassandra Jovanovich, exhibits such a fearlessness that despite all odds, the reader cannot help but admire... (Recently Read blog 2015-02-18)
Sharon Jennings holds nothing back in her depiction of Cassandra Jovanovich... Cassie is a convincingly resilient character. (Quill & Quire 2015-03-17)
... a well written book that keeps the reader engaged... Cassies character teaches empowerment through owning the experiences that have happened to her and making it into something she can use. (Resource Links 2015-04-16)
The continuing storyline of Cassie proves she is a 'Gutsy Girl'... (CM: Canadian Review of Materials 2015-04-17)
The plot [of Connecting Dots] is strong, honest, tough and clever, with many twists and turns. When you finish, youll want to cheer Cassandra for connecting the dots in her life. (Children's Books Heal 2015-11-06)
Library : General
Universes : Gutsy Girl [03]
Formats : EPUB
ISBN : 9781927583623