Cashay

By Margaret McMullan

In her fourteen years living in a Chicago housing project, Cashay has never ridden in a taxi cab, seen the city lit up at night, or set foot in a museum. She's not pretty, or graceful, or bubbly like her little sister, Sashay. She gets her family by on a couple of dollars and food stamps every week. No, Cashay has never felt much like a treasure. "Your name doesn't signify who you are," Cashay tells her sister. But that was before Sashay was killed. Before her mother started using again. Before her mentor, Allison, showed Cashay a bigger piece of the world, and encouraged her to finally, finally step into it. A name may not signify who you are, but in this poignant coming of age story by acclaimed writer Margaret McMullan, readers will find that indeed, Cashay is an exception to her own rule.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0547076568
• ISBN13: 9780547076560
• Release Date: April 2009
• Publisher: HMH Books for Young Readers
• Length: 176 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.0" x 1.0" x 7.5"
• Age Range: 12 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 7 and higher

Customer Reviews

Gem of a book

Cashay is a lovely book about a confused but ultimately brave girl struggling to find her way after her sister is killed. It is an emotionally honest and well-told story with a satisfying conclusion. Yes the girl does have mentors who are white, but her aunt Jo'Neisha is a strong role model, too. Those who are criticizing the book so intently are the ones who have issues. In Cashay, McMullan creates a likable and, to my...

Dont just Drive By wih the Car Doors Locked

We live in Chicago, near Cabrini-Green, at least geographically. It is an area where there is great disparity in wealth. It is technically integreated, but blacks and whites do not interact very often. My daughter brought home this book from school and soon was engrossed in the story of the world near us, yet so far away. Ms. McMullan tells a riveting tale, that is ultimately uplifting, without glossing over the realities...

A beautifully written story of hope

CASHAY is an uplifting, beautifully written story about an unlikely friendship. It's about how two people from completely different worlds (a teenage girl from a grim, inner-city housing project and a single woman from the world of high-pressure finance), with completely different experiences, forge a bond that allows them to work together to overcome a terrible personal tragedy. Told from the POV of a 13 year old girl who...

With Cashay, Margaret McMullan gives readers--young and old--another treasure

Mississippi-born Margaret McMullan has once again made me feel younger by presenting the world through a child's eyes--and a little wiser (ditto)--this time after reading her newest novel, "Cashay" (Houghton Mifflin, 2009). Like her previous two highly-praised Houghton Mifflin books marketed to young adults, "How I Found The Strong" (2004) and "When I Crossed No-Bob" (2007), "Cashay" is a witty, heartbreaking book well worth...