Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life

by Barbara Dee

Book Overview

Twelve-year-old Cassie has a lot to cope with when her father moves "out of the picture." Her mom's constantly working overtime, her teenage sister's going AWOL, and her little brother seriously needs attention. It's up to Cassie to prevent total chaos at home -- or so she thinks.

She can't control everything, though. At school Cassie's two "best" friends are turning nasty, and a cute boy is sending mixed signals. And then there's Mr. Mullaney...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1416947396
• ISBN13: 9781416947394
• Release Date: April 2007
• Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.62 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.3" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 9 to 13 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 8

Customer Reviews

just another day in my insanly real life

A girl named Cassie wondering to know why her dad left. Cassie is a 12-year-old girl who takes care of every thing in house, and is getting sick and tired of it. Cassie has 1 brother named Jackson, which is 8 years old, and a sister named Miranda, which is 15 years old. Cassie's mom always works and never has time for the family. Her mom and dad got into an argument, and are "taking time" from each other. Cassie doesn't know why her mom and dad have separated but is determined to find out. Cassie had to move out of her fabulous house and move to "the smelly little unit" as she calls it; also she had to quit all of her after school activities. This is an awesome book, because it's a real life story, and I think you really relate to it. I love this book and I hope you do too.

A Great Read for Girls (and for the rest of us, too)

There are kids' books I've read as an adult that I've liked but am pretty sure I wouldn't have liked when I was ten or eleven. Then there are kids books that I like and I know I would have devoured when I was eleven. This is one of them. Before her father left, Cassie's family lived in a nice house, Cassie was on the swim team, had two best friends and the life of your average middle class, middle school kid. But now Cassie lives in an apartment with her mom (who works all the time), her older sister (Miranda, who never does what she promises she's going to do--like buy groceries), and her younger brother, Jackson, who Cassie's concerned has a learning disability. Add to that the fact her supposed best friends act like she's no longer good enough for them to hang out with. Fun life, right? This could be a depressing book, but it's not. In fact, for a book that deals with some serious stuff, it's pretty dang funny. For instance, after Cassie becomes convinced her teacher isn't bothering to read the journals he requires his class to write, she starts writing all kinds of crazy, silly stuff that cracked me up and will crack kids up, too. Though it takes a little while, Cassie starts finding her way. Sure, she messes up a lot, she makes mistakes, she thinks she knows what's going on, but she doesn't always (she's all wrong when it comes to her English teacher, for instance). But she figures things out, too: like who she can trust, and who her real friends are. A definite good read, with fully developed characters and realistic situations. Highly recommended.

Courtesy of Teens Read Too

We all feel like our own life is the most hectic, the busiest, and more demanding than anyone else's. That sometimes we are too busy with school and work that we hardly have time for ourselves. Unfortunately for Cassie, not only is her life hectic, but it is totally insane. At the age of eleven, Cassie's parents decided to get a divorce and her father up and left. Usually, one of the parents gets to keep the lavish house that they all once lived in as a happy family, but no one ended up keeping the house. Instead, Cassie and her mom and two siblings all move into a run-down apartment, selling the car and the house. Now Cassie has to manage everything, especially since her mother is always working late, her older sister is forgetting to get the groceries or is always on the phone, and her little brother is just crying out for some attention. It's not only home that's changing for Cassie. The two people she thought were her best friends seem to be turning on her, and at school her favorite subject is turning out to be a pain, all because of her teacher, Mr. Mullaney. Fortunately one good thing that comes out of that class is getting to write in a journal about anything she wants. That's where her imagination gets to thrive and Cassie finds peace. Let's just hope that Cassie can find a way to manage her new insane life. JUST ANOTHER DAY IN MY INSANELY REAL LIFE is insanely hilarious. Cassie is that one character that every person is able to connect with, especially since most of us do have obnoxious siblings. The perfect read for anyone down in the dumps, Barbara Dee creates a cast of characters, along with the many excerpts from Cassie's journal, that will put a smile on everyone's face. Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

This is a GREAT book!!!!!

I am a 9 1/2 year old girl and I simply can't live without a good book like Just Another Day in My Insanely Real Life. I could not put the book down. The main character had the burden of keeping her family's life together. She expressed her feelings about this by writing stories in her English journal. She has a mean English teacher and her friends are not true friends. Her life gets scrambled and gushed all together at the same time. Barbara Dee writes this fantastic story of life. I can relate to it. I too write stories that help me with my feelings. I also ease my burdens by reading books like this. Two thumbs up and a hip-hip hooray for the book of the day!

Great slice of real life

I'm an elementary school teacher, and I can highly recommend this book. It is a poignant, funny, moving story, and a very enjoyable read for anyone who has faced tough times and has persevered. Ms. Dee uses real characters and lively dialogue to create a slice of life story that will engage readers to the end.