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The Chocolate Box Girls #5.5-2
Hopes and Dreams: Jodie's Story
Jodie always feels like second best, caught in the shadow of her best friend Summer.Now Jodie has taken Summer's place at the prestigious Rochelle Academy. It's everything she's ever dreamt of, but she's racked with guilt and struggling to follow her dancing dreams.With the help of her friends and the gorgeous Sebastien, will Jodie finally take a risk and step into the spotlight?
60 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 3, 2014
13 people are currently reading
406 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Cassidy
107 books1,711 followersI was born in 1962 in Coventry (scarily ancient, I know). I wrote my first picture book for my little brother when I was eight or nine. I loved making comics, too - pages and pages of picture stories, features and competitions.
I went to Art College in Liverpool, then got a job as fiction editor on the fab and legendary Jackie magazine.
I have worked as agony aunt on Shout magazine and also as an art teacher in the local primary & secondary schools, as well as as a freelance illustrator. These days, I am a full-time author.
I love my family, I love living in the middle of nowhere and I love my work. Of all my jobs, writing has to be the best - it's the perfect excuse to daydream, after all!
I went to Art College in Liverpool, then got a job as fiction editor on the fab and legendary Jackie magazine.
I have worked as agony aunt on Shout magazine and also as an art teacher in the local primary & secondary schools, as well as as a freelance illustrator. These days, I am a full-time author.
I love my family, I love living in the middle of nowhere and I love my work. Of all my jobs, writing has to be the best - it's the perfect excuse to daydream, after all!
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 24, 2016
This was extremely charming. I don't know what's up with ballet and this series, but whenever they talk about ballet, I'm totally delighted although I'm not particularly a ballet fan.
It was really nice to see Jodie grow, gain confidence and finally blossom as a frontstage ballerina and not only Summer's second best.
I'm not upping it to 5 stars because I've been annoyed all along by the way they kept spelling the French name of a French student Sebastien instead of Sébastien. I know it doesn't look like much to English-speakers, but it changes the pronunciation entirely, and they were able to write other French words with the correct accents, so why not Sébastien's name, uh?
It was really nice to see Jodie grow, gain confidence and finally blossom as a frontstage ballerina and not only Summer's second best.
I'm not upping it to 5 stars because I've been annoyed all along by the way they kept spelling the French name of a French student Sebastien instead of Sébastien. I know it doesn't look like much to English-speakers, but it changes the pronunciation entirely, and they were able to write other French words with the correct accents, so why not Sébastien's name, uh?
February 26, 2016
I love cathy cassidy
I love Cathy cassidy all her books are amazing and they have so much potential. This book really suits me though because I am at a dance school now and it is exatually like that
I love Cathy cassidy all her books are amazing and they have so much potential. This book really suits me though because I am at a dance school now and it is exatually like that
August 5, 2014
Brillant
Brillant
It was really good only thing is the book was really short so yeah I suggest reading this!!!!!! I luv Cathy Cassidy!
Brillant
It was really good only thing is the book was really short so yeah I suggest reading this!!!!!! I luv Cathy Cassidy!
January 23, 2016
A short story about the importance of believing in yourself.
February 21, 2016
it is a funny story
January 27, 2017
Funny book and lovely character development.
May 22, 2023
For the little explanation: it is a special issue to read after Volume 5, like the one on Shay (which I did not read on the other hand). "Chocolates and Flowers and "Hopes and Dreams" are two short stories in 4-5 chapters, the 1st about Alfie and the 2nd on Jodie, so basically around Summer. Of course, my opinion will be this time much shorter than usual, as both are not even 100 pages.
"Some of us were born for this, Jodie. We don’t escape our destiny."
I really liked the fact that we were talking about Jodie, a close friend of Summer who always felt in her shadow. The girl takes the time and courage to discover, assert and express herself in dance (but not classical!).
French version: https://www.instagram.com/p/CroOUF7Ig9F/
"Some of us were born for this, Jodie. We don’t escape our destiny."
I really liked the fact that we were talking about Jodie, a close friend of Summer who always felt in her shadow. The girl takes the time and courage to discover, assert and express herself in dance (but not classical!).
French version: https://www.instagram.com/p/CroOUF7Ig9F/
September 25, 2021
I know nothing about ballet but reading this book makes me feel like I'm in Rochelle school with Jodie. I can feel her struggle, trying so hard to be good at it while still feels like she's only second best a second best so doesn't deserve the scholarship in the first place. It's good to know that jodie and summer's friendship is still getting stronger after the whole fiasco
May 30, 2019
I loved this book although I don’t like ballet but the story taught me something and that is not to feel guilty but to confident and follow your dreams.
December 27, 2021
A short and sweet story of Jodie who learns about courage and strength. Jodie's friendship and tenderness toward Summer is adorable and admirable. Her development in such a short book is endearing, encouraging and well deserved.
Jodie is reserved and fearful of failure and rejection but unlike Summer she steps back to avoid disappointment. Cassidy tries hard to grasps the emotions and feelings of her characters but I would have liked it better if she did not give everything in the open. All emotions and thoughts are described so basically and simply that there is a lack of depth but this is a problem in all the books in this series.
Weirdly, every character knows each other extremely well and can read each other like clock-work when in reality that is never fully possible. Also, parts about boys obsession, hormone surge and surface-level ballet and dance knowledge irritate me. Cassidy is clearly not a dancer and -although she tries to do her research and educate herself- she still uses basic terminology to describe the dance used. The most cliche choice of Christmas "Nutcracker" ballet. Her attempt to showcase the differences between Classical and Contemporary ballet and the main aspects of Contemporary dance falls flat and inaccurate. Contemporary dance is not wild and free but is also rooted in technique, fluidity, precision and creativity. Classical Ballet is not boring or rigid as she makes it out.
However, I wouldn't expect this type of knowledge from Cassidy as she failed to display it in Summer's Dream to compromise for Anorexia but Jodie's story takes place within a dance academy and there should be no excuse here. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the new characters and the diversity in this story is much better.
Jodie is reserved and fearful of failure and rejection but unlike Summer she steps back to avoid disappointment. Cassidy tries hard to grasps the emotions and feelings of her characters but I would have liked it better if she did not give everything in the open. All emotions and thoughts are described so basically and simply that there is a lack of depth but this is a problem in all the books in this series.
Weirdly, every character knows each other extremely well and can read each other like clock-work when in reality that is never fully possible. Also, parts about boys obsession, hormone surge and surface-level ballet and dance knowledge irritate me. Cassidy is clearly not a dancer and -although she tries to do her research and educate herself- she still uses basic terminology to describe the dance used. The most cliche choice of Christmas "Nutcracker" ballet. Her attempt to showcase the differences between Classical and Contemporary ballet and the main aspects of Contemporary dance falls flat and inaccurate. Contemporary dance is not wild and free but is also rooted in technique, fluidity, precision and creativity. Classical Ballet is not boring or rigid as she makes it out.
However, I wouldn't expect this type of knowledge from Cassidy as she failed to display it in Summer's Dream to compromise for Anorexia but Jodie's story takes place within a dance academy and there should be no excuse here. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the new characters and the diversity in this story is much better.
October 24, 2025
I enjoyed seeing a different side to Jodie and the world that Summer pushed herself so hard to get to. I'm also pleased that they are still friends and that Jodie can finally take the spotlight for herself and realise that she is just as good a dancer as Summer.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews