KAYLEE: I LIVE IN AUSTRALIA!

Another in our series of features on readers around the world… we talk to Kaylee, who lives in Australia!

Kaylee says:
Hi! Or as we say in Aussie, g'day mate! I'm Kaylee, and I'm from New South Wales, Australia… the land down under in the Southern Hemisphere! Australia is a pretty cool country. It's the biggest island - and we are surrounded by ocean.. lots of it! Australia is split into states - NSW, Queensland, Western Australia, North Australia, South Australia, Tasmania and Australian Capital Territory. So… weather. In NSW the weather… sucks! We range from hot to freezing cold to just right. It's supposed to be winter right now but it's actually warm for a winter. Summer is the best time, as we spend it with friends and family at the beach or having a barbeque, which is a great. Sydney is the biggest city in NSW and it's busy! It's home to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, two beautiful man-made landmarks.
Our school system is strict and all schools require you to wear a uniform. My school is especially strict as it's a Catholic all-girls high school. Skirts below the knee, hair tied up… but it's fun! I have drawn the uniform, below. I love my school, it's the best… and the teachers are amazing! They are so unique and cool and creative and crazy! I enjoy Japanese and Music the most and sometimes English and History. What makes my school unique is that we do so much charity and volunteer work that reaches all across Australia and to the outside world, such as raising money for the homeless, or for people in war-torn places like Afghanistan.
Australia is a very multicultural country - two of my friends are from Korea! But, it is also a unique country. It is home to the famous Aussie kangaroos, koalas and Tasmanian devils which do not appear anywhere else. As for food, our signature foods are Tim Tams (chocolate biscuits), Lamingtons (fluffy white cake coated with chocolate and coconut) and barbies, of course! They involve steak, sausages, chips, salad, bread and fun. And because we are multicultural, we have foods from Japan, America, Korea, France and much more. But chocolate will always be the first food of love here…

Our clothes are also different. Everyone has their own style to match the seasons. In Summer it's sunglasses, thongs (flip-flops) shorts and a shirt, and in Winter it's beanies and warm, snuggly clothes. I like to wear tights, a beret and a cute sweater.
I think Captain James Cook claimed the first land back in 1770m but Australia's first inhabitants were the Aboriginal people. Slowly, the land grew into the country we have today. We celebrate most special events, though Christmas is a little different because it means sunshine and beaches! It never snows, not in my area, anyway,

and much as I love the beach I would love to see snow as well!
If there's one thing I don't like about Australia, it's the government; they keep refugees in detention centres or send them back to their country even though they may be in danger there. Horrible, isn't it? I am not good with politics, but I know that this isn't right. Apart from that, Aussies are pretty carefree, and we're a very safe country. Overall, I LOVE Australia… I have met the best people here, awesome teachers and forever friends. I have been to places that will always be special to me. If you ever get the chance, come visit… it's awesome!

Cathy says:
I LOVE Kaylee's exuberant account of life in Australia… who wouldn't want to visit! Have you ever been to Aus? Or would you like to write about your own country? Or maybe you'd just like to COMMENT BELOW on Kaylee's fab feature!

SHANNON: BEST BROWNIES EVER!

Reader Shannon thinks her gran's recipe for chocolate brownies could be the best ever… and looking at the pictures, I think I agree! Read on to find out how to make them for yourself…

YOU WILL NEED:
240g (8oz) butter
150g (5oz) dark chocolate (you can use milk, but I like dark as it's not too sweet)
60g (2oz) cocoa powder
150g (5oz) plain flour
500g (1lb 2oz) caster sugar
5 eggs, beaten
150g (5oz) marshmallows, chopped… or mini ones.

TO MAKE:
1. Heat oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5. Allow it to pre-heat while you are mixing the brownies.

2. Melt chocolate and butter together gently on a low heat by placing the broken up chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, stirring gently until melted.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine cocoa, flour and sugar and mix together until gloopy and thick.

4. Pour in the bowl of now melted chocolate and stir until the mixture loosens and softens. Then mix in the eggs. The liquid should be thinner now but with a brownie-like texture!

5. At this point, stir in the marshmallows or, if you prefer, chocolate chips. You can add almonds if you like nuts, too.

6. Stir and then tip the mix into a non-stick baking tin. If it's uneven, smooth it down with a spoon.

7. The brownie should take around 20 minutes to cook, depending on which tin you are using. Check the oven… you can slide in a knife to check the progress; if the knife comes out clean, the brownie is done.

8. Once cooked, take out of oven and score the top of the brownie to mark where you will cut it. Wait a further 30 minutes to cut the cake.

9. The brownie will still be soft at this point, so I recommend leaving it in the fridge overnight to give it that chewy texture.

That's it - curl up and enjoy!

Cathy says:
Wow… I think I might have to try this recipe - with veggie marshmallows, of course! Shannon's masterclass in brownie baking makes it all look easy... and delicious! Do YOU have a foolproof sweet treat recipe, or are you a kitchen klutz? COMMENT BELOW to have your say!

MY CATHY CASSIDY SUMMER!

Did you have a Cathy Cassidy style summer? We asked readers how and why the books and their stories have influenced your summer…

Millie says:
I'm twelve years old and not so keen on reading, or at least I wasn't until recently! I picked up Coco Caramel from the Learning Resources Centre at school before the holidays, and… I am not joking, it was the BEST book I have ever read! I love chocolate, horses, animals… I am so like Coco and I'm also vegetarian and have raised money for animals too. I then searched the library up and down and found Marshmallow Skye… I have never read a book so fast or loved it so much! I never realised that reading could be so special! I've since got hold of a few of the other books too, and they have made my summer. I sat in the arched window of the holiday cottage where we were staying and imagined I was Honey. When we got home, I lay in the garden reading and imagining Cherry sitting on the steps of the gypsy caravan listening to Shay's guitar; imagined Skye in her beautiful dresses and Summer dancing in the grass; Coco riding Caramel and planning how to save the world. This summer has changed my mind about books completely and taken me to Tanglewood to share in the drama.

Luisa says:
My summer has truly been a Cathy Cassidy fest! It all kicked off when I met Cathy at  a brilliant vintage afternoon tea event in the Midlands Hotel in Manchester with my best friend Grace. Since then I have read the books over and over. After that I had fun entering the CC 'Selfie/Shelfie' comp and got a runners up place, which was cool! I went on holiday to Wales and took the whole Chocolate Box series and Dizzy… I read Coco Caramel for the first time and it is now my favourite book! I spent my spare time doodling CC imagery and made some beach-art images of the books by drawing in the sand. When I got home I used an app called Face Q to make cartoon characters of the Chocolate Box characters, which you can see in the picture. First I created Cherry; I gave her a Japanese fan like the one her mother gave her and I love the cute bunches in her hair! Honey was next with long blonde hair, a flower headband and the maths book she uses when studying with Tara and Bennie.  Coco wears her panda hat and a rabbit t-shirt to reflect her views against animal testing; she is holding one of the ducks. Charlotte is holding a paintbrush as she used to be an art student. Skye wears a vintage hat and sailor outfit and ballerina Summer has hair in a neat bun and a baggy pink t-shirt as always! Last but not least, Paddy holds a cake decorated with his own handmade, fair-trade truffles! I loved creating the characters… it was fun thinking about the little details that make each character unique!

Holly says:
This has been a Cathy Cassidy summer for me because I discovered Cathy's books for the first time at my local library. I really enjoyed each one, but my favourite is Summer's Dream because it tackled a real-life problem and made me see how people in that situation might actually feel. Reading the books made me want to find out more about Cathy, so I went to her website and also found the Facebook Fanpage. I did the quizzes at the end of the books and on the website and learned a lot more about Cathy and her books. One day I spotted a competition on the Facebook Fanpage… I had to do a quiz on DREAMCATCHER and then post on the page. My name was randomly picked from a hat and I won a CC goody bag - it had a keyring, a signed photo, a poster and some chocolate. Finding Cathy's books and winning the goody bag was a real highlight of the summer… I plan to go on reading, so maybe it will be a Cathy Cassidy winter, too!

Cathy says:
I love these stories… it's great to see how the books touch people's lives! Have YOU had a Cathy Cassidy summer? In what way? COMMENT BELOW to tell me more!

TEEN BOOKS TO LOOK OUT FOR!

Three author friends tell all about their new YA books… perfect for any older readers to check out! 

Sophia Bennett says:
THE CASTLE is a story about a girl called Peta Jones who has a special connection with her dad. He's an army hero who is supposedly dead, but Peta doesn't believe it. When she gets a strange warning phone message, Peta is convinced her father is alive and trying to contact her. She'll do anything to contact him; any stupid, dangerous thing. Peta is the girl I always was in my head, growing up with a father in the army, surrounded by soldiers who did dangerous stuff for a living. I was convinced I could do as well as them if I had to. It's also been influenced along the way by a lot of brave teenagers in the news. One of my all-time favourite words is semi-autobiographical, and this book is more of it than you might think. My own father, I might hasten to add, is a lot less dangerous to know than Peta's ever was. I have never been kidnapped on a superyacht. Beyond that, you'll just have to guess...

Keris Stainton says:
I have written four books for teenagers, in between home-educating my two sons (which mostly means breaking up fights about whose turn it is to play on Minecraft). I've written since I was a teenager - I sued to write fanfiction (mainly about George Michael) before it was called fanfiction. Now I write the books I wanted to read as a teenager - romantic, funny and, hopefully, real. (No George Michael, though!) My latest book, STARRING KITTY, is the first in a series about three friends - Kitty, Sunny and Hannah. In this first book, Kitty is dealing with her mum's serious illness while also working out her feelings for another girl. And it's set at the seaside! I'm really proud of it. The next book, SPOTLIGHT ON SUNNY, is out in February 2015 and features London, a cute boy and a life-changing ride on a skyflyer!

Keren David says:
I started work as a journalist when I was eighteen years old, as a messenger girl for a national newspaper. My first book for teens was WHEN I WAS JOE, about a boy in witness protection, and these days I live in London with my family and two greedy guinea pigs. My new book is called SALVAGE. It's about a brother and sister who were separated when they were small children. Cass was adopted into a wealthy family and given an upbringing full of privilege, while Aidan grew up in foster care and children's homes, with a brief return to their birth mother. When Cass is sixteen, Aidan contacts her through Facebook - SALVAGE is the story of their reunion.

Cathy says:
These three books are must-reads! I've already devoured THE CASTLE (a fast-paced adventure thriller) and STARRING KITTY (a warm, fun teen friendship story) which means that SALVAGE will be next on the list… it sounds intriguing! COMMENT BELOW if you've read any of these books or want to recommend another cool teen read!

HOW TO DEAL… WITH INSECURITIES!

Another in our occasional series on dealing with difficult situations and feelings. Reporter Emma gives you the low-down on handling lack of confidence and insecurity…

Emma says:
Insecurities; we've all had them. That degrading feeling that every part of you 'could be better'. Looking back on my own insecurities, I have found that they can be managed with some helpful, hopeful tips… I strongly believe that together we can eradicate insecurities!

1. Ask yourself why and when you started to feel this way. Did something happen at some point to trigger this negative way of thinking? Answering these questions is a great start on the road to wherever your destination may be.

2. Make a 'me' collage of all the things you like about yourself. If you want you can even personalise it by including the things you like in general, eg: hobbies, skills and talents. Make the collage in your favourite colour to add an extra splash of personality.

3. Do at least one thing each day that makes you happy. It could be something as simple as dancing round the room to your favourite song, taking a pet for a walk or simply calling a friend for a chat.

4. Talk to someone about how you have been feeling. I know it's easier said than done, but things that are worth doing often are. You'd be surprised how a simple chat with someone you trust can provide you with real feelings of relief and support.

5. Shake things up. This will provide you with an element of hope and excitement for the future, giving you something to look forward to and a sense of a fresh start. I personally find a haircut is a great way to let go of the past, which can at times feel like it is weighing you down.

Until we deal again,
Emma
xxx

(Pics above posed by models Charlotte & Izzy; photos taken by Fran.)

Cathy says:
Feeling insecure and lacking in confidence is not unusual, especially during the teen years when many young people are under a lot of pressure. Try Emma's great suggestions for shaking off the blues… if they don't work, check out my book, LETTERS TO CATHY, a non-fiction girl's guide to growing up which has some great chapters on building confidence and self-esteem. Do YOU have any insecurities?  Have you overcome them or are you still struggling? COMMENT BELOW to share your worries and your advice!

TWO GIRLS GO VINTAGE: 1: HOW TO SHOP FOR VINTAGE...

Have you ever wished you could find cool vintage bargains like the style icons seem to? Our two intrepid teen style reporters show you exactly how it's done…

Erin says:
Recently I visited Liverpool for the weekend with my friend Erin (yes, I know… confusing, huh?). We had a great time exploring and shopping, but some of our best bargains were from the vintage shops. Both of us love vintage style, but we don't wear fifties dresses or seventies boho chic… we like things that can mix and match with new pieces from places like Top Shop to create a more natural, low key look. For us, the vintage buys are unique style extras that can add something special to an outfit. We've shopped for vintage before in Glasgow and Edinburgh, but this was a chance to check out a whole new city for vintage treasure…

The first place we found was Grand Central, a garish, gorgeous Art Deco building housing floors of cool stalls and mini shops catering for every taste. There was lots of vintage to be had, from hideous crimpeline granny dresses to awesome fifties dresses with to-die-for prints. There were some amazing accessories, too. We moved on to Resurrection - super-cool and full of inspiring finds - and Little Red Vintage, crammed with cute knits, dresses and separates. One of our favourite finds was Pop Boutique, with a great mix of original vintage along with restyled pieces and retro-look modern clothing. In all of these shops, the decor was cool and made it fun to shop.

Shopping in specialist vintage shops can be expensive… they know the value of those one-off items! If you want bargains, charity shops are the way to go. We checked out a few, but struck gold in Oxfam which had great quality shirts, jackets and knits as well as some amazing hats and sunglasses! We even found an amazing shirt with gold embroidered dragon motifs… now we just need to find an occasion to wear it… maybe!

If you're going vintage shopping, take a friend who loves vintage too - you'll feel less shy and have more fun together. Check out charity shops as well as specialist vintage boutiques and don't be scared to try things on… you get a much better idea of how something will look. Even if you're looking for something specific, like a sundress for example, keep an open mind and keep your eyes peeled - you may just come across the perfect cutoff shorts or a great men's shirt to wear jacket style instead. Be flexible! Check out belts, scarves, bags and hats too… a bit of vintage detailing can make a big difference to your look. We loved exploring Liverpool's vintage stores… next time we'll show you what we bought and how we plan to wear it! See you soon!

Cathy says:
I loved following the two Erins on their vintage hunt - they're proof that everyone can wear vintage and that those vintage stores need not be scary or daunting! Are YOU a vintage fashionista? COMMENT BELOW to share your views!

AKEMI: THE CHOCOLATE BOX GIRLS COME TO LIFE...

French reader Akemi is so crazy about the Chocolate Box Girls series that she posed for these amazing photos which bring the Tanberry-Costello sisters to life… how cool?

Akemi says:

I live in Paris and I am almost fourteen years old. I am in love with the books 'Les Filles Au Chocolat' by Cathy Cassidy which have really caught my imagination. I am a very keen reader of the series and so I looked and found the Cathy Cassidy fanpage on Facebook. Although it is in English I liked to be a part of it and I can understand a lot of what I read there.

One day I saw that Cathy was asking her French readers to write reviews of the books for the DREAMCATCHER blog-zine. I thought I would like to take part.The question was to write a review of your favourite Cathy Cassidy book, but I could not choose a favourite. I love them all, and I liked to think of the characters, they seemed almost real to me. I decided that instead of writing about one book, I would make a video. My idea was to bring the sisters from the story to life. I began to look for clothes to make costumes for the girls and think of how to set the scenes. I made some plans and thought about how to create each character. It was fun to make the preparations for this!

In the end, I did not make a video but instead I made a series of photographs which brought to life the characters of the sisters. I included the books in each photograph, as if the characters were holding their own stories. For Cherry's character I wore a red dress and styled my hair in a bun and added chopsticks. I held a beautiful Japanese fan, like the one from the story. I chose a background of bamboo leaves because it seemed to fit the story. For Skye, I wore a floppy straw hat and sunshades along with a vintage shirt. I kept my hair loose and hid behind the book for a mysterious look. For Summer, I styled my hair in a ballerina bun and wore a white t-shirt and a white tulle skirt, like a dancer.

The photograph of Summer was taken outside also, with a view of the mountains and sky behind. Of course it was not Tanglewood, but I was trying to suggest the beautiful countryside of the story. For Coco's picture I had so much fun. I chose to wear dungaree-shorts and a t-shirt. I had my hair in loose bunches and perched a toy squirrel on my shoulder to show that Coco loves animals. Again, it is an outside photograph to show that Coco is a tomboy and an outdoors girl! My photograph of Honey was the the most fun of all to do. I wanted to recreate her life in Australia and make a photograph that showed what her life was like in Sydney.

I used a lilo to float on in the pool. I wore a bikini and a sarong-scarf. I styled my hair in a loose plait and wore sunglasses and in my hand I held an ice-cool drink. I let my feet trail in the water. It made me feel for a moment just like Honey, before things began to go wrong for her. I had so much fun to make the photographs and when I sent them to Cathy she wished to make them a feature all to themselves on DREAMCATCHER. I was very happy. Becoming 'Les Filles Au Chocolat' for just one day was very cool.



Cathy says:
The creativity of my readers often astonishes and impresses me, but Akemi's photographs are something else… the detail and care she has taken to make each sister come to life is just awesome. Have YOU ever dressed up as a CC character? COMMENT BELOW to share your feedback for Akemi or let me know which sister you would most like to be for a day...

THE FIRST DAY!

Finally… we get to find out how our fab five new Year Seven/S1 readers manage on their very FIRST day at their new secondary schools!

Sophie says:
On my first day I met two new girls who looked like they were into the same stuff as me. One, Aideen, has blue hair so I knew she was OK; the other, Amy, had a Linkin Park school bag and I like that band so we began to chat about music, bands etc. I took a packed lunch like I used to in primary because I only like certain foods, but I have a pin number for the cafeteria and I am going to try some of their food soon. Some friends from my old school are in my classes, but I am happy making new friends too… there are 1,500 pupils here and the school is only three years old and the departments are amazing. There are hundreds of guitars in the music department! I am really enjoying it - and the bonus is that so far, the work doesn't seem too hard!

Carys says:
I had my first day in secondary today… it was the BEST day of my life!!! I loved every minute, from getting on the bus first thing this morning to getting off it again this afternoon. When we arrived, we had to go to our form rooms where we were given our contact books (our teacher said it will be like our bible for the next seven years!). Then we had a break and went to the cafeteria - I had a hotdog! We went back to class and then it was double games, but because we didn't have our kit with us we just sat and had a chat. After lunch it was double Welsh and we got our first piece of homework, which was amazing - our teacher is really nice, even though she did give us homework! It has been a great day and I can't wait to see my new friends again tomorrow.

Emma says:
OK… so I have just returned from my first day at my new school, and it was just FANTASTIC! I was super-nervous to begin with, but as soon as I got settled in my form class, the nerves calmed down and excitement followed! We got our timetables, with lots of different lessons with different teachers - it's all very different from primary, but I think I will get the hang of it. I had a great time setting up the iPads for homework… all in all, it was such a fun day. The only downer was that everyone had to do a test first thing to ensure we were placed in the right classes… that was not my favourite bit! After that, though, everything went well… a brilliant day, one of the best!

Pippa says:
In the run up to my first day, I found myself more and more excited about starting my new school. When I arrived, I talked to lots of my friends and wandered over to my new tutor room. They were obviously trying to be quite nice to us on our first day, as it was all pretty chilled! The thing I was most nervous about was performing the play we'd produced at the summer school they ran through the holidays, in front of the whole of Year Seven… but actually, it was really good! I made a lot of new friends today, too! Funnily, I am really anxious about going again tomorrow as that's when 'real' school starts… science period one, double DT period two and three and maths in period four. Also, the whole school will be attending tomorrow… today it was only Years Seven and Eleven. So, still nervous, but… I can't wait!

Imy says:
This week has been a bit crazy - I broke my finger on Sunday while I was on the trampoline so I've been up and down to hospital most of the week, and it's very painful. I can't write very well - not good timing, just three days before my first day at school! Anyway, today was the big day and it was good… everyone was very friendly. We had an assembly first thing and learned all the rules. My sister is a prefect so she went in early to help me find my way around. My form tutor is really nice, and it was her first day too - she is head of MFL (Modern Foreign Languages!) In my form there are three other Year Sevens and we had a quiz to get to know each other - one of the questions was, 'What colour is your toothbrush'! It was easier making friends than I thought and the quiz was a great way to get chatting. I think I'm going to like it! Luckily I don't have homework tonight because I am so, SO tired… I haven't been seeping properly because of my finger and I couldn't wait to get into my PJs tonight!

Cathy says:
Wow! Every one of our five new school starters has loved her first day… and is looking forward to the term ahead! We'll be checking in on everyone again at half term to see how they've been getting on, but meanwhile you can COMMENT BELOW to wish the girls luck for the brand new term or share YOUR new school experiences!

WHO CARES? YOU DO!

Have you ever wanted to help someone in need, or cared so much for a cause that you wanted to raise funds to help? These readers did just that…

Kelsey and Scarlett say:
We heard about a girl at school with cerebral palsy who was trying to raise money to buy a new electric wheelchair. We had the idea of trying to raffle a signed Cathy Cassidy book to help raise funds, but by the time the book arrived all the money for the wheelchair had been raised. We decided to give the money to a charity that helps and supports children with cerebral palsy as well as other disabilities, so we contacted PARC, who agreed to auction the book for us. We started by wanting to help a girl we knew, but finished by raising money to help other children struggling with special needs and disabilities. PARC bring young people together and support and help them… we know they will use the money well!

Olivia says:
I had a bake sale to raise money for charity. I was inspired by a feature I read on DREAM CATCHER, about the girl who wrote about hearing voices in her head; my uncle also has mental health issues, so I decided to raise money for a charity called MIND that helps people with these problems. I managed to raise £20.15 - as Coco would say, 'That's £20.15 closer to saving the world!' I live in Scotland and I'm just going into P6 where we do a scheme called JASS (Junior Award Scheme Scotland). I plan to do more bake sales when I start this. We are lucky not to be in a country that is war-torn or where people are starving, but there are still lots of things we can do to help others… and all of us can do our bit!

Jessie says:
There is a charity local to us called The Little Princess Trust, which makes real hair wigs for children with cancer.A friend of my mum's set up the charity when she lost her daughter Hannah to cancer a few years ago. All Hannah wanted was her hair back, so her mum and dad paid to have a realistic wig made. When Hannah died they set up the charity. I decided I would like to donate my hair to them, and get sponsorship too. I set a target of £200. We had a cake sale and asked family and friends for sponsorship, and also set up a JustGiving page on Facebook. We managed to raise £2100! The hairdresser didn't charge to cut my hair, so mum donated the £25 it would have cost as well.

Ailsa says:
In the past two years I have swum the equivalent of the channel at my local pool, in a set amount of days, for the charity Aspire. I managed to complete the swim before the days were up, and raised a good amount of money for the cause. Aspire is a charity that raises money for people with spinal cord injuries. I have already signed up to do it again this year, and I plan to do it for as many years as possible. In the pic I am wearing the swimming cap we were given to help promote the swim!

Sumaiyah says:
I made loom bands in the four Palestinian colours with several different designs and sold them in a local charity bazaar. I gave the proceeds to a charity which supports those suffering from the war in Palestine. I feel strongly about the crisis in Palestine and what is happening in Gaza: many innocent men, women and children… even babies… are being killed. Many families have lost their homes and need humanitarian aid. I hoped that by making the loom bands in the Palestinian colours, it would raise awareness of what is happening as well as raise funds.

Cathy says:
Wow… so many inspiring stories! Kelsey, Scarlett, Olivia, Jessie, Ailsa and Sumaiyah are an inspiration to us all… and prove that each and every one of us CAN make a difference if we only try. COMMENT BELOW to share your fundraising experiences or to show the girls how much you respect them!

QUICK ON THE DRAW!

My arty readers have been excelling themselves again… with beautiful sketches of their fave CC characters! Take a look!

Ellie says:
I chose to draw Cherry because she's different - an outsider who doesn't really belong. She looks different, too, and gets teased about that. She is so full of emotion… I wanted to show that in her eyes, because eyes can tell so much. For this drawing, I tried to forget about the book and the description of Cherry - it was all about how I saw her. I started with the eye - making it as expressive as I could - and built the face around this. For the background, I made a crazy collage of words from the book which kind of sum up Cherry's life. I love drawing: I'm a perfectionist, and when you draw you can make things the way you want them to be. You can also invent people and stories, just like writing! Drawing is an escape hole for me as well, although when it doesn't quite work I make myself an emergency cup of hot chocolate!

Alice says: 
Ginger is my favourite character because of her personality and how she feels like a small fish in a big pond even when she's with her best friend Shannon. When I saw Cathy's post about drawing your fave CC character for the DREAMCATCHER blog-zine, I knew exactly which one I wanted to do. This is definitely one of my favourite drawings I've ever done as I was able to let my imagination go wild. Art and reading are probably my biggest hobbies so bringing them together was really fun! Gingersnaps is definitely my fave CC book and overall one of my favourite ever books.

Kaylee says:
Well, last time I drew Cherry Costello, and she is definitely a favourite, but this time I wanted to draw Skye. I love her dreams in the book Marshmallow Skye; and also because the vintage outfits in anime often include lots of frills and lace, which is something I am trying to learn to draw right now. I am also trying to get better at anatomy, and so Skye was a great choice for a princess/elegant feel. I also feel that Skye represents me on terms of her dreaming personality. I have a teacher leaving at the moment and wanted to draw Skye to make sure this teacher remembered how much of a daydreamer I was… so it works in all kinds of ways! Skye is adorable, actually. She's a great girl to draw!

Latifa says:
This is my picture of Skye… I chose her because I love her individuality and independence. I am a lot like her, personality-wise, and I'd love to hear a bit more about her in the series so I am looking forward to FORTUNE COOKIE in June 2015 in case that tells me how she's getting on! I did the picture in anime style - which I totally love - using a 2b pencil… well, it's the only pencil I have, so I use it for school too! I loved drawing her plait as it's not a plain, regular plait and nor is it a fishtail… it's a rope plait, which is my favourite, and I think it's a style Skye would love.

Jasmine says:
From a child I have always loved art; it was my granddad who inspired me, sitting me down to draw birds, butterflies and wildlife. I was never a fantastic artist but I tried my best and although I made lots of mistakes, I always learned from them. I especially love using pencils because they're great for shading and adding detail. I chose to draw Dizzy and Leggit because I love drawing animals - especially wolves! Drawing Leggit gave me a bit more practice and I added Dizzy in to complete the picture! I've never been good at drawing people, but I've been practicing and I have improved, thanks to looking at comics, Marvel heroes especially. All in all, art has always been special to me - I know I will continue drawing!

Cathy says:
With my ex-art teacher hat on, I can honestly say these drawings are AWESOME! I love seeing my characters come to life, and also appreciate the variety of techniques and styles Ellie, Alice, Kaylee, Latifa and Jasmine have used in their sketches. Could YOU draw a fave CC character for DREAMCATCHER? Email it to me via the main website or message via the Facebook fanpage… or COMMENT BELOW to tell me what you think of these inspiring pics!

LAUREN: I'M A CATHOLIC

Another in our occasional series on readers with strong religious beliefs… we talk to Lauren, who is a Roman Catholic.

Lauren says:
I have been Catholic my whole life, having been baptized at a very early age like the rest of my family. As time goes on, I am more and more sure that this is the religion for me - I find security in the consistency of the church, knowing that even since its beginning, the teachings haven't really changed. The word 'Catholic' is derived from the Greek word 'Katholikos', which means universa;: very apt, because no matter where you go in the world and no matter what language it is, the Catholic mass is always the same!
This year is very important for me, as it's the year of my Confirmation. Unlike Baptism and First Holy Communion, for which we are guided by our parents, this sacrament is the choice of the individual, if they wish to spend the rest of their lives as a Catholic. I've been attending classes with other kids my age, and we all have different perspectives and very interesting questions too.

The Bible and the rosary are both important for reflection and prayer. We do pray through Mary and the saints, asking them to intercede for us, but contrary to some beliefs we don't actually pray TO Mary.  It bothers me that people are quick to villainise the Catholic Church, accusing it of corruption. There have been a few incidents in history, but how can those instances be used to blame the whole congregation, the whole church?
I wouldn't say it was easy to be a Catholic, but I believe it is worth it to strive for the ideals and morals. After all, the church considers love and forgiveness to be the most important things; and isn't that what we all desire in the end?

Cathy says:
Like Lauren, I was brought up a Catholic, and though I don't follow a religion these days, I loved the ritual and mystery of the religion when I was small. Do YOU have strong religious beliefs? Or are you happy to live your life without it? COMMENT BELOW to share your views… but as always, be respectful of other people's beliefs in what you post!