Cassie is the young protagonist of "Animorphs: The Message" by K. A. Applegate. She is a member of a small, secret society known as the Animorphs. The Animorphs are five youngsters who are able to morph into animals that they have DNA mapping for.
Cassie is considered the Animorph who has the closest relationship with animals. Perhaps it's because she loves and appreciates them so much. The others in the group also feel that Cassie is the most skilled at morphing - which is also because she has a deep sense of the animals. Cassie inherited her love and respect for animals from her parents. Her father is the lead vet at a animal rescue center and her mother is a vet at the local zoo.
Cassie is having dreams that someone who has been lost at sea is sending her a message to be rescued. She is not sure if her dreams are credible enough to risk the safety of the team. But when a remnant from a wrecked spacecraft washes to shore, the Animorphs are sure that the scrap is from the spaceship of aliens who had befriended them. Cassie is now sure that the mission must go forward and she must lead the way.
