Today’s pick: Cat
Found by Ingrid Lee
The Chicken House, 2011
From the publisher:
In Billy’s small town, stray cats are running wild, and some people want to
get rid of them. The school bullies even throw rocks at the poor creatures! So
when Billy finds a hurt starving kitten and sneaks her home, he has to be extra
careful to keep her hidden while he nurses her back to health. However precious
little Conga is to him, he knows his dad would take her away if he discovered
her, cozy and warm, in Billy’s bedroom! Can Billy and his friends face the cat bullies, show the town the importance of caring for abandoned animals, and find a safe haven for strays?
My Take:
Although I’m more of a dog person, I
could sympathize with the hard life experienced by the stray cats and I was
rooting for Billy to help find a solution. Billy’s character was believable,
and so were his friends Luke and Salome. For me, Billy’s father was less convincing.
I found it hard to accept when he abruptly changed his perspective after one story
event, but other readers might not mind this if they are caught up in the story.
Cat Found has a clear message about
spaying and neutering, and highlights issues related to cruelty to animals. Some
parts of this story may not be appropriate for younger children - there are two
scenes of cats giving birth, one including a stillborn kitten, and the other
where the cat dies.
As a writer, I liked the way the author
tackled real issues and didn’t sugar coat the hard life of the cats. She used
details carefully to present a picture of the events that wasn’t overly
gruesome.
Favourite quote:
About Salome’s drawings: “In their charcoal skins, the paper
cats walked and slept and groomed, and did a thousand different things.”Other Info:
Ingrid Lee lives in Toronto.
Her first book for older readers, Dog Lost, is based on a true story.
This
book is nominated for the Ontario Library Association's Forest of Reading in
the Silver Birch (Fiction) category for 2013. If you aren't familiar with the
Forest of Reading program, here's how it works: Professionals from schools and
public libraries nominate a selection of books in a specific category. Students
from all over the province read them and then in April they vote for their
favourite. I have previously profiled A Tinfoil Sky by Cyndi Sand-Eveland.
Other books by this author include:
Dog Lost
For more about Ingrid Lee, check out her GoodReads profile.
Marvelous Middle Grade Monday was dreamed up by the
incredible Shannon
Messenger, author of Keeper of the Lost Cities. Visit her blog for
an up-to-date list of all the bloggers who are participating and posting about
middle grade books today!
I once had a cat and will soon have my first dog. This sounds like a good book for a kid who really likes cats. And there are kids like that. Thanks for sharing this.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little different than your typical sweet story about pets, which made it interesting.
DeleteMy daughter loves cats, I can see her doing something like this. Sounds like a good book!
ReplyDeleteI'm a cat person, so this is for me. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI like how you include other books by the author in your review! That's a nice touch. Nice to meet you :) Melanie
ReplyDeleteHi Melanie, thanks for stopping by!
DeleteThis sounds like such a great book for kids! I bet my daughter would LOVE it. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI am a dog and cat lover and this book is one I think I will love. It sounds like a great book for kids to read- and as and adult I am looking forward to picking it up asap. :) Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete~Jess