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Cats In Literature

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cats-in-litThis week our family had to make a difficult decision. Our Siamese-Russian Blue cat battled serious health issues for some time. Because of her age, it wasn’t wholly unexpected. But she was in great pain, and we couldn’t let her continue to suffer. We said goodbye and brought her to our vet’s office to be humanely put to sleep.

She’d been a member of our family for nearly thirteen years, and we love and miss her. Probably none more so than her feline companion, who is now alone during the days for the first time since she was a kitten.

So… in honor of our loss, I’ve made a list of memorable cats in literature. Hope you enjoy.

1. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

A childhood classic with just the right amount of whimsy for any cat lover.

2. Heartless by Anne Elisabeth Stengl

Who could forget Princess Una’s feisty cat Monster? The orange ball of fur turns out to be much more than an ordinary feline.

3. Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe

I remember reading this one as a kid and laughing out loud over the suspicious antics of Chester the cat as he tries again and again to prove the Bunnicula isn’t the innocent rabbit he seems.

4. Warriors books by Erin Hunter

There are several series out now following the stories of a family of cats as they look for new homes, fight off those who would steal their territory, and build a bright future for their little ones.

5. It’s Like This, Cat

I liked this one as a child, too. Adopting an animal can’t help but change our lives. It certainly did for Dave.

6. The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley

Brave dragon-slayer Aerin marches into a battle she knows she cannot win accompanied by an army of desert dogs and wild cats. Though the animals don’t enter the story until near the end, they are faithful companions in Aerin’s time of need.

7. The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

A lonely hound with an abusive owner befriends a calico cat and her kittens. The story is a bit dark but beautifully written. Who can read this without wanting to scoop up those sweet (and slightly mischievous) kittens and take them home?

8. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

All right, so Crookshanks isn’t the most loveable of cats. Not all cats are sweet and cuddly. But what we cat owners know and treasure about our feline friends is the knowledge that often beneath that frenzy of claws is a loving heart. It may be more difficult to earn the affection of a cat, but once that bond is formed, we get to see a side of our kitties that no one else does. They may puzzle over our devotion, but we know loving our cats is well worth it.

Who’s your favorite?

Do you have a favorite storybook cat? Share the book title and a bit about it in the comments!

Review: Pie by Sarah Weeks

Blogger's Favorites, Book Review and Content, Contemporary, Middle Grade 8-12, , , , , , ,

PIE
Sarah Weeks
Scholastic
Published October 1, 2011

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Beloved Aunt Polly’s death leaves Alice miserable and the small town of Ipswitch floundering. Her world-famous restaurant serving free pies must close, but as the will is settled, everyone wonders who will get Polly’s award-winning pie crust recipe? No one is more surprised than Alice when Aunt Polly’s attorney presents her with Lardo, her aunt’s grumpy cat and sole inheritor of the coveted recipe. News ricochets through town. In its wake a mysterious villain vandalizes Polly’s shop and catnaps Lardo (in case the rumors that the recipe is tattooed on the feline’s enormous belly are true.)

Alice’s mother refuses to listen to Alice’s claims that the cat has been abducted and instead rages against her sister’s leaving her out of her will. It’s up to Alice and the local grocery delivery boy to solve the mystery and rescue Lardo amid the whole town’s frantic attempts to recreate Polly’s famous pies.

An unexpected guest reveals the final pieces of Aunt Polly’s will, leaving Alice and her mother dumbfounded. While Alice knows the knot of grief inside her will never fully disappear, she finds a way to cope with the loss and keep her aunt close in her memory and in her sweet baked treats.

Though it grapples with a young girl’s first experience with grief, PIE is an overwhelmingly sweet story, packed not only with tender moments and humor but over a dozen pie recipes, ranging from the all-American classic Apple Pie to the unexpected Green Tomato Pie. This is a great story to read aloud – with frequent breaks to do a little baking! What a great opportunity to bond with middle readers both in literature and in the kitchen.

Language Content
No profanity or crude language.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
None.

Violence
None.

Drug Content
None.

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Review: The Sight by Erin Hunter

Book Review and Content, Fantasy, Middle Grade 8-12, , ,

The Sight
Erin Hunter
HarperCollins Publishers
Published April 24, 2007

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

Jaykit and his siblings can’t wait to be christened as apprentices when they finally reach six moons of age. Until then, though, no one will let them leave the camp, even when a dead fox and its abandoned cubs spell big trouble for the clan. Determined to help, Jaykit and his siblings sneak out of the safety of the camp, hoping to be the first to find the fox cubs and chase them from the ThunderClan territory. When the larger than expected cubs injure Jaykit, all three kittens find themselves in big trouble.

As the apprentice ceremony finally arrives and Jaykit becomes Jaypaw, he seethes under the sympathy of the other clan members. He may be blind, but he can smell much better than any other cat in the clan. He can learn to fight as fiercely as any cat, if only he could have the chance. The clan’s medicine cat, Leafpool, tries to talk Jaypaw into apprenticing as a medicine cat instead of pursuing his dreams as a warrior. With Jaypaw’s knowledge of herbs and his sensitive nose, he would make a great medicine cat. The fact that ThunderClan’s ancestors, members of StarClan, visit Jaypaw in his dreams only seems to further prove Jaypaw’s destiny as a medicine cat.

But Jaypaw’s dream of becoming a warrior does not die easily. When a rival clan invades ThunderClan’s territory, Jaypaw realizes it will be much more difficult than he thought to battle an opponent without the aid of his vision. To make matters more difficult, his litter mate, Hollypaw, has begun training as apprentice to the clan’s medicine cat. As an ancient prophecy about three powerful cats unfolds around them, Jaypaw and his siblings must find the way to harness their gifts and pursue their destinies.

This first book in the Power of Three series draws readers in to the delightful and mysterious world of cats. As the characters interact, cat lovers will recognize various gestures and body language familiar to them from their own furry friends. Jaypaw’s struggle between the glorious life he imagines as a warrior and the disappointment of being left behind to wait for the wounded as a medicine cat is a powerful journey with which readers will easily identify. Hunter’s forest world of cats is fresh and entertaining. One thing this author does not skimp on is in the number of named characters who appear in the story. Keeping track of names and various relationships can be confusing. Thankfully, a glossary of characters is included among the opening pages.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
None.

Sexual Content
None.

Spiritual Content
The cats journey to the Moon Pool to commune via dreams with their ancestors, members of the StarClan.

Violence
Some animal violence. Not highly detailed. Two rival clans battle in the woods. A fox chases a kitten and bites its tail. The cats eat small animals like mice, but no eating is described in detail.

Drug Content
Herbs are used as medicine to help cure illnesses and wounds.

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