I went the Information and Technology Educator's of Minnesota (ITEM) last weekend. One of my favorite things is to hear book-talks of the best books for the year. Mackin publishing did a fabulous job. At the end of the presentation, everyone got to take one of the books. Like candy in my profession! So the book I took home was The Cat Who Came in off the Roof. It is written by a Dutch author who died in 1995. This book is one of the classic titles in Dutch children's literature. It was a delightful read. It isn't eligible for a Maud Hart Lovelace title because the author isn't from North America. I think being deceased would also be a reason.
I loved this story. I reminded me of my childhood favorite 101 Dalmatians by Dodie Smith. Yes, it was an actual chapter book and not just a picture book of a Disney movie. The cover illustration also reminds me of 101 Dalmatian movie. It starts with a women who is helped down from a tree by a shy reporter. The woman was in the tree because she was scared of a dog. You soon find out that the woman is really a cat who turned into a woman after eating something in the garbage at a chemical plant. She ends of living as "secretary" for the reporter. The poor reporter has been ordered to start writing other news stories instead of the cat ones he seems to come up with. Minou (the woman/cat) goes around to all her cat friends and sources stories for the reporter to help save his job. There is also a mystery and a town villain character that needs to be revealed.
What a fun read. School Library Journal recommends it for grades 3-6. The reading level is 3.9. I give this book a thumbs up for both boy and girl elementary students. It is also an appropriate read aloud to a class.
- Age Range: 10 and up
- Grade Level: 5 and up
- Lexile Measure: 0500
- Hardcover: 160 pages
- Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (January 19, 2016)
No comments:
Post a Comment