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Highway Cats
After befriending three little kittens who were thrown off a truck and onto the highway one evening, street cats Khalia Koo, Jolly Roger, and the rest of their feline friends are shocked when they discover that the discarded additions to their mix have special powers that are quickly put to use to save their beloved cat town. 20,000 first printing.
118 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
14 people are currently reading
401 people want to read
About the author
Janet Taylor Lisle
43 books50 followersJanet Taylor Lisle was born in Englewood, New Jersey, and grew up in Farmington, Connecticut, spending summers on the Rhode Island coast.The eldest child and only daughter of an advertising executive and an architect, she attended local schools and at fifteen entered The Ethel Walker School, a girl’s boarding school in Simsbury, Connecticut.
After graduation from Smith College, she joined VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). She lived and worked for the next several years in Atlanta, Georgia, organizing food-buying cooperatives in the city’s public housing projects, and teaching in an early-childcare center. She later enrolled in journalism courses at Georgia State University. This was the beginning of a reporting career that extended over the next ten years.
With the birth of her daughter, Lisle turned from journalism to writing projects she could accomplish at home. In 1984, The Dancing Cats of Appesap, her first novel for children, was published by Bradbury Press (Macmillan.) Subsequently, she has published sixteen other novels. Her fourth novel, Afternoon of the Elves (Orchard Books) won a 1990 Newbery Honor award and was adapted as a play by the Seattle Children’s Theater in 1993. It continues to be performed throughout the U.S. Theater productions of the story have also been mounted in Australia and The Netherlands.
Lisle’s novels for children have received Italy’s Premio Andersen Award, Holland’s Zilveren Griffel, and Notable and Best Book distinction from the American Library Association, among other honors. She lives with her husband, Richard Lisle, on the Rhode Island coast, the scene for Black Duck(2006), The Crying Rocks (2003) and The Art of Keeping Cool, which won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction in 2001.
After graduation from Smith College, she joined VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America). She lived and worked for the next several years in Atlanta, Georgia, organizing food-buying cooperatives in the city’s public housing projects, and teaching in an early-childcare center. She later enrolled in journalism courses at Georgia State University. This was the beginning of a reporting career that extended over the next ten years.
With the birth of her daughter, Lisle turned from journalism to writing projects she could accomplish at home. In 1984, The Dancing Cats of Appesap, her first novel for children, was published by Bradbury Press (Macmillan.) Subsequently, she has published sixteen other novels. Her fourth novel, Afternoon of the Elves (Orchard Books) won a 1990 Newbery Honor award and was adapted as a play by the Seattle Children’s Theater in 1993. It continues to be performed throughout the U.S. Theater productions of the story have also been mounted in Australia and The Netherlands.
Lisle’s novels for children have received Italy’s Premio Andersen Award, Holland’s Zilveren Griffel, and Notable and Best Book distinction from the American Library Association, among other honors. She lives with her husband, Richard Lisle, on the Rhode Island coast, the scene for Black Duck(2006), The Crying Rocks (2003) and The Art of Keeping Cool, which won the Scott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction in 2001.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews
April 3, 2009
I don't quite know what to think about this book -- it's probably the most peculiar animal story I've read in a while, and that includes Kathy Appelt's The Underneath.
(thinks for a moment)
No, it probably ties with The Underneath for peculiarity. However: Highway Cats is more tightly written, and I feel that it probably has broader appeal. I'd have no qualms giving this to younger readers.
The story revolves around a group of rough-and-tumble cats living in an abandoned lot, and how their lives are transformed when three mysterious kittens are abandoned near the highyway. The kittens have something of a mystic quality; they seem to survive the suburban wilderness regardless of how many obstacles they face. Gradually, the cats lose their cynicism and rally around the kittens, eventually banding together to scare away a pack of developers from turning their home into a new parking lot.
What this book really reminds me of is Disney's animated films of the '70s -- the cats seemed to have a rough-but-not-too-threatening manner of speech and behavior reminiscent of The Aristocats or somesuch. And I mean that as a compliment -- Lisle has shown herself to be adroit at mixing realism with small touches of fantasy before (see Afternoon of the Elves) and it works especially well here. The boundaries between feline and human behavior are blurred (one of the cats runs a cat-food company, primarily via cage-raised rats), giving the whole book a feeling of a puzzle. Is it an allegory? A fable? Or just one heckuva lovable-if-weirdo story?
(thinks for a moment)
No, it probably ties with The Underneath for peculiarity. However: Highway Cats is more tightly written, and I feel that it probably has broader appeal. I'd have no qualms giving this to younger readers.
The story revolves around a group of rough-and-tumble cats living in an abandoned lot, and how their lives are transformed when three mysterious kittens are abandoned near the highyway. The kittens have something of a mystic quality; they seem to survive the suburban wilderness regardless of how many obstacles they face. Gradually, the cats lose their cynicism and rally around the kittens, eventually banding together to scare away a pack of developers from turning their home into a new parking lot.
What this book really reminds me of is Disney's animated films of the '70s -- the cats seemed to have a rough-but-not-too-threatening manner of speech and behavior reminiscent of The Aristocats or somesuch. And I mean that as a compliment -- Lisle has shown herself to be adroit at mixing realism with small touches of fantasy before (see Afternoon of the Elves) and it works especially well here. The boundaries between feline and human behavior are blurred (one of the cats runs a cat-food company, primarily via cage-raised rats), giving the whole book a feeling of a puzzle. Is it an allegory? A fable? Or just one heckuva lovable-if-weirdo story?
February 20, 2023
In what f'd up world are feral cats the good guys? And how can a cat raise rats for a pet-food cannery, much less do business w/ the canners? And why is 3/4 of the book world-building and 1/4 climax & epilogue, with no actual story? And I guess coyotes would seem awfully scary to outdoor cats, but they needn't have been referenced as if evil. Illustrations are nifty, though.
January 2, 2026
<<<🅡🅔🅥🅘🅔🅦>>>
Near Highway 95 there is a tough group of cats who survive on human garbage and fight for survival. They are known as the highway cats. When three kittens fall off a truck, Khalia Koo and Shredder decide to look after them. The kittens mysteriously survive being on a highway, being caught by AnCon, and nearly getting run over by a bulldozer. Some of the cats think these kittens are miraculous, while others like Jolly Roger and Murray the Claw are convinced they are frauds.
However, when a bulldozer threatens to destroy the only home any of the cats have ever known, they may have to work together in spite of their differences. It could be the only way to save their home, as well as the kittens.
Near Highway 95 there is a tough group of cats who survive on human garbage and fight for survival. They are known as the highway cats. When three kittens fall off a truck, Khalia Koo and Shredder decide to look after them. The kittens mysteriously survive being on a highway, being caught by AnCon, and nearly getting run over by a bulldozer. Some of the cats think these kittens are miraculous, while others like Jolly Roger and Murray the Claw are convinced they are frauds.
However, when a bulldozer threatens to destroy the only home any of the cats have ever known, they may have to work together in spite of their differences. It could be the only way to save their home, as well as the kittens.
March 21, 2020
I absolutely loved this book so much! I would recommend it to anyone who likes cats and a little bit of adventure!
January 22, 2010
Three seemingly magical kittens are tossed out of a car near the highway within sight of a band of Highway Cats. Their mystical blue aura is a beacon of sorts to the weary, seasoned cats who are tired of a hard life. When man's bulldozers threaten to overtake their little slice of the forest, these kittens appear to change fate in favor of all highway wildlife. The mayor is not pleased at the interruptions of the highway's progress, but finally listens to the hysterics of the construction workers' fears.
Told through narrative, newspaper articles, and play script, Highway Cats is a story about displacement of wildlife in the name of civic improvement. It is a little confusing at times, especially for the younger reader, yet it is compact and used words efficiently. The black and white illustrations do not appear to coincide with the text and make for visual distraction.
Told through narrative, newspaper articles, and play script, Highway Cats is a story about displacement of wildlife in the name of civic improvement. It is a little confusing at times, especially for the younger reader, yet it is compact and used words efficiently. The black and white illustrations do not appear to coincide with the text and make for visual distraction.
April 30, 2009
Another winner of a cat story, although it depressed me a bit to think that there are abandoned or lost cats out there who have to survive in the wild. I wish they could all live at my house! The story revolves around 3 kittens-- already I could relate, as I have 3 of the little guys at home right now-- who, because they miraculously defy the odds and survive the highway, are viewed by the other cats as good luck. It's a charming story with a touch of humor. Highly recommended for cat lovers!
September 4, 2022
good, short story, i love cat stories, and this one was good, though i did not really see a point to it.
April 28, 2021
When three small kittens are dumped by Highway 95 the feral cat world that is in Potter’s Wood will be changed forever. Old Shredder is drawn to the kittens by some long forgotten paternal instinct. Kahlia Koo, wearing one of her many disguises, finds the atmosphere in her rat farm improved. Only Murray the Claw remains unaffected by the kittens arrival. Are the kittens as magical as their silvery blue sparkle suggests? Will they be able to prevent Mayor Blunt’s ambitious ramp project from destroying the woods? Frankland’s silhouettes add to easy flow of the story from beginning to climatic end.
June 12, 2024
Quoting another review: "And how can a cat raise rats for a pet-food cannery, much less do business w/ the canners?". This talking-animal story was just weird. One of the cats had a New York mob boss accent. Three newborn kittens were magical. There were odd logic issues, too:
"I say none," Murray the Claw snarled, raising the one vicious paw for which he had been named. His other three were clawless, victims of a human's trap many years ago.
What kind of trap would pull off the claws of three paws?
Not the book for me.
"I say none," Murray the Claw snarled, raising the one vicious paw for which he had been named. His other three were clawless, victims of a human's trap many years ago.
What kind of trap would pull off the claws of three paws?
Not the book for me.
August 26, 2017
My friend brought me this, even though it's for children, as she knows I like cats. It was a quick, easy read. The cats had character, and the story was pleasing. A bit of a mystery over the true nature of the kittens that are dumped with the highway cats which is never completely resolved; but I liked the fact that one could imagine what their true nature was oneself. It has a grim and sometimes scary vibe.
May 7, 2020
Maybe a little closer to 4.5 stars, but I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. It's not dissimilar to Pyewacket, and I think it's one worth reading more than once. I'm not sure what exactly I liked about it; just the simplicity, I supposed, the simple realism of the cats' characters and the intriguing little story of the effect these kittens had on them. It's like an obscure metaphor hidden behind a fun and simple story. I like it a lot.
July 7, 2023
It's odd how it starts with the "play format" for the opening conversation between the two city officials and continues intermittantly throughout the book. I wanted more to the story and a different ending.
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November 25, 2023This was well written, though not really my genre. It did a good job with making me want to stay and find out how it ended, and it was a sweet book.
Recommended for fans of “The Boy on the Porch,” the “Warriors” series(s), cats, mostly realistic fiction, and short, quick reads.
Recommended for fans of “The Boy on the Porch,” the “Warriors” series(s), cats, mostly realistic fiction, and short, quick reads.
January 13, 2018
This was a weird book but I liked it. I don't know what else to say about it.
June 25, 2018
I really enjoyed the characters of this cute story. I like how the cats could believe in themselves and the lesson the story taught for hope.
July 7, 2018
Cat characters have unique personalities, writing is good, theme is uplifting, premise is strange.
December 5, 2018
Didn't like this very much.
March 5, 2019
I love it, but I don't quite get it. It left me feeling at a loss, needing an explanation. But it is a charming little story, especially if you love cats. =^•^=
July 29, 2020
4/5 stars
September 25, 2020
This is a very cute and enjoyable story. That's all I have to say about this.
April 9, 2021
i immediately forgot the entire book as soon as i finished reading it this is not a joke please help i can't remember half my life
January 13, 2022
Audiobook for a car trip with the kids. This book is so weird.
January 6, 2023
Such an odd little story…
July 20, 2023
Better than the warrior cats and I loved the warrior cats.
July 29, 2023
Fun little book
February 1, 2024
A nice little story about cats coming together to protect their home.
February 27, 2017
A mystical story of stray cats living on the highways edge. A box of kittens is tossed from a passing pick-up truck and magical things begin to happen as the local town's mayor lays plans to destroy a small woodland area that is home to the cats and other wildlife.
November 14, 2011
Extremely disappointing. I loved Lisle's Afternoon of the Elves, which is a powerful book even when read as an adult, but Highway Cats has absolutely none of the same enjoyment. Lisle's story is muddy and floundering. She famed the cats' story narrative with quick two-page slices of human story written in inexplicable script format, and I just... why?
The juxtaposition of script to prose and back again repeatedly without any reason whatsoever would render any story poorly written, but the prose portion of the story, the cats' tale, which should be the heart of the book is just a bad story. Lisle tried to anthropomorphize her cats, but did so half-heartedly at best and outright contradicted herself in several places. The narrative is so confusing and the story finale providing such an incomprehensible moral that I'd be appalled to give this book to a child.
I feel like such a curmudgeon, but honestly this is a book that deserves to go out of print.
If a young reader wishes to read a book about colonies of cats, I recommend instead Gabriel King's The Wild Road; or his The Golden Cat for a book more about cute otherworldly kittens. Or Ursula Le Guin's Catwings if the reader is very young. Or even George Selden's Tucker's Countryside for a book about the preservation of a historical site preventing the destruction of a wild habitat. Really, finding a better book than this on a similar topic would not be hard.
The juxtaposition of script to prose and back again repeatedly without any reason whatsoever would render any story poorly written, but the prose portion of the story, the cats' tale, which should be the heart of the book is just a bad story. Lisle tried to anthropomorphize her cats, but did so half-heartedly at best and outright contradicted herself in several places. The narrative is so confusing and the story finale providing such an incomprehensible moral that I'd be appalled to give this book to a child.
I feel like such a curmudgeon, but honestly this is a book that deserves to go out of print.
If a young reader wishes to read a book about colonies of cats, I recommend instead Gabriel King's The Wild Road; or his The Golden Cat for a book more about cute otherworldly kittens. Or Ursula Le Guin's Catwings if the reader is very young. Or even George Selden's Tucker's Countryside for a book about the preservation of a historical site preventing the destruction of a wild habitat. Really, finding a better book than this on a similar topic would not be hard.
May 3, 2013
★Highway Cats by Janet Taylor Lisle
So I don't even know where to begin, with this one. We did not like this one at all. My daughter is a huge cat lover, and I don't mind them. Knowing this, her classmates picked this book for her while she was incredibly sick. One of the local business' brought in a book for every third grader, to have. I am very glad, we did not pay for this, or I would be mad. It was all I could do, to even get her to sit and listen to it.
This was just a strange book, from the cats, to the play style parts, that would pop up, to the newspaper articles, and then the pictures, that never seemed to fit. We truly don't understand the author was thinking. The only reason this book did not make the DNF shelf is, my daughter needed points for her AR testing.
So I don't even know where to begin, with this one. We did not like this one at all. My daughter is a huge cat lover, and I don't mind them. Knowing this, her classmates picked this book for her while she was incredibly sick. One of the local business' brought in a book for every third grader, to have. I am very glad, we did not pay for this, or I would be mad. It was all I could do, to even get her to sit and listen to it.
This was just a strange book, from the cats, to the play style parts, that would pop up, to the newspaper articles, and then the pictures, that never seemed to fit. We truly don't understand the author was thinking. The only reason this book did not make the DNF shelf is, my daughter needed points for her AR testing.
July 23, 2010
The highway cats are a mean, scraggly, tough bunch. You know these cats are bad when they respond to a box of kittens being left beside the highway by betting on which ones, if any, will make it across the busy roadway without being splatted by a truck. Strangely enough, all three kittens do make it across the road and a rumor starts that they’re miracle kittens. Soon, even stranger things are happening. Under the kittens’ influence, the highway cats actually start cleaning up themselves and their language. Khalia Koo, their leader and the toughest of them all, appears to be softening to the kittens. Old Shredder sees something special in the kittens and something like a soft glow surrounding them. Could the kittens actually be magic? Or even a real live miracle? The highway cats could certainly use a miracle because the mayor has his eye on their little scrap of land. But what can three little kittens and a ragtag band of cats do against the might and power of city hall, not to mention construction workers and their huge machines? Turns out, there may be more power in these three little kittens than the highway cats ever imagined, but will it be enough to save the day? Read and find out!
This was a strange little book, but entertaining enough. I'm particularly fond of one of my book club kid's response to it: "Not as bad as I thought it was going to be."
May 2010 Cover 2 Cover selection.
This was a strange little book, but entertaining enough. I'm particularly fond of one of my book club kid's response to it: "Not as bad as I thought it was going to be."
May 2010 Cover 2 Cover selection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 119 reviews