Jenny's Cat

by Miska Miles, Wendy Watson

Lonely in their new town, Jenny is delighted when a stray cat comes to their house, but her mother doesn't want the cat to stay.

39 pages, Hardcover

First published August 1, 1979

About the author

Patricia Miles Martin aka Miska Miles

Award winning American author. Born in Kansas in 1899. Worked as a teacher before becoming a writer. Apparently she became a writer by accident when she inadvertently found herself in a creative writing class at a local college when her own class was full up. Her first book was actually written whilst attending the course! Her career became very successful. One of her books (Annie and the Old One) was made into a film and received a Newbery Honour award.

She used her experiences of living on a farm and a Navajo reservation and her many travels, to colour her children's fictional stories, most of which were about animals, nature and different cultures. Quite a few of her novels were horse stories. She also wrote non-fiction, including a number of biographies.

She wrote under her own name, as Patricia A. Miles, and also under two other pseudonyms: Miska Miles and Jerry Lane. Her pony books were written under her own name and that of the Miska Miles pseudonym. I don't think she wrote any horse-related stories under her other pen names.

Sources: The De Grummond Collection.

Reviews

[Books Kids Like · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jenny and her family have just moved to a new town, and Jenny does not like it. Then a gray cat with white patches comes to brighten her life. Jenny names the cat Patches. The happiness the cat brings helps Jenny make friends at school. When it is discovered that Patches is pregnant, Jenny's mother insists that they find her a new home. Actually, she wants to take her out to the country and drop her off. Jenny is devastated. A snowstorm comes and keeps them inside for two days. Jenny and Patches enjoy their short reprieve. When the snow stops, it is time for action. Jenny's mother goes next door to talk to Mrs. Davidson, and Jenny runs away with Patches. She goes to Doris' house. Doris is a friend from school. She hides Jenny in her basement. Jenny hears Doris' parents come home, and then she hears a knock on the door. It is Jenny's parents. They are frantic, not knowing where Jenny is. When asked, Doris tells them that Jenny has run away to keep them from taking her cat away. When Jenny hears her father say the three words, "Well, we're not." she is up the stairs in a flash. Jenny, her parents, and Patches go home. In the spring, Patches has three kittens.
©2024 Kathy Maxwell at https://bookskidslike.com

[Twyla · Rating 5 out of 5]

my favorite part was when jenny got a cat.the worst part was when jenny ran away.my favorite character was jenny the worst character was her parents.auryn 9 years