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Katie the Catsitter #4

The Purrfect Plan

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TOP SECRET PLAN
Katie is rocking 7th grade and being a superhero sidekick, so when a new threat puts the whole city in danger she's ready to spring into action! She'll just need one super secret plan, a little help from her friends (okay a lot of help!), an invitation to the city's fanciest party, 217 slightly unusual cats, and . . . maybe a new superhero outfit. Can Katie pull off the plan of the century?! Get ready for more drama, more disguises, more fun, more friends, more secrets and more surprises than ever before! (Plus cats, definitely more cats!)

Kindle Edition

First published October 8, 2024

159 people are currently reading
279 people want to read

About the author

Colleen A.F. Venable

51 books436 followers
You might know me from such films as "Colleen's Fourth Birthday Party" and "Colleen Falls Down Over and Over Again While Ice Skating."

Fun facts!
-I have a huge connect-the-dots tattoo.
-I accidentally started an international holiday.
(See National Pancake Day or Lumberjack Day, every Sept 26)
-I once sang back-up on an album nominated for the Polka Grammy.
-I can't sing.
-When I was 18, I broke a national coed jump-rope record.

My debut YA graphic novel Kiss Number 8 was a National Book Award Longlist title, an Eisner nominee, and a Prism award finalist.

My graphic novel series Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye (illustrated by Stephanie Yue) was nominated for an Eisner for Best Publication for Kids and awarded “Best Book” recognition from Kirkus Reviews, NYPL, Bank Street, and the Junior Library Guild.

I grew up in the trees of Walden, New York….well, not very high up the trees, since I always got scared, but I did carve my name in a lot of low hanging boughs. I had an older sister, a dog, a cat, a million fish, and an imaginary pet hamster named, yup you guessed it, Hamisher. Why have an imaginary friend when you can have an imaginary friend that can fit in your pocket!

I went to Wagner College and double majored in English and Studio Art, winning the award of “biggest dork” (aka first in my class)

I love graphic novels more than I love having feet and I really do love having feet. They keep my shoes on.

Pssst My name is actually spelled Colleen AF Venable. No punctuation. My birth name was Colleen Ann Venable, but in 1994 I asked to change my middle name to Felicity, because that's the sort of thing you do when you are 14. So I started to go by Colleen AF...mostly because I was bad at typing periods. The internet either ruined my name or made it SO MUCH COOLER. You can decide.

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Kaye.
4,337 reviews71 followers
April 3, 2024
Katie the Catsitter returns in her fourth graphic novel. She is in seventh grade and splits her time between skateboarding, hanging out with her best friend and being a sidekick to Mousetress, a superhero. Mousetress is trying to help animals and stop a sleazy builder. The storylines are fun and fit the age group. The graphics add color and I’m always looking for cats on the page to see what they are up to. The main characters are all female but in my school library graphic novels appeal to everyone. I think you should read at least the first in the series to understand the beginning of the characters but of course this can be read on its own. For third grade and up.

Thank you to Random House Children’s for the temporary ARC via NetGalley and I am leaving a voluntary review.
Profile Image for Sophy.
609 reviews6 followers
June 4, 2024
You got a kid that likes female superheroes, great story lines and battles to fight for what's right. They will really enjoy this story. It has some great art and a great story with cute little kitties, a girl group that skates and some badass female superheroes that fight for their city.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
1,864 reviews9 followers
October 13, 2024
These books are so fun and have some great embedded lessons learned. Katie is really starting to come into her own as a sidekick to the point where she is becoming a junior superhero. I liked the premise of this book better than the last one in the series, and I felt that it evolved nicely especially as some of the secondary characters got a bit more page time.

The series is definitely better read, at this point, in order or at least with some of the previous books preceding this one. I don't think that this is as good as a stand alone title and would recommend reading the books in order. If not, you will miss some of the who's who in the zoo type information.

The illustrations are, as always, spot on for this target demographic. Bright. Colourful. Easy to distinguish the different characters. Yes, even the many cats. The one thing that I did find a bit distracting, though, was all the page time given to the many cats. I think I would have liked it better if there had been more story around some of the sub-plots like what was going on with the mayor and Katie's friend's parents. While the cats are still important to the story, the book could have focused on a smaller group of kitties and still gotten the story across around how the cats support the superhero work.

All in all, a good addition to the series. Will appeal to upper elementary and middle schoolers. Cat lovers for sure!

* I received an ARC via NetGalley
Profile Image for YSBR.
793 reviews15 followers
December 3, 2024
There’s a lot going on in Katie’s world: her best friend recently moved away, she’s enjoying spending time with the Wheel-Las (an all-girls skateboarding club) and developing those friendships, her mom has started college full-time, and she still has her job cat-sitting for her upstairs neighbor Madeline.  That would be enough for any 7th grader to deal with, but when you are secretly the sidekick for an animal rights superhero named Mousestress, who has over 200 cats doing her bidding, those everyday issues tend to take a backseat.  

Most New Yorkers still believe Mousetress is a villain after a frame job in a previous book; Madeline invented a second superhero identity named Cheesy Justice to fight evil robots threatening to destroy the city, and now Cheesy Justice is the most popular superhero in town.  Katie wants Madeline to reveal that Mousetress and Cheesy Justice are the same, but Madeline is more concerned about the new mayor of New York.  The mayor is a flashy and charismatic man who is, among other things, promising to bring back Central Park carriage rides, despite protests about the inhumane treatment of horses.  The mayor also seems to be in the pocket of SlimBuilds, a real estate developer buying up all available space in the city and constructing tall, skinny buildings.  This will impact the city’s power supply and access to green space, but many citizens are dazzled by the mayor’s charm.  When Cheesy Justice gets an invitation to the Mayor’s Gala, Madeline and Katie seize on the opportunity to expose the dastardly plot, but they need a lot of help from their friends: human, hero, and feline.

The Purrfect Plan is an entertaining adventure that blends realistic middle school drama with an exciting superhero story.  Readers will appreciate Katie’s attempts to balance her home life, her circle of friends, and her involvement with the superhero community; she is trying really hard to fit in everywhere while also doing the right thing and being true to what she and Mousetress believe in - and keep that part of her life secret.  The illustration style is reminiscent of many popular graphic novel artists, but the attention to detail is noteworthy.  Energetic action sequences in easy-to-follow panels move the story along; pop culture references, humorous superhero names, and the identification of each cat’s special talent (“Rylan: Spelunking,” “Stevie: Oceanographer,” et al.) will warrant multiple re-reads.  Notes from the author and illustrator are included at the end, along with a feline personality quiz called “Which Cat Are You?” Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...
Profile Image for Becky B.
9,330 reviews183 followers
December 17, 2024
Katie is super pumped about the response to Cheesy Justice. There's so much fan mail! But Ms. Lang wants to be known for her Mousetress work. She is much more concerned with what the mayor is up to than fan mail. He's brought back the carriage horses and the group running them doesn't treat their horses well. He's also really pushing this new tall and skinny housing complex project shooting up all over the city, SlimBuilds. They are going up suspiciously fast and are taking away natural light from so many people's apartments. There's got to be something sinister behind them, right? Katie, Ms Lang, and Ms Lang's cats won't rest until they figure that out and save the horses too. Meanwhile, Katie's friends are having family issues, the Wheel-las are switching up camera ladies, one of them may have figured out Katie's secret, and one member of the group isn't sure she wants to skateboard any more.

Another fun adventure with Katie and friends. It took me a little longer than usual to get into this one, but maybe just because it has been so long since I read #3. Once I did get into it I loved it and read 7/8 of it all in one fell swoop (easy to do with graphic novels). There's a fun "which cat are you" quiz in the back of the book. I love how Katie chooses her cat companion for the big finale and how it comes in useful, a very creative and funny twist. I have several readers who will be very excited to see this on the shelves.

Notes on content:
Language: None
Sexual content: None
Violence: There is a battle, but it is more cartoon fighting and people get apprehended vs hurt mostly.
Ethnic diversity: Ms Lang is Black as is one of Katie's friends, Katie and her mom are white, one of her friends is Latina. People in the city have all sorts of skin tones.
LGBTQ+ content: None specified
Other: Beth's family is going through a rough time since her dad learned her mom has a secret identity. They go to family therapy by the end of the book. Katie is a little weirded out that Benito is showing interest in her mom (even if he has reformed). Ms Lang is taking steps towards resolution with her parents. Ill treatment of horses.
Profile Image for Ms. Yingling.
3,923 reviews605 followers
June 23, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus

Katie is back after her adventures in Katie the Catsitter, Katie is still hanging out with the Moustress (Madeline Lang), who is still not wanting to be lauded for her activity at Cheesy Justice, even though there is a ton of fanmail that the cats are helping to manage. Katie also spends time with her mother, who is going to school and learning coding, and skateboarding with her friends in the Wheel-las. Madeline is still concerned about animals rights, fighting for cruelty free makeup as well as trying to get rid of the horse drawn carriages in New York City. A new evil has come up, however, and the Slim builds apartments are building very narrow apartments between buildings and blocking people's natural light. They have a lot of PR, which even includes a spectacular gala. Will Cheesy Justice and Katie (as her sidekick) be able to stop them?

This series has been very popular in my library; one of my 8th graders last year had the first book checked out constantly and did not want to bring it back. I found the storyline in this book to be a little more fragmented and hard to follow. I was also not particularly thrilled to see that Cheesy Justice was using AI to produce clips of the mayor saying things like "I just gotta shake my booty". I had a student debate with me why creating clips of people saying things they didn't say and posting them on line was wrong, and we finally came to the conclusion that it's lying. The cats in this are cute, and I like Katie's relationship with her mother, as well as all the girl power, but the series is not a personal favorite.
Profile Image for 寿理 宮本.
2,375 reviews16 followers
May 30, 2025
I either forgot about or didn't realise that this takes place in New York City, but there's a pretty big clue* early on for those like me who forget what they read. Sadly, nobody is spinning it... :(

Now, while I love this story, I do find it a bit hard to sell to complete newcomers: A lot of what happens involves "The Mousetress" (who does and does not appear in this volume) and the fallout of things involving her and "Cheesy Justice" (who very grudgingly appears in this volume, under a rebrand) in between the new conflict of SlimBuilds—a surprisingly universally hated enemy that nevertheless takes quite a bit of effort to thwart—and family drama that ALSO has to do with events of the other books.

Also, some VERY relatable vibes with Marie confessing that she's too afraid to skateboard. (Not sure if rollerskates are much better, though—when I tried getting back into them myself, I IMMEDIATELY twisted my ankle, oops!)

Another super fun adventure tempered by Madeline's levelheadedness—I do love her, but she HAS (correctly) put a major damper on past adventures, haha!

*I've been made MUCH more aware of this in recent times due to certain things pointing it out, else I would likely still forget that it's New York City.
Profile Image for Paige V.
304 reviews1 follower
October 4, 2024
Review from my little sister (12)

After saving the city in her latest adventure, The Mousetress has become a beloved figure and is now known as Cheesy Justice. However, the new mayor is supporting a construction company called Slim Builds, which is a partner of one of New York's carriage companies that mistreats their horses. Slim Builds is causing many issues in New York City, and it is up to Katie and her partner, the Mousetress, to save the city.

The previous books in the series were absolutely amazing, and each new installment never fails to surpass its predecessor. The latest book in the series was no exception and completely lived up to my high expectations. The plot was not only captivating but also incredibly original, infused with just the right amount of humor. It conveyed essential lessons about doing the right thing for its own sake rather than seeking recognition or rewards. Every character was intricately developed, but it was Katie's endearing and witty personality that I found most relatable.
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a delightful blend of feline companions and superhero adventures.

Happy Reading, Laly ❤️ 📚

Thank you, @netgalley & @randomhousegraphic, for the complimentary ARC, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Profile Image for Barbara.
14.9k reviews316 followers
October 6, 2024
Although seventh grader Katie is still at the heart of this humorous, timely graphic novel series, the talented cats that live near her--all 217 of them--add the purr-fect touch to the plot. Readers like me will be looking closely at each page to locate one of those well-trained felines and learn what its special skills are. It could be that one is a Military Expert, Architecture, Remix Specialist or in charge of Publicity. In this, the fourth book in the series, Katie and the Mousestress, who is also Cheesy Justice, become concerned that a horse carriage company now has a monopoly on this tourist attraction and is keeping the horses in crowded conditions. Investigation leads to SlimBuilds, a company that seems intent on filling all the space between apartment buildings with more structures, blocking the sun. It's fun to watch Katie gain confidence and build bonds with her skating crew. There are several subplots that add interest to the book while hinting at various stories yet to be told. The artwork fits the storyline and characters perfectly, both depicting seventh grade and friend and family dynamics and all their ups and downs perfectly. I'll look forward to the next installment in this unique and empowering series that's all about girl power.
Profile Image for Pam.
9,814 reviews54 followers
July 19, 2024
Graphic Novel
I received an electronic ARC from Random House Children's through NetGalley.
Katie, her family and friends are back for another adventure. Readers see her skateboarding with friends and helping to save the city - just typical days in her life. In this fourth book, Venable shares more background information on several characters and allows readers to see their deeper emotions. I appreciate the sensitive way the author shared Bethany's family issues. Readers will connect with separated families and understand the pain Bethany feels. We see Madeline's parents reach out in a roundabout way as well. Katie is maturing as well and learning about herself and to really see other people in her life. I appreciate her being promoted from sidekick for the evening at the mayor's. Though it takes several tries, readers see the team bring justice and stop the major building campaign that is destroying parts of the city. I love the ending and look forward to seeing how this develops in the next book. This is one that won't sit on the shelf.
Don't miss the fun cat quiz at the end.
Profile Image for Nancy.
534 reviews4 followers
February 15, 2025
This volume reminded me of the first in this series. I may have even liked it more. There was plenty of fantasy plot, but it felt like this volume wasn't as rushed and jampacked as the last two installments. I could always follow what was happening and each of our growing list of characters' roles in the plot. We have an increasing community committed to Katie and her missions, and I loved to see everyone interacting.

And this book handled the non-fantasy life of a pre-teen girl excellently. We had the fantasy elements impacting Katie's best friend's family life, but real world therapy is the solution. The wheel-las continue to build skills and camaraderie and one of the girls realizes their passion isn't skateboarding. And we even had a mention of the friend that moved away in the last volume, letting Katie grieve a lost friend and express her confusion of why others' aren't experiencing the loss the way she is. Friendships change and evolve.

The cats, the real stars of this series, were hilarious and integral to the hijinks. I laughed so much reading this.
Profile Image for The Keepers of the Books.
576 reviews9 followers
March 13, 2024
Venable, Colleen AF, Katie the Catsitter 4: The Purrfect Plan. Pgs. 224. Random House Children’s, 2024.
Katie is loving 7th grade. But trust is not coming easy with everything she has recently experienced as a superhero sidekick. When a new threat to their city arises, she knows she must help. She is going to need help from her friends and a few cats. Can Katie pull off the plan and save the city before the fanciest party of the year?
Katie and the cats are as fun as ever. The relationships in the book progress and the plots thicken. This is a great sequel. Readers will want to start with book one to fully appreciate the character building. This series is a puurfect match for fans of Graphic Novels, Cats, and Superheroes. 5 stars, Grades 2-7
Please note: This was a review copy given to us by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. No financial compensation was received.
Profile Image for Madison LibraryBookFamily.
1,713 reviews2 followers
October 10, 2024
Love the bright art work, the way tough topics are tackled, and the encouragment to make positive changes in your community. Being a super hero isn't easy, but it can be if rely on the people around you. My kids loved this story. They enjoy the talented cats and strong female examples. Seeing people take a stand for what's right is important. It's vital to rely on your team. The world doesn't need one hero, but many who work together to create change.

Katie is continuing her training as a sidekick as she strives to help those around her. Madeline has given her more responsibility. They strive to stop the Mayor's new slim buildings that are taking over the neighborhood and blocking out the sun. Beth is dealing with the absence of her father and her mother's new secret identity.
Profile Image for Chelsey Hostetler.
300 reviews2 followers
August 27, 2024
I've been following Katie the Catsitter since issue #1 and it's fantastic to see the characters mature as the series goes on. In this newest installment, Katie is trying to balance her life as a regular kid while also juggling sidekick duties, fighting crime, and getting some skateboarding in. I appreciated the positive look at therapy that the novel shows and the more in depth look at character's family dynamics. I also really enjoy that as Katie develops as she ages she is also more encouraging to her friends and is asking for help more as well. As always, I love the tons of cats and am always paying attention to who is in the background to being sneaky. Another great novel!
20 reviews
February 22, 2025
SUCH A GREAT BOOK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU NEED TO READ THIS NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! Completely ignore all negative reviews! I use to read it every single night or else I wouldn't be able to sleep because it was awesome! I have read it so much now that I get a little bit sick of it but it is still an awesome book! I have read it like 50 times so read it now!!!!!!!!!! RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!! *Highly recommended* So PLeEaaASsE rEaD iT NoW!!!!!!!!!! I mean it! Go to the store right now I don't care what your doing but just get up and read it!!!!! GO read the book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I also highly recommend the other 3)
Profile Image for Ellon.
4,611 reviews
March 28, 2024
4 stars (I really liked it)

This was a great new installment of the Katie the Catsitter series. Fans of the first three books will not be disappointed! The book is jam packed with action but also covers people's capacity for change, the help that therapy can give and a bit of a harsh, but needed, look at how easily people are bought. Plus cats. There is a really fun "which cat are you?" quiz at the end of the book that was super cute. Will definitely be purchasing for my school library.

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.
Profile Image for Bethe.
6,902 reviews69 followers
December 15, 2024
Katie and the gang want to help the carriage horses and find out that the mayor is in cahoots with the evil company behind the small stables and buildings encroaching on all the free spaces in NYC.
Pavlovian response to want to catch free tshirts when Slim Builds brings them out at a protest against them.
Dance battle - who also thinks of Guardians of the Galaxy and Star Lord?
Love all the little cat names and skills!
Advice for middle schoolers at the end and a “which cat are you” chart
Profile Image for Jeni Enjaian.
3,554 reviews52 followers
March 23, 2025
I continue to love this series. I also love the way that Venable develops the story with each entry. Instead of making this a rinse and repeat sort of superhero story, each entry builds on the events of the previous entry, expanding the world (aka the number of people who know about the identity of the Moustress and Katie's "job" as her sidekick.) Although I'm caught up with the series now, I eagerly anticipate the next entry and will definitely put this series and my classroom shelves.
Profile Image for Ash.
58 reviews33 followers
May 14, 2025
The Katie the Catsitter series continues to be an enjoyable reading experience with bright, colorful illustrations full of action. The cats continue to steal the show for me, but Katie is a very relatable character for my middle school students. Even though she continues her sidekick job for Mousetress, she still deals with issues students understand. If you haven't tried the Katie the Catsitter series, I highly recommend it! I can not keep these graphic novels on our shelves.
Profile Image for Wina.
1,146 reviews
August 7, 2025
4.5 stars for this GN for ages 8-12. It takes place in a superheroes-are-real New York City, and I enjoyed it very much. The illustrations are especially appealing to me, and it was an exciting and humorous romp. I love the human and feline characters! There is some middle-school growth, and a really nice mother/daughter relationship, as well as realistic friendship worries. Surprise twists and a little bit of mystery. A joy! Great back matter. Will there be a book #5?
Profile Image for emyrose8.
3,795 reviews18 followers
May 5, 2024
I love how the characters have developed over the series. The ways of dealing with trouble have to developed too, with plans involving superhero work and citizen work! This one deals with some personal troubles too (people having relationship problems and working on a solution).

Thanks Netgalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.
637 reviews
September 9, 2024
My daughter loves this series and gave Katie the Catsitter 4: The Purrfect Plan a glowing 5 stars! These graphic novels are cute and fun with positive role models. The artwork is colorful and expressive. I recommend these books for a sweet option kids will be excited about reading.

Thank you to Random House Children's for gifting my family with an ARC to review. All opinions are our own.
77 reviews1 follower
October 8, 2024
Purrfect addition to this series. Katie is back at it again with all the adorable and talented cats along for the ride. Perfect story for a 10 year old kiddo who wants an engaging story. Thank you Random House Children's for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Jame_EReader.
1,452 reviews1 follower
November 3, 2024
👦🏻reviews: I have followed this series from start to this one and I enjoyed all of them thoroughly. There’s no doubt this is one awesome graphic novel with plenty of fun, laughters and fascinating illustrations. There’s no doubt that this is a speedy story, so it was a great read if you want a laugh out loud and entertaining comic book to pass your time quickly.
Profile Image for Kristin DeGarmo.
797 reviews1 follower
February 9, 2025
Another great addition to the series! I’m curious if Madeline will be elected mayor. I love how everyone overcomes their hardships, like the girl who struggled with skateboarding and loved roller skates and Madeline who embraced Cheesy Justice. I hope she gets in touch with her parents. Can’t wait for the next book!
Profile Image for Leslie Young.
136 reviews14 followers
March 9, 2024
This is such a fun graphic novel series, and I was so excited to get this early copy of #4. I love that it dealt with friendships, as well as family drama. Also, that last page!! I’m very excited to see more in this series, and I’m keeping it high on my reader’s advisory list.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

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