The School for Cats

The Cat Club

by Esther Averill

Jenny Linsky, the famous little black cat of Greenwich Village, has never been to school before. When her master, Captain Tinker, sends her to a boarding school in the country to learn the special knowledge of cats—manners and cooperation—she is a little afraid, among strangers, and so far from home. As soon as she's settled in, taking off the red scarf that makes her feel brave, another student named Pickles, the Fire Cat, is upto his usual mischief, chasing smaller cats with his fire truck hook and ladder. When he chases Jenny, she runs away from school terrified.

Jenny soon realizes that the Captain would be disappointed if he found out she had left school. It's then that Jenny decides to stand up to Pickles. She returns to school and when Pickles next tries his tricks, he's surprised at the "new" Jenny. Pickles learns his manners and Jenny learns that not only can school be fun, but the friendships she makes there will last forever.

Genres: Cats, Childrens, Animals, Fiction, Picture Books, Chapter Books, Middle Grade

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Esther Averill (1902-1992) began her career as a storyteller drawing cartoons for her local newspaper. After graduating from Vassar College in 1923, she moved first to New York City and then to Paris, where she founded her own publishing company. The Domino Press introduced American readers to artists from all over the world, including Feodor Rojankovsky, who later won a Caldecott Award. In 1941, Esther Averill returned to the United States and found a job in the New York Public Library while continuing her work as a publisher. She wrote her first book about the red-scarfed, mild-mannered cat Jenny Linsky in 1944, modeling its heroine on her own shy cat. Esther Averill would eventually write twelve more tales about Miss Linsky and her friends (including the I Can Read Book, The Fire Cat), each of which was eagerly awaited by children all over the United States (and their parents, too).

Reviews

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Boarding school for cats is a terrible idea, but a good book.

Very short, hardly longer than a picture book. Not a difficult read, although kids may need some explanations.

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely story about a school for cats. Beautiful red,yellow and black illustrations accompany a tale of friendship and overcoming fear. The silver birch beds are lovely and the last line about friendship is very nice.

[Chris Browning · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just fantastic. It’s for most of the book a pretty predictable tale of Jenny Linsky being homesick for New York and her Cat Club and not enjoying being in the school for cats whose owners are away, but then there’s Big Pickles. Pickles has been allowed, for reasons I cannot begin to fathom, to come to cat school with a full fire engine because he’s a fire station cat, and he loves little more than just driving it around when everyone’s trying to sleep. And honestly, something about Averill’s drawing of Mad Pickles just causing mayhem in his fire engine, and Jenny Linsky’s eventual revenge, have the same maniac glee that Wanda Gag’s Millions of Cats has. I was in tears of laughter. Just a hoot

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sent to a School for Cats in the country while Captain Tinker is away, shy Jenny Linsky is at first terrified by the antics of Pickles the Fire Cat, who chases her up a chimney. But a night as a runaway in the forest, and the arrival of some new cats, give her the courage to stand up for herself.

This very brief book, suitable for younger chapter-book readers, presents another engaging story of the Greenwich Village cat and her group of friends. The appearance of Pickles - one of my favorite childhood storybook characters, whose adventures are chronicled The Fire Cat - would be enough to win my approval, but The School for Cats has an appeal all of its own.

Averill, whose adorable illustrations accompany the story, keeps scrupulously to the feline perspective, but the observant reader will perceive that Jenny's "school" is a boarding house for pets, and will be charmed by the reminder of how differently things must appear to animals.

[Tisha (IG: Bluestocking629) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my gosh what a sweet little book! I am officially in love with Jenny the little black cat. I cannot wait to read about her next adventure.

The illustrations are wonderful!

I also love that the book is older than me by decades ;)

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet, but innocuous, and short. It reminded me of the kind of semi-rambling story one might make up for one's kids on the spur of the moment, when stuck on a train with no book, say. I can imagine someone recommending it for a shy child who is bullied at school, say, and I can also imagine it not helping in the slightest. The illustrations are a kind of naive primitive style by the author and have more charm than the tale itself.

So not horrible, but I'm a bit surprised it became so beloved as to spawn several sequels (this is itself a follow-up to the first one, The Cat Club), let alone be reissued years later, alone the tone is very much in keeping with the clean, spare, charming, erudite style espoused by the New York Review Children's Collection curators.

Oh, and I've never seen a stained glass window in a church which opened. Never. So that struck a discordant tone. I can accept schools for cats, but not churches popping over their stained glass windows to let a little breeze in!

(Note: 5 stars = amazing, wonderful, 4 = very good book, 3 = decent read, 2 = disappointing, 1 = awful, just awful. I'm fairly good at picking for myself so end up with a lot of 4s).

[Anina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had these when I was a kid! They are so cute! Exclamation points some more!!!!

[Dianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the most adorable story, especially if you love cats. My 6yo was transfixed (and he's a picky one lately). I want to read more of Averill's work.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the first time Jenny Linsky has been sent to the summer boarding school in the country (camp?) to learn manners and have fun. But Jenny is scared! She is just starting to adjust when big cat Pickles chases her. None of that for Jenny--she'd rather run away and go home. The sight of two new students--both very attractive cats--changes her mind, so she sets off on her own through the forest to get back to the school. She fools a large, scary fox, and that boost to her self-confidence, along with the support of her two new friends, gives her the courage to face down Pickles. Not only has Jenny learned something, but so has Pickles. A sweet story that has probably helped a lot of newbies find their way in school or camp.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute.

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but charming. Esther Averill’s “Cat Club” felines get sent to boarding school in the country, and the Fire Cat terrorizes all the smaller cats by chasing them with his mini fire engine. Jenny Linski finds the courage to face him down, and they become friends. Just as you find in the other cat club books, the theme turns out to be friendship and loyalty.

[Kristi Galloway · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a delightful short read aloud with my daughters. They loved Jenny and we were all cheering for her.

[Aneesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catnip before bed?

[Mumbler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as good as the first one. But at times it sure was:

MAKE WAY FOR THE BIGGEST FIRE IN THE WORLD!

was an amazing moment. :)

[Grace · Rating 5 out of 5]

MAKE WAY FOR THE BIGGEST FIRE ON EARTH- now Jenny

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

In this Jenny episode, she goes off to the school for cats while Captain Tinker has to go to sea. She also meets the impressively macho Pickles, the fire cat. Because I had read The Lotterys Plus One before reading this book, I got a kick out of Pickles bringing his personal fire truck everywhere, creating havoc, like Brian in the former title.

First Line: "Once upon a time there was a Boarding School for Cats off in the country, in a white house surrounded by a field of daisies."

[Amber Scaife · Rating 3 out of 5]

A weird (but not necessarily in a bad way) little book about a cat who goes to a cat school while her owner is on vacation and gets bullied by another, bigger cat.

[Rosa Cline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice longer read book (almost like a beginner chapter book) about a cat being homesick at summer school. Being bullied and how she over came both to enjoy herself and make new friends

[Shelley · Rating 3 out of 5]

MAKE WAY FOR THE BIGGEST FIRE ON EARTH!

A warm glow filled her heart because she realized that the friendships she made at School would last forever.

[Jo Oehrlein · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jenny spends the summer at School in the country. She learns to stand up for herself with Pickles, the Fire Cat.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Absolutely delightful! I also think more headmistresses should dole out catnip for students.

[Sara Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

We love Jenny Linsky! Amazing read-aloud for 5-8 yo (or any age, really!) We had to borrow all the Esther Averill books after reading "Jenny and the Cat Club."

[Catherine Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a great book 📖#Sarah!l

[Phoebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it - so charming and funny! 4.5 ish stars

[Elsa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The kind of illogic that makes sense to children.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book to my daughter. It's nice that there are pictures on most pages to keep young kids more interested. The story was cute and touched on dealing with a bully and making friends.

[Umi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorable! Would that I could send my own Moneypenny to some upstate institution to learn Manners and Cooperation!

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The School for Cats by Esther Averill is one of the Jenny's Cat Club books. I've been trying to read the series on and off since reading The Hotel Cat. The stories seem to be at all different reading levels and they've gone out of print and come back into print, making them all the more difficult to sort out and read.

In this one, Jenny, the adorable black cat with the fetching red scarf, is heading to cat school for the summer. The set up reminds me of the times I've taken Caligula cat to "cat camp" for boarding while I visited my family. In Averill's world, though, cats are self sufficient enough to get there on their own. Pickles, the fire cat, for example, drives his miniature fire engine to the school!

Pickles's over abundance of energy and Jenny's natural timidity makes for a volatile combination. Poor Jenny ends up with the scare of her life but she learns from her experience and grows in the process. While Jenny runs off, I couldn't help but be reminded of Jane, the youngest of the Ursula Le Guin Catwings cats, especially in Jane on Her Own. Jenny, though, I like better.

Recommended by Vintage Kids' Books My Kid Love

[Michelle Knudsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the Cat Club books when I was little, and The Fire Cat (starring Pickles, one of the Cat Club characters) remains one of my all-time favorite beginning readers ever. I happened across The School for Cats in the library and had to take it home; not sure if I read this one before, but I probably did at some point. What’s interesting to me about these books is that the plot is almost irrelevant, at least as far as my enjoyment goes. This book is about Jenny going to cat school, being afraid and getting teased and running away and ultimately deciding to go back and face her assailant. It’s a decent enough storyline, but what makes the book irresistible are the characters and the overall tone of the writing. And the illustrations, which compliment the writing perfectly. Perhaps there’s a nostalgia factor at work, as well, but I think I would still love these books if I only first encountered them today.

[Becky · Rating 3 out of 5]

The School for Cats was originally published in 1947. It is part of a larger series of books starring the (black) cat Jenny Linsky and her friends. The School of Cats is not the first in the series, but, it is the first in the series that my library actually had. In this "Jenny's Cat Club" book, readers meet Jenny as she leaves her home in Greenwich Village to attend school in the country. She is very, very, very unsure about the whole school thing. But her master, Captain Tinker, wants her "to study cat lore in the country." There is definitely something of an adventure in this one when Jenny runs away from school. But it also contains a lesson on friendship and adapting to new situations.

I enjoyed this one. I look forward to reading others in the series.