Great-Grandpa's in the Litter Box

Zack Files #1

by Dan Greenburg, Jack E. Davis

What I wanted was a cute little kitten. Instead, I got a tough tomcat that talks. And that's not all! He says he's my Great-Grandpa Julius and he needs my help. And messy litter box or not, family is family!

Genres: Fantasy, Childrens, Fiction, Chapter Books, Humor, Mystery, Animals

64 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1996

About the author

DAN GREENBURG BIO

BOOKS:
Dan's 73 books have been published in 24 countries.
His adult best-sellers include EXES, LOVE KILLS, HOW TO BE A JEWISH MOTHER, HOW TO MAKE YOURSELF MISERABLE, and HOW TO AVOID LOVE AND MARRIAGE. How to be a Jewish Mother sold several million copies. It and How to Make Yourself Miserable were in print for 30 years and were on Publishers Weekly’s list of all-time bestsellers.
Amazon will publish Dan’s third psychological thriller, FEAR ITSELF, in January 2014. They’ll also republish his first two thrillers, EXES and LOVE KILLS.
He’s written four series of children's books: THE ZACK FILES, SECRETS OF DRIPPING FANG, WEIRD PLANET, and MAXIMUM BOY. The Zack Files sold more than 2 million copies, was translated into 20 languages, and generated an Emmy-winning 52-episode TV series that ran on Showtime and Fox Family.

ADVENTURES:
Dan has written extensively about his adventures:
Riding with NYPD homicide detectives for two years to research thrillers FEAR ITSELF, EXES, and LOVE KILLS.
Interviewing murderers alone in their maximum security prison cells for FEAR ITSELF.
Attending autopsies in the NYC morgue for EXES.
Learning how to discipline tigers and lions on a Texas tiger ranch.
Swimming with 80,000 lb. humpback whales in the deep ocean.
Flying upside down with a stunt pilot in an open-cockpit biplane.
Participating in dangerous voodoo rites in Haiti.
Riding with NYC firemen for four months and following them into burning buildings.
Searching for the Loch Ness Monster.
Assisting exorcists in a Connecticut house attacked by poltergeists.
Acting a major character role in a Western movie filmed in Spain.
Doing stand-up comedy at the New York Improv, and on TV talk shows.
Getting screamed at by Orson Welles on the set of Catch-22 in Mexico.

MAGAZINES:
Dan’s articles have appeared in The New Yorker, Esquire, New York Magazine, The New York Times Book Review, The New York Times Magazine, Vanity Fair, The Huffington Post, Time, Life, Newsweek, Ms., Playboy, and have been reprinted in 44 humor anthologies in the U.S. and England.

MOVIES AND TV:
Dan has had six of his feature films produced, two of which are on Variety’s list of top grossing films.

THEATER:
Along with Jules Feiffer, John Lennon and Samuel Beckett, Dan was a contributor to Oh! Calcutta!, which ran on Broadway for 21 years. He was also a contributor to Free to be You and Me, which ran off and on Broadway for years.

MISC.:
Dan has appeared on The Today Show, The Tonight Show, Larry King Live, and Late Night with David Letterman. He grew up in Chicago, got his BFA from the University of Illinois, and his MFA from UCLA. He lives in Westchester, NY and British Columbia with his author wife Judith Greenburg and many cats.

dan@dangreenburg.com

Reviews

[Brooke Brown]

now I remember why I loved these so much in elementary school

[Megan (ReadingRover)]

Funny book about a boy whose great grandpa is reincarnated into a cat.

[Maaz]

a delightful and whimsical story that holds a special place in my heart as the first book I ever read. This charming book series is filled with humor and imaginative twists, sparked my love for reading and set me on a lifelong journey of literary exploration. I read all 30 books as a child and was so sad when I couldn't find a 31st.

[Amelia]

I thought it was Ok.
What I didn't like was that it was about a cat that smoked.
It was a little funny but, I still don't think its that appropriate for kids my age. But also smoking is un heathy.

[Benedict Randhawa]

This book is about a boy name Zack. He wanted a cute little kitten. But Instead, he got a tough tomcat that talks. And that's not all.

[Hunter]

Hahahaha this book actually made me laugh!

[Mgb]

Grandpa is reincarnated as a cat. Perfect read for a second grade student.

[Kathy]

I have read this book and I thought it was fantastic

[Mary]

Very quick, cute and fun.

[Timothy Leaver]

This book is okay,if you are child at heart like me,i would skip this one,as i know i am the not intended audience for this type of book,as this one is more for the children and teenagers, the other books in series are much better and deal with more interesting concepts,that can be read and should be read by adults and children alike.

[Julie Decker]

Zack is a regular kid, but his situations are anything but ordinary. This series with lots of light intersections into the paranormal, supernatural, and fantastical is good for an occasional, not-too-serious laugh. In this one, Zack is interested in adopting a kitten, but when he goes to do so he's beckoned instead by an adult cat that TALKS. And it claims to be the reincarnation of his great-grandfather! Now that his grandpa is some weird mix of animal and person demanding respect, Zack's in a pickle. What's an everyday kid with a not-so-everyday life to do?

The books are short, easy to read, and full of off-color jokes, which makes them a good read for reluctant kids but really I felt it was too gimmicky right from the start. Things happen for laughs, not really for much other reason, and though there's a time and a place, I prefer that even children's books show a little bit more sophistication, I guess.

[Yuki Kodama]

I read this book 60 minuteas a week.

7 words summary
Zack, cat, talk, grandpa, grandma, lie, untrue

Discussion Question

Q1.If you have an animal which can talk, what would you do?
A.I was very surprised to see it. Aftter that, I will talk about many things.
I want to know the difference points between human life and animal life.

Comment
I like Zack Files. Always,something weird happened to Zack. Zack's nice point is that he is probably more open minded than somebody else. Also, he is very gentle. It is important for us to have these minds. In this series, a cat asked Zack to go out here! Zack is gentle. Therefore, he decided to buy this cat. He got along with this talking cat. However, the cat lied Zack. The cat says that he is rebirth of his grandfather. However, it is a lie! Zack's grandma realized it.

[Katt Hansen]

I might call this series my guilty pleasure. Reincarnation, cranky cats who crave cigars and alcohol...yeah, not the best role modeling for kids in some regards. But Zack is a good kid, the adventure was very original and the author writes with a strong voice, and keeps the book simple so that the kids can follow it easily, even readers who might be struggling.

I'd recommend it, but might want to talk to my kids about it. I think there's some good conversation starters here that would include topics from family loyalty, religion, and doing the right thing.

Yeah, I'll keep reading this one.

[Swankivy]

Being the kids' department head when I worked at a bookstore, I saw these books a lot in my chapter books section and decided to see if they were any good so I could decide whether to recommend them to others. They had a surprising amount of somewhat off-color jokes in them, but other than that they were cute but nothing super-special. I just read a few during my lunch break; they take about ten minutes to read.

[Kathleen]

I love The Zack Files, and my students do, too. These are great quick reads for boys and girls who need high-interest material that's more accessible for struggling readers. I'm reading these with 3rd and 4th graders that are reading .5-2 levels below grade level, and my husband read them with a 3rd grade boy several years ago, and all the kids were completely psyched every time they get a new volume. Highly recommend them.

[Shohei Uchida]

I have read this book before, but I couldn't understand well, so I chose this book again.

7 words
Boy Grandpa Die Cat Speak Father Selfish

If you found an animal that could speak, what would you do?
If I found an animal that can speak, I wanted to have it. I want to talk with them.

If you saw an animal that knew about your family, what would you do?
I don't want to see an nimal that knew about me.

60min.

[Amanda]

I used to love these books. I thought they were funny. I don’t remember this book well, but I think I finished it while my Mom was getting money out of the bank. I recommend this book to all elementary kids. I can’t truly rate this book but I seem to remember liking it so I’ll give it 3 out of 5 stars.

[Lauree]

I listened to my daughter read a lot of the Zach Files series of books when she was in third grade. They were so funny and clever! We laughed a lot and looked forward to our reading time while she improved her read-aloud skills. In this book, Zach finds out that his great-grandfather was reincarnated as a cat that he happened to rescue from an SPCA type of place.

[Mary Ann]

A fun and funny tale of reincarnation and cranky cats. Zack loves the paranormal, and when he goes to pick out a cat at the shelter, he gets more than he bargained for -- a reincarnated great grandparent. Written as a lower level reader, this book is great for those kids who love the supernatural, but who prefer reading at a less-challenging level.

[Brandi]

In this silly supernatural chapter book for transitional readers, Zack adopts a cat--but instead of the cute little tuxedo kitten he intended to have, a fat, mangy old tomcat catches his ear. It's not hard, since the cat can talk! It turns out Zack's great-grandpa has been reincarnated in this cigar-smoking, Scotch-drinking cranky cat. Silly, fun, quick.

[Brittany]

Did not like it. The cat is their reincarnated great grandpa that smokes a cigar. Not the best, I changed words as to not have to try and explain what reincarnation is to my small children. Not a good book for my family.

[Suzanne]

A student who was a professed nonreader when I came to the school recommended this book to me. I read it in one sitting - often reading parts out loud to a coworker. We both laughed all the way though the story.

[Michelle R.]

I was pretty good. I read it because i didn't have any other book to read. It was about a kid named Zack who finds a cat who is really his grandpa because of reincarnation. If your looked for a book dont choose this one because it is really short. I read it in one day.

[Book Tea 🫖 with Jai]

I really thought the Zack Files were going to be childish and very stupid. To be very honest, but it wasn't that at all. I really enjoyed this book a lot. I love the story line and the ending. The ending id a jaw dropper. LOL. I cant wait to read book 2

[Bvlmc Buchanan Verplanck Elementary School]

When you are used to strange things happening to you, you might not think twice about adopting a talking tomcat, but what happens when it turns out that tomcat claims to be your Great-Grandpa Julius!?! A humourous tale of how family is family and we all pitch in to help when family is involved.

[Bmack]

This is my series book for this month. It is a cute “beginning reader” chapter book about a boy named Zack and the unusual cat he got from the shelter. The cat begins to talk to him and he discovers it is his great grandfather who died a long time ago.

[Dowon]

This book is about reborn.
It is about Zack's great grandfather gets reborn in a cat's body.
It is funny that the cat still has his memories before being reborn.
This book is a good book also if you want to start reading the Zack files series.

[Jaison betances]

this book is very intresting.This book has many mysteryes.

[Heidi]

A funny fast read- about 3rd grade level- about Grandpa coming back as a cat. couldn't put this one down.

[Kate Hastings]

RL 570