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Oona and her younger brother Fred adore their cat Zook, and when he becomes ill, Oona tells stories about his other lives. After all, cats have nine lives, and he hasn't used all of his up yet. But cats don't actually have nine lives, of course, and despite the best efforts of the veterinarian and their neighbor Dylan who injects fluids into Zook, the inevitable happens. Throughout the story, perfect for middle graders, Oona stretches the truth and keeps a secret of her own about how Zook came t
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Their cat Zook means the world to Oona and her little brother. But now his kidneys are failing and Oona is worried that he won't be around much longer. Just like her father used to do to her, she tells her little brother stories about Zook's past lives. But the possibility of losing Zook isn't the only change in Oona's life - her mom has a new boyfriend.
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Kind of a standard problem novel with a lot of familiar tropes in it. I did enjoy the Oakland setting, and the Jewish/Hindi grandmother/best-friends combo.
Oct 15, 2013
Alison
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
best-of-year,
all-time-favorites,
2012,
families,
neighborhood,
community,
city-living,
pets,
family-read-aloud,
death-dying
An endearing ode to family, pets, and the power of storytelling, this gem of a novel just rocketed onto my all-time favorites list. I wholeheartedly agree with the reviewer from Booklist who gave it a star and said, "The only imperfection in this novel is that it ends." Heartwarming and utterly wonderful, it makes a terrific read-aloud and depicts one of the most loving and genuine sibling relationships I've ever seen in print. Tone-wise, it's a solid match for younger fans of Linda Urban and Re
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Got a little weepy, but cat stories will do that to me. Solid story. Good family stuff.
A sincere book with lots of gentle humor about a girl, Oona, and her brother, Fred, who while still adjusting to the death of their father two years earlier, must deal with both a sick cat and their mother's new boyfriend. I loved the inventive stories that Oona told Fred about Zook's prior lives and her color-coded whoppers. Best for grades 4-6.
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Oona and her little brother, Fred, are trying to heal after their Father's death. When their old cat, Zook, gets sick they must examine their feelings about death and what happens next. A beautiful book, which I look forward to sharing with children.
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The premise is excellent--two siblings face transitions in life, and the older of the two tells the younger stories based on the previous lives of the family cat in the hopes that the stories will help both of them adjust.
There's a lot to like about this book, especially for aspiring young authors. Having said that, there are some problems with shifting point of view. My son Andrew gave up on it for that reason.
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May 20, 2012
Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy)
marked it as to-read
May 28, 2012
Crystal
marked it as to-read
Jul 06, 2012
Monica Edinger
added it
Sep 22, 2014
Linda
marked it as to-read
Oct 23, 2014
Shelley
marked it as to-read
Dec 05, 2014
Elisabeth
marked it as to-read
