The Cats Nobody Wanted

 

The Cats Nobody Wanted

By Harriet May Savitz

 Apple Paperbacks, Scholastic, Inc, 1989

Frankie is feeling left out at home with the arrival of his new baby sister and finds solace in the neighborhood cat lady.

 Main Characters:

·         Frankie, elementary school age boy who discovers the cat lady on his way home from school

·         Mrs. Beasley, the cat lady

·         Grey, the solid grey kitten Frankie falls in love with

Secondary Characters:

·         Mom and Dad, Frankie’s parents

·         Greta, Frankie’s new little sister who is getting all of the attention

·         Grandpop Willie, Frankie’s grandfather and co-conspirator

·         Jimmy, the old man who lives next to Mrs. Beasley and helps out with the cats

  Of course any story involving the rescue of cats is going to rate highly in my book. But this is also a story about loneliness and love. Frankie is suffering from loneliness because his parents spend so much time looking after their new infant they sort of forget about him. They still love him but they ask too much of a child to be understanding when one day he has all of their attention and the next he doesn’t. This is much a lesson for the adults as it is for the kids.

Frankie seeks consolation in Mrs. Beasley and all of her throw-away cats. He learns what it means to care for something other than himself and he learns that if he does his chores at home and is responsible at school then he is free to help with the cats.

Rating:  4 paws for the rescuing of cats and kittens.

 Reviewer: BobbieSue

  Harriet May Savitz

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