Disclosure: I received this book to review. Opinions shared are mine. My apologies for posting a bit late!
It’s hard to find books for middle grades that will appeal to the unique mind of a tween. To Catch a Cat Thief has the qualities of the ideal middle grades book. There needs to be a certain element of superiority over the adults in said tween’s life. (check) The plot must carry a high level of intrigue over a broad range of interests. (check) Above all, the book must be of-the-moment. Under no circumstances can it be boring. (check) This book will be landing on my classroom bookshelf very soon; I can already think of several students who will enjoy it! It reminds me a bit of the adorable book A Long Way From Chicago. The quirky behavior of Penelope’s grandmother, plus a plethora of cats, makes this book a winner.
Many things about To Catch a Cat Thief appealed to me. There were references to classics, such as Shakespeare and Agatha Christie, mixed in with current topics including social media and vegan foods. It’s difficult to make those worlds work together, but author Sean Cummings pulled it off. Additionally, the mystery of the cat disappearances held the book’s plot together. The book was extremely clean, which I appreciated as a parent and a teacher. There were two mentions of a “hate-on,” which must be a new slang term (disliked that). There were several mentions of phone etiquette and respect for elders. We don’t see that kind of thing nearly enough these days! It was refreshing to see a non-obnoxious tween in a story, especially when the teen is forced to spend a summer at grandmother’s house without any TV (shocker!) Overall, this is an endearing little tale that can easily be finished in one sitting.
Check out To Catch a Cat Thief on Goodreads.
Purchase Links:
Amazon | B&N | Chapters | Kobo | TBD | iBooks
My grandson loves to read, and this sounds nice for middle readers. I like that the language is clean.
While the cat’s away… Sounds like a great story.