The Cats of Roxville Station by Jean Craighead George
I had a great reading experience yesterday. It was a beautiful sunny day, so I packed up my beach chair, lunch, and a new book and headed to the river to read for the day.
The Cats of Roxville Station was my book, and it turned out to be a great choice for reading outside, because there was lots of information about the natural world that’s all around us but that we don’t often notice. Here’s the opening sentence: “A lady in a fur coat threw a fighting, hissing cat off a bridge, got back into her car, and sped into the night.” Poor Rachet! Abandoned, she must now fend for herself . She quickly discovers that there is a group of wild (feral) cats in the neighborhood and she must learn to fight for her place among them. Jean Craighead George is a master of writing about the natural world (she won the Newbery Medal for Julie of the Wolves and My Side of the Mountain). In this book we find out about the hidden world of the wild cats; how they hunt, establish their territory, and try to avoid predators like snakes, owls, and foxes. There are humans in the area, too, including the nice “Bent Lady” who feeds the wild cats every day, and Mike, a foster child who wants more than anything to bring Rachet home. Check this book out if you like reading about the animal world. The author does a nice job of combining an interesting story with real facts about how cats communicate with each other and humans. Since reading this book I have had great fun watching my cat move around in the back yard, interacting with other cats (not wild cats!), birds, chipmunks, etc. I learned a lot.
September 3, 2009 at 9:00 pm
Is the Varmint Hotel still open for business?
September 4, 2009 at 9:48 am
If it was, Rachet and her fellow wild cats would be checking in!
October 9, 2009 at 9:05 pm
I love books like that! That reminds me of a certain book and movie but, I can’t put my finger on it!
KIM:)
December 23, 2009 at 10:24 am
i am going to read this book and i cant wait to see what happens to the orange tabby cat!!:I
December 23, 2009 at 10:27 am
I have this book also. I haven’t read this either but i want to.
December 24, 2009 at 2:24 pm
I hear from my sister that I should read this book. Sounds somewhat like the first Warriors book(I absolutely love those). Seems like a nice easy read too. I like the sound of that =)
~Jessy
January 3, 2010 at 7:32 pm
i love this book , i am still reading it, though i am almost done with it!
February 17, 2012 at 8:12 pm
Well, that sounds nice. I do like my side of the mountain. Maybe I could read this book sometime.