March 4, 2025 by Starscape
Copy provided by the publisher
In a twist on the Puppy Tales series, this tenth book is narrated by Piper, a kitten who is luck enough to brave existence among Lesser Beings (humans) and end up with Riley, an acceptable 8th grade girl who tends to Piper's needs. Sadly, the household also includes Jackson, Riley's brother who is in 5th grade, as well as a large dog, Tank. When another 5th grade boy, Eddie, moves in nearby with his dog Chopper, Piper becomes determined to find a new home for her and Riley, since living with such uncouth individuals is clearly not up to her standards. This results in several instances where Piper escapes and roams the neighborhood before being found my her worried family. Eventually, Piper sneaks out and finds an interesting place, but is lured in by a Cat Lady, who decides to keep her, even though Riley is clearly wearing a collar that the woman removes and "loses". Renamed Tabbytha, Piper has to put up with the eccentric ways of her new owner while pining for Riley. While the treats are good, having to wear knitted hats is not, nor is having to cohabitate with a guinea pig named Wally. Showing her anger by peeing on an antique sofa gets Piper banished to the garage, since the Cat Lady is more interested in collecting precious objects than really taking care of pets. Riley stops by the Cat Lady's house on a neighborhood search for Piper, and even hears meowing, but can't prove that the cat is hers. Eventually, Piper escapes and finds her way home, only to find that there is a new kitten, Macaroni! It is unacceptable to have been replaced, even though she was gone for two months, and Piper plots revenge, thinking that if she could get the Cat Lady to abduct Macaroni, he would be out of her hair. When this comes perilously close to reality, though, Piper has to reevaluate the members of her family and assess her loyalty to them.
Strengths: There are relatively few books where CATS have adventures other than Hunter's Warrior series, and middle grade readers do ask for this sort of book. The Puppy Tale books are popular with younger middle school and elementary readers, so it was interesting to see a similar book from a cat's perspective. Piper is a stereotypical cat who believes that the Lesser Beings should serve her in grand style, but even so doesn't appreciate being held captive by the Cat Lady. I enjoyed the fact that Riley was very involved in sports, even attempting to try out for the high school football team, but still made time for her pet. The friction with the fifth grade boys and their dogs is realistic. The Cat Lady, Eugenia, is a bit over the top, but is eventually discovered after handing out flyers to find "her" cat, Tabbytha, and is quickly arrested but released after paying a fine.
Weaknesses: Riley names Piper "Piper Peanut Priscilla Mitzi-Moo Monkey the Marvelous", which makes her seem much younger than 8th grade. While I had questions about Eugenia's arrest, younger readers won't.
What I really think: This will be a big hit with cat lovers who enjoyed Burgos and Faison's Bodega Catsor Fairbairn's PAWS books. It's a welcome realistic choice for cat adventures for those who find Blabey's Cat on the Run or Venable and Yu's Katie the Cat Sitter books a tad too goofy.
Copy provided by the publisher
In a twist on the Puppy Tales series, this tenth book is narrated by Piper, a kitten who is luck enough to brave existence among Lesser Beings (humans) and end up with Riley, an acceptable 8th grade girl who tends to Piper's needs. Sadly, the household also includes Jackson, Riley's brother who is in 5th grade, as well as a large dog, Tank. When another 5th grade boy, Eddie, moves in nearby with his dog Chopper, Piper becomes determined to find a new home for her and Riley, since living with such uncouth individuals is clearly not up to her standards. This results in several instances where Piper escapes and roams the neighborhood before being found my her worried family. Eventually, Piper sneaks out and finds an interesting place, but is lured in by a Cat Lady, who decides to keep her, even though Riley is clearly wearing a collar that the woman removes and "loses". Renamed Tabbytha, Piper has to put up with the eccentric ways of her new owner while pining for Riley. While the treats are good, having to wear knitted hats is not, nor is having to cohabitate with a guinea pig named Wally. Showing her anger by peeing on an antique sofa gets Piper banished to the garage, since the Cat Lady is more interested in collecting precious objects than really taking care of pets. Riley stops by the Cat Lady's house on a neighborhood search for Piper, and even hears meowing, but can't prove that the cat is hers. Eventually, Piper escapes and finds her way home, only to find that there is a new kitten, Macaroni! It is unacceptable to have been replaced, even though she was gone for two months, and Piper plots revenge, thinking that if she could get the Cat Lady to abduct Macaroni, he would be out of her hair. When this comes perilously close to reality, though, Piper has to reevaluate the members of her family and assess her loyalty to them.
Strengths: There are relatively few books where CATS have adventures other than Hunter's Warrior series, and middle grade readers do ask for this sort of book. The Puppy Tale books are popular with younger middle school and elementary readers, so it was interesting to see a similar book from a cat's perspective. Piper is a stereotypical cat who believes that the Lesser Beings should serve her in grand style, but even so doesn't appreciate being held captive by the Cat Lady. I enjoyed the fact that Riley was very involved in sports, even attempting to try out for the high school football team, but still made time for her pet. The friction with the fifth grade boys and their dogs is realistic. The Cat Lady, Eugenia, is a bit over the top, but is eventually discovered after handing out flyers to find "her" cat, Tabbytha, and is quickly arrested but released after paying a fine.
Weaknesses: Riley names Piper "Piper Peanut Priscilla Mitzi-Moo Monkey the Marvelous", which makes her seem much younger than 8th grade. While I had questions about Eugenia's arrest, younger readers won't.
What I really think: This will be a big hit with cat lovers who enjoyed Burgos and Faison's Bodega Catsor Fairbairn's PAWS books. It's a welcome realistic choice for cat adventures for those who find Blabey's Cat on the Run or Venable and Yu's Katie the Cat Sitter books a tad too goofy.
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