Highway Cats

November 1, 2008
Gr 3-6-When three tiny kittens are abandoned by the side of a busy highway, they miraculously make their way through the traffic and end up in a patch of scruffy woods abutting a mall, where a passel of feral cats eke out a rough existence. The kittens seem too innocent to survive, but somehow they have a redemptive effect on tough characters like cynical Shredder and the once-beautiful Siamese Khalia Koo. All of the cats notice that these strangers seem a bit "different," but when bulldozers come to turn the patch of land into a highway off-ramp, their magical qualities become apparent. Is it their mystical blue sparkle or their unworldly innocence that inspires the wild cats to work together to scare off the developers? It doesn't matter, because readers will focus on the fascinating, hard-bitten denizens of the dump. A mild, slightly wry sense of humor permeates this tale, from the descriptions of Khalia's business (she sells rat meat to a pet food company that makes a product called "Canned Rodent") to the inane conversations between the development-happy Mayor Blunt and his chief of staff. Illustrations in the form of dramatic silhouettes are sprinkled throughout the book. Recommend this novel to fans of Phyllis Reynolds Naylor's "Cat Pack" series (S & S) or other animal adventure books."Eva Mitnick, Los Angeles Public Library"

Copyright 2008 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from July 1, 2008
Three kittens abandoned on the median strip of an interstate highway miraculously survive. They meet a loose group of feral cats and help them to band together to save their small patch of homeland woods from being destroyed. Lisle firmly grounds this satisfying fantasy in the present day: the cats encounter the constant traffic of I-95, ever-filling dumpsters behind a shopping center, and a mayor who sees development as a path to reelection. In the tradition of classics such as Sheila Burnfords The Incredible Journey (1961) and Robert C. OBriens Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH (1971), Lisle shows that she can create and develop animal characters that are just as convincing as the humans in her past works. Particularly well defined is the aging cat Shredder, whose attitude toward the kittens shifts from dispassionate curiosity to avuncular interest and finally a paternal love that opens his heart and allows him to recognize and declare his affection for a beautiful Siamese. The action moves steadily and surely to the climactic showdown with developers bulldozers, a scene that begs to be staged. Deftly written and attractively illustrated with chapter-opening silhouettes by Frankland, this is a treat for any reader and would be a delight to read aloud.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2008, American Library Association.)