Don't Trust the Cat

by Kristen Tracy (Author)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

What if you switched places with your cat?

Mean Girls meets Freaky Friday in this laugh-out-loud story about self-acceptance, learning who your friends are, and coming of age . . . as a cat.

Fifth-grader Poppy McBean likes rules and order. She's a follower, and she's totally okay with that. And if you judge her for that, she's okay with that too! But after falling prey to her friends' bullying one too many times, Poppy makes a wish to be happy--and it comes true in a very unexpected way: She wakes up in the body of her cat, Mitten Man. Mayhem ensues as Poppy-the-girl attempts to navigate the wilds of the wilderness as a cat . . . and her free-thinking, groundbreaking kitty has had it with his owner's timidity. He's out to put the purr in perfectionist and take over middle school--as Poppy.

Hilarious and unexpected, Don't Trust the Cat is a coming-of-age adventure that will keep readers cringing, cracking up, and reconsidering what it means to be a good person.

  • HILARIOUS: Guaranteed, this will be many kids' favorite book of the year.
  • EMPATHY READ: This book is a sneaky way to talk about empathy with kids. Both cat and human learn a lot about each other and change over the course of the book. Each becomes a better being because of their unusual experience.
  • DEEPLY FELT: This book has a funny premise and is packed with hysterical scenes, but it's also grounded and emotional. Readers will sympathize with all characters and leave the book feeling like they made friends while reading.
  • CAT SHENANIGANS: When Poppy's cat takes on Poppy's body, she wants to transform Poppy's life, turning her from a timid kid into someone who believes in herself. Like most cats she has good intentions, but things don't always go according to plan.
  • LEARNING NEW WAYS OF COMMUNICATING: For anyone who has ever wanted to communicate with their pets, this novel might make you think twice! Poppy and her cat come to meet in the middle, but they have to learn a lot about communication along the way.
  • EMPOWERING: Friendships are often messy, but this book shows that it's important to never lose sense of yourself within a friendship, and that sometimes it is necessary to stand up for yourself even to your best friends.

Perfect for:

  • A smart, funny book for girls and boys of all ages!
  • Cat owners and cat lovers
  • Parents of tweens, teachers, and librarians looking for chapter books for 5th graders or reluctant readers
  • Gift or self-purchase for kids seeking self-empowering books with humor
  • Fans of Frindle, the Mr. Terupt series, the Wayside School series, Katherine Applegate, and R.J. Palacio books
Select format:
Hardcover
$16.99

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Kirkus

Funny fare realistically exploring feelings.

Publishers Weekly

A girl and her cat switch bodies in this Freaky Friday-flavored romp. Eleven-year-old Poppy McBean, who cues as white, is venting to her cat, Mitten Man, about her frustrations: feeling neglected by her overworked parents and put out by her bossy best friend, she wishes that she had Mitten Man's easy life. Following this admittance, the "world goes crazy" and, as if by magic, tween and cat swap minds. The two are suddenly capable of communicating telepathically, and they arrange for Mitten Man, now known as Big Poppy, to attend school while Old Poppy fumbles through life as a house cat until they can reverse the spell. Big Poppy, who has no interest in maintaining the status quo at school, quickly alienates Poppy's friends. Old Poppy, meanwhile, must brave the dangers of the outside world in a quest to locate a missing turtle. Tracy (I Am Picky) centers themes of empathy and understanding, as well as learning to push one's boundaries, through Big Poppy's stumbling efforts to conform to human life and Old Poppy's hesitancy to embrace change. It's a lighthearted adventure that will appeal to anyone who's ever wished to walk in their pet's paws. Ages 10-up. Agent: Sara Crowe, Pippin Properties. (July)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes



Kristen Tracy

Kristen Tracy is a former teacher, a poet, a winner of the Emily Dickinson First Book Award from the Poetry Foundation, and an author of numerous books for children including I Am Picky: Confessions of a Fussy Eater, I Am Friendly: Confessions of a Helpful Bear, and the middle-grade novel Don't Trust the Cat. She lives in Santa Clarita with her family.

Federico Fabiani is an illustrator and graphic designer with a background in architecture. He was born and raised in Rome, and currently lives near Venice with his family and the Standard Issue Cat Agostino. He also illustrated Tallulah the Tooth Fairy CEO.

Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781797215068
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Chronicle Books
Publication date
July 25, 2023
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV002050 - Juvenile Fiction | Animals | Cats
JUV039090 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | New Experience
JUV014000 - Juvenile Fiction | Girls & Women
Library of Congress categories
Fiction
Cats
Bullying
Juvenile works
Wishes
Middle school students
Animal fiction
Body swapping
School fiction
Middle school girls
Bullies and bullying

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