PIPER'S STORY

Finding the purrfect home is a stressful experience for a cat.

Even as a newborn kitten, Piper processes every experience, from the metal box in which she’s born to the smelly humans who grab at her littermates. Piper hides until the right person comes along: a respectful girl named Riley. Piper happily goes home with Riley, who names her Piper Peanut Priscilla Mitzi-Moo Monkey the Marvelous, and is thrilled to discover a spacious house and delicious food. Other household members include eighth grader Riley’s younger brother, Jackson, their parents, and the family puppy, Tank, all of whom Piper finds marginally acceptable. The family has their dramas, but they recede; Piper’s ordeals are more serious, mostly due to Jackson’s friend and new neighbor, Eddie, who’s so menacing that Piper decides to find a better home for herself and Riley. Her search goes awry, however, when she encounters Cat Loving Lady, who’s a bit too enthusiastic about welcoming Piper, whom she dubs Tabbytha, into her home. Will Piper make it back to Riley—and what will she find when she does? Through narrator Piper, readers gain insight into a cat’s perception of the world, and they’ll be on tenterhooks as they follow the threats the resourceful feline encounters in this suspenseful cautionary tale. Riley and her father have dark hair; Jackson and his mother have lighter hair and eyes. Final art not seen.

Twists and turns make this catnip for animal-loving readers.