The Cat at the Wall

Brief Description: "Clare was just a regular American girl who only had to deal with normal middle-school problems--staying under the teacher's radar, bullying her sister and the uncool kids at school, outsmarting her clueless parents. But that was before she died and came back to life as a cat, in a place with a whole different set of rules for survival. Soon she is in the middle of a complicated, unpredictable and dangerous situation. Israeli soldiers with guns, angry Palestinian villagers throwing rocks, the sounds of approaching tanks and helicopters"--Jacket flap. Marc Notes: A cat sneaks into a small Palestinian house on the West Bank that has been commandeered by two Israeli soldiers. The house seems empty, until the cat realizes that a little boy is hiding beneath the floorboards. Should she help him? After all, she's just a cat. Or is she? She was once a regular North American girl, but that was before she died and came back to life as a cat. When the little boy is discovered, the soldiers don't know what to do with him. It is not long before his teacher and classmates come looking for him, and the house is suddenly surrounded by Palestinian villagers throwing rocks, and the sound of Israeli tanks approaching. As the soldiers begin to panic and disaster seems certain, the cat knows that it is up to her to diffuse the situation. But what can a cat do? What can any one creature do?; Issued also in electronic format. Review Quotes: "Without editorializing, Ellis's suspenseful and thought-provoking novel offers a touching, humane context for one of the world's most intractable situations." -- "The New York Times"Review Quotes: Without editorializing, Ellis's suspenseful and thought-provoking novel offers a touching, humane context for one of the world s most intractable situations. "The New York Times""Biographical Note: Deborah Ellis is best known for her "Breadwinner" books a series that has been published in 25 languages, with more than $1 million in royalties donated to Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan and Street Kids International. She has won the Governor General s Award, the Ruth Schwartz Award, the University of California s Middle East Book Award, Sweden s Peter Pan Prize, the Jane Addams Children s Book Award, and the Vicky Metcalf Award for a Body of Work. She recently received the Ontario Library Association s President s Award for Exceptional Achievement, and she has been named to the Order of Ontario. She lives in Simcoe, ON, Canada."Publisher Marketing: On Israel s West Bank, a cat sneaks into a small Palestinian house that has just been commandeered by two Israeli soldiers. The house seems empty, until the cat realizes that a little boy is hiding beneath the floorboards. Should she help him? After all, she s just a cat. Or is she? It turns out that this particular cat is not used to thinking about anyone but herself. She was once a regular North American girl who only had to deal with normal middle-school problems staying under the teachers radar, bullying her sister and the uncool kids at school, outsmarting her clueless parents. But that was before she died and came back to life as a cat, in a place with a whole different set of rules for survival. It's not long before the boy's teacher and classmates come looking for him, and the house is suddenly surrounded by Palestinian villagers throwing rocks, and the sound of Israeli tanks approaching. Not my business, thinks the cat. And then she suddenly understands what happened to the boy s parents, and knows it's up to her to diffuse the situation. But what can a cat do?" Review Citations:

Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2014 pg. 164 (EAN 9781554987078, Paperback)

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2014 (EAN 9781554984923, Hardcover)

Kirkus Reviews 08/15/2014 (EAN 9781554984916, Hardcover)

School Library Journal 09/01/2014 pg. 119 (EAN 9781554984916, Hardcover)

Bulletin of Ctr for Child Bks 10/01/2014 (EAN 9781554984916, Hardcover)

Quill & Quire 10/01/2014 pg. 37 (EAN 9781554984916, Hardcover)

Booklist 09/15/2014 pg. 56 (EAN 9781554984916, Hardcover)

Publishers Weekly 10/06/2014 (EAN 9781554984916, Hardcover)

New York Times Book Review 11/09/2014 pg. 35 (EAN 9781554984916, Hardcover)

Contributor Bio:  Ellis, Deborah DEBORAH ELLIS is the award-winning author of several books for kids and teens. She is best known for her novel "The Breadwinner", which she wrote following her work at refugee camps in Afghanistan. She has also written on other serious issues affecting young people around the world, including drug use, poverty, HIV/AIDS, and war. deborahellis.com