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2017 Nominee

Cat At The Wall

Written by Deborah Ellis.
Published in 2014 by Groundwood Books.

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.

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7 thoughts on “Cat At The Wall

  1. General Stewart

    I think it is a really good book it is a little bit weird but in a good way. I like how it’s two stories mashed together and I really like the characters!!!

  2. Hillhurst School

    The Cat At The Wall Review
    By: Helen
    Written by: Deborah Ellis
    The Cat At The Wall is a fiction book. I like this book because the cat told us her story of how she became a cat, and had been a girl in her previous life. The book was adventurous because the cat helped a hurt boy that was held hostage by soldiers in Israel. The cat also somehow stopped a fight by dancing at the end. The purpose of the book was achieved because in the end, the cat saved the boy and stopped a fight.
    This work helps us understand that war is NEVER good

    The book is interesting because it is written from the point of view of the cat and a girl. The book could be written in a different way like from another person’s point of view, such as a soldier’s. The reader won’t know the cat’s story if it’s written in the soldier’s point of view.

    The writing style fits the book because it’s a fantasy but it makes it seem realistic. The book doesn’t convince me it’s real because it is probably impossible for a person to turn into a cat. This book helps us to think about our decisions or something bad might happen to us. I recommend reading this book because it teaches you not to not be mean or bad or you could end up like that, and by that, I mean getting killed by a automobile and turning into a cat.

    It’s effective because the book made me very interested in the story although it was scary at times.

  3. Hillhurst School

    The Cat At The Wall Review
    Written by: Deborah Ellis
    The Cat At The Wall is a fiction book. I like this book because the cat told us her story of how she became a cat, and had been a girl in her previous life. The book was adventurous because the cat helped a hurt boy that was held hostage by soldiers in Israel. The cat also somehow stopped a fight by dancing at the end. The purpose of the book was achieved because in the end, the cat saved the boy and stopped a fight.
    This work helps us understand that war is NEVER good

    The book is interesting because it is written from the point of view of the cat and a girl. The book could be written in a different way like from another person’s point of view, such as a soldier’s. The reader won’t know the cat’s story if it’s written in the soldier’s point of view.

    The writing style fits the book because it’s a fantasy but it makes it seem realistic. The book doesn’t convince me it’s real because it is probably impossible for a person to turn into a cat. This book helps us to think about our decisions or something bad might happen to us. I recommend reading this book because it teaches you not to not be mean or bad or you could end up like that, and by that, I mean getting killed by a automobile and turning into a cat.

    It’s effective because the book made me very interested in the story although it was scary at times.

  4. senator buchanan school

    This book is so good! I like how she tells us things when she was a girl and when shes a cat.

  5. Westglen School

    It’s about this cat that goes into an abandoned house with a little boy in it. Then there is a fight between the israeli army and teenagers.This genre is sad because there was an abandoned boy that lost his parents. I think that is pretty sad.
    I just didn’t like How the author switched the perspective every single chapter. I wish the cat’s story was at the start. Then the girls story at the place where the cats story ended.
    I think it was alright. I would give it a 3 star because it kept switching and she kept whining it was pretty confusing
    I would recommend this book to no one it was pretty boring and no one would like it unless they like boring books.
    The cat at the wall by deborah ellis

  6. Springbank Middle School

    It was almost as good as other books by this author, but I would like more intensity!!


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