Catcall
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Review
'An interesting and touching story of two young boys dealing with the arrival of their new baby sister and their parent's marriage break up in their own strange and unique way... A must read book for parents and children alike.' (Nina Smith, Cotswold Bookstore BERTRAM'S BUYER'S GUIDE )
'a very strong psychological drama... Josh and Jamie are battling demons that most children will recognise as demons of their own and the book's great pace and tension building with keep them reading.' (Jill Murphy THEBOOKBAG.CO.UK )
'I thoroughly enjoyed this book.... well-crafted... The characters are believable, the problem is well depicted; the tension it creates is tangible, and the solution comes as a great relief.' (Mark Betteney WRITE AWAY )
'Atmospheric and empathetic, this is an intense novel about two brothers.' (CAROUSEL )
'this beautifully told story is haunting and memorable.' (Nicholas Tucker THE INDEPENDENT )
'expertly contrasts knowledge and understanding against fears and doubt. Stepping beyond mere sibling rivalry, childhood neurosis is depicted here with an astute accuracy, but also with compassion and perception... The tectonics of familial relationships and alliance are related with extraordinary power and prowess.' (Jake Hope ACHUKA )
'presents a moving and insightful portrayal of a common family situation, given extra dramatic tension by Jamie's lion persona and by the links between animal and human behaviour as observed by Josh, a thoughtful, sympathetic narrator who grows in empathy and self-knowledge in a very satisfying way throughout the book.' (Sue Roe THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN )
'A highly enjoyable book written wtih a lot of humour, very strong characters adn times we can imagine ourselves in. This is a brilliant book full of wonderful ideas, funny descriptions which really giv eyou the scene... I would recommend it to anyone.' (David Shapira TEEN TITLES )
'a very strong psychological drama... Josh and Jamie are battling demons that most children will recognise as demons of their own and the book's great pace and tension building with keep them reading.' (Jill Murphy THEBOOKBAG.CO.UK )
'I thoroughly enjoyed this book.... well-crafted... The characters are believable, the problem is well depicted; the tension it creates is tangible, and the solution comes as a great relief.' (Mark Betteney WRITE AWAY )
'Atmospheric and empathetic, this is an intense novel about two brothers.' (CAROUSEL )
'this beautifully told story is haunting and memorable.' (Nicholas Tucker THE INDEPENDENT )
'expertly contrasts knowledge and understanding against fears and doubt. Stepping beyond mere sibling rivalry, childhood neurosis is depicted here with an astute accuracy, but also with compassion and perception... The tectonics of familial relationships and alliance are related with extraordinary power and prowess.' (Jake Hope ACHUKA )
'presents a moving and insightful portrayal of a common family situation, given extra dramatic tension by Jamie's lion persona and by the links between animal and human behaviour as observed by Josh, a thoughtful, sympathetic narrator who grows in empathy and self-knowledge in a very satisfying way throughout the book.' (Sue Roe THE SCHOOL LIBRARIAN )
'A highly enjoyable book written wtih a lot of humour, very strong characters adn times we can imagine ourselves in. This is a brilliant book full of wonderful ideas, funny descriptions which really giv eyou the scene... I would recommend it to anyone.' (David Shapira TEEN TITLES )
Jake Hope, ACHUKA
'expertly contrasts knowledge and understanding against fears and doubt. Stepping beyond mere sibling rivalry, childhood neurosis is depicted here with an astute accuracy, but also with compassion and perception... The tectonics of familial relationships and alliance are related with extraordinary power and prowess.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Catcall,
By
This review is from: Catcall (Paperback)
Newbury's writing style is accessible and yet deep and `empathetic'. Within moments, I was in the book and the lives of Jamie and Josh.
The novel is written in first person, which I always admire when an author handles this well. We see the story take place through the eyes of Josh, the elder brother. Josh and Jamie live with their mother and step-father as well as their `new' baby step-sister, Jennie. Their father lives further in London with his girlfriend, Kim and her teenage son Kevin. The story is a very interesting insight into personal territory and one boy's fight to try and keep his identity while the world around him changes for the worse. Josh's younger brother, Jamie, after a visit to a zoo, seems to become possessed by the spirit of a lion that they see caged up. As the book progresses, Jamie becomes more and more lost and the spirit of `Leo' increases. Josh and his family look on in horror as they see Jamie's persona disappear behind an angry cat-mask. It is only the person who is closest to him, his big brother Josh, who can pull him back from the darkness of acceptance. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I liked the whole idea of the story of `one boy's refusal to accept change in his family'. Newbury seems to effortlessly create thoughtful and well-painted characters whose dialogue and actions are easy to imagine and a joy to soak up. The book is interspersed with cut-outs from Josh's Catbook where we learn fascinating facts about cats throughout history and science. The themes of the story are ones that children, for whom the book is aimed at, can either relate to or at least empathise with
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A surprise hit with my 9 and 10 year old boys,
By
This review is from: Catcall (Paperback)
My sons don't normally have patience with emotional dramas, or stories set in the everyday world, but this book is both of those things and it gripped them from start to finish. It is a beautifully written, subtle, realistic story of children experiencing change and anxiety and not knowing how to identify it or how to handle it. Interweaving with this narrative are excerpts from the main character's own homemade book, "The Book of Cats". As soon as I'd finished reading the novel out loud, both my sons were inspired to make their own book of cats, cutting out and sticking and writing a scrapbook each, so in this house Catcall has had an impact far beyond the last chapter.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
5.0 out of 5 stars (1 customer review)
5.0 out of 5 stars
A realistic, optimistic portrayal of modern family life,
By KidsReads - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: Catcall (Hardcover)
Josh and his younger brother Jamie like to call themselves the "two Js," their dad's special nickname for them. They're about as close and loving as two siblings can be. But then their dad has to go and move in with his girlfriend Kim and her son Kevin. So have they now been replaced by the "two Ks"? To make matters more confusing, the boys' mother has gotten remarried to Mike, who's a great stepdad, and they've just had a new baby named Jennie. So are they now the two Js, or the three Js?
Despite their rapidly changing family geography, Josh and Jamie have always stuck together --- until one day, when formerly bright, funny Jamie retreats into himself, refusing to talk and shutting out the world. The boy who used to laugh at comedy programs on TV now is obsessed with a lion that he saw at a wildlife park, to the point that he insists on his family's calling him Leo. Josh is pretty concerned about Jamie's unusual behavior and scared that the two Js aren't what they used to be. But Josh's love for his brother, and his own expertise on lions and other cats, might be just what Jamie needs to cope with the bewildering changes that have entered their lives. All too often, stories dealing with children of divorce have an overriding negative tone, with parents and stepparents fighting and screaming among themselves, leaving the kids to sort out their emotions in the midst of a confusing environment. Josh's blended family, by contrast, is supportive, loving and ultimately positive. Linda Newbery's novel is refreshing in acknowledging the challenges of family change while still portraying a family whose love remains a steady and dependable constant in the children's lives. Josh is also a refreshing character, a boy who revels in acquiring and collecting facts but isn't depicted as a nerd or a freak. "Facts are everywhere --- the only way not to find them would be to walk around with your eyes and ears shut," Josh says. Josh certainly keeps his eyes and ears wide open, and shares his knowledge with the reader in scrapbook entries that appear to have come straight from his homemade Book of Cats. CATCALL is a realistic, optimistic portrayal of modern family life, one that shows that it's okay for kids to be smart, for kids to be sad, and for families to change --- and that with a lot of love, everything can turn out for the best. |
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