The power of reading is beautifully captured in this 2006 Newbery Honor-winning book. Bernie keeps a barn full of animals the rest of the world has no use for–two retired trotters, a rooster, some banty hens, and a Muscovy duck with clipped wings who calls herself The Lady. When the cat called Whittington shows up one day, it is to the Lady that he makes an appeal to secure a place in the barn. The Lady’s a little hesitant at first, but when the cat claims to be a master ratter, that clinches it. Bernie’ s orphaned grandkids, Abby and Ben, come to the barn every day to help feed the animals. Abby shares her worry that Ben can’t really read yet and that he refuses to go to Special Ed. Whittington and the Lady decide that Abby should give Ben reading lessons in the barn. It is a balm for Ben when, having toughed out the daily lesson, Whittington comes to tell, in tantalizing installments, the story handed down to him from his nameless forebearer, Dick Whittington’s cat–the legend of the lad born into poverty in rural England during the Black Death, who runs away to London to seek his fortune. This is an unforgettable tale about how learning to read saves one little boy. It is about the healing, transcendent power of storytelling and how, if you have loved ones surrounding you and good stories to tell, to listen to, and to read, you have just about everything of value in this world.
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"Our local Waldenbooks closed down. I got this book for a song. I wasn't familiar with the story, but I will read this to my children. A wonderful, heartwarming story about a cat and his interactions with the barn animals and the two children who take care of them. It is a short read (and Newbery Honor) with a happy and satifying ending. Recommended for ALL animal lovers."
— Rosa (4 out of 5 stars)
This superior novel interweaves animal fantasy and family story with a retelling of the English folktale “Dick Whittington and His Cat.” Teachers and librarians…take note: Whittington reads aloud beautifully, and the extended happy ending will leave everyone smiling in delight.
— School Library Journal, starred" i loved this book, even though it is told by a cat about a cat and his boy. gives a real sense of what living in a barn is like. "
— Jim, 2/9/2014" Entertaining and informative but lacking je ne sais quoi. "
— Melanie, 2/1/2014" I really liked the story about Dick Whittington and his cat, but thought that there were parts in the story that unnecessary and moved kind of slow. "
— Eden, 1/30/2014" A heartwarming story of love and family interwoven in a historical fiction tale. The powerful bonds of family are subtle yet powerful. Beautifully told. "
— Shane, 1/19/2014" Though the story of Dick Whittington and his cat was interesting, the rest of the story failed to grab my attention. Maybe it was the result of too many talking animals that droned monotonous for me, but since it is a Newbery Honor book, I persevered. "
— Melinda, 12/25/2013" this book was awesome i would totally read it again "
— ♥Mrs.Ally, 12/21/2013" This a another of Mia's school reads. This was a very cute book. It captured farm life from the animals and the farmers point of view. It also told a great adventure story of perseverance and hard work and success. Fun read as well. "
— Liz, 12/19/2013" A ragtag group of fame animals make an old barn theri home. Cared for by two small children who grow comfortable enought to share their inner secret of Ben's inability to learn to read. The animals come in support of Ben. a heart warming tale set in England. "
— Mrs., 12/14/2013" It was an excellent book. Alan Armstrong is an excellent storyteller and weaves together two or sometimes three storylines in an exciting book with a lesson. "
— Ben8cn, 11/9/2013" I was pleasantly surprised by this simple story. "
— Jenn, 11/7/2013" This is another one of those "meh" books for me. I never really found myself connecting to the characters... which is a problem when the story is a character-driven book. "
— Brenna, 10/23/2013" Great book with some excellent writing. A must read for children. "
— Mayde, 10/21/2013" I struggled to get through this - too many characters, too many storylines. I don't understand why it was selected for a Newbery honor. I think the author would have done better to focus on fictionalizing Dick Whittington's tale, without trying to tie it to the barnyard. "
— Libby, 5/10/2013" This was a blend of several stories both historic and modern. The stories were interesting, but i feel like I missed the common denominator. I am not quite sure of the audience or the take home message. "
— Melanie, 2/22/2013" A top-notch children's book. It's a Newbery Honor book. There are several stories being told all at the same time. Whitington is the cat, named after the famous Dick Whitington and his cat. Would make a great gift for any child ages 8 to 12. "
— Peggy, 2/21/2013" Wonderful book to read with our children. The animals all come alive in this book to tell the story of a poor orphan and how he ends up becoming a rich and generous good man. "
— Jen, 12/29/2012" Three stories at once - a barnyard of animals, two children (one struggling with dyslexia), and the historical figure of Dick Whittington. Woven together well with short chapters. "
— Corinneecomly, 12/11/2012" not bad for a cat book :) "
— Bethe, 7/8/2012" Though the story of Dick Whittington and his cat was interesting, the rest of the story failed to grab my attention. Maybe it was the result of too many talking animals that droned monotonous for me, but since it is a Newbery Honor book, I persevered. "
— Melinda, 5/5/2011" Teddy pulled this book off the shelf for me. It wasn't what I expected (about Dick Whittington), but used the traditional tale in an interesting way, with a descendant of Dick Whittington's cat telling the tale to help a young boy and his sister. "
— Magda, 4/26/2011" Armstrong has a multi-layered tale here: the redemption of an old tom cat, the creation of an odd family, a critique of contemporary schooling, and a recounting of the story of Dick Whittington, Mayor of London, and his amazing cat. A well-deserved Newbery honor! "
— Kim, 3/31/2011" Fun book. Kids who like animals should love this one. I love how the animals help Ben with his reading. "
— LaDawn, 3/30/2011" It was a pretty good book "
— Anjulina, 2/12/2011" A heartwarming story of love and family interwoven in a historical fiction tale. The powerful bonds of family are subtle yet powerful. Beautifully told. "
— Shane, 1/11/2011" I really liked the story about Dick Whittington and his cat, but thought that there were parts in the story that unnecessary and moved kind of slow. "
— Eden, 1/8/2011" The story of a boy and his cat defying all odds parallels with a barnful of animals trying to help a young boy overcome his struggle with dyslexia. The characters had depth, but something still felt lacking to me. In all honesty, this book is not very memorable to me. "
— Courtney, 12/21/2010" This was a charming book--a Newbery winner or honor book. The story is delightfully told from the perspective of the cat. And an old bruiser he is too. "
— Gena, 11/24/2010" Not good. Not good at all. "
— Mara, 11/11/2010" I just finished this book and I found it amusing.<br/><br/>I believe it was a sunshine state reader a couple years back.<br/>This would be good for young readers "
— Trish, 9/11/2010Alan Armstrong started volunteering in a friend’s bookshop when he was eight. At fourteen, he was selling books at Brentano’s. As an adult, every so often, he takes to the road in a VW bus named Zora to peddle used books. He lives with his wife, Martha, a painter, in Massachusetts.