The Nine Lives of Montezuma

In nine sections we have the lives of Monty (for short) the cat. He's a survivor and a great fighter, a natural hero, growing in age and craft. There's insight and skill enough to make much more of this than just a sentimental pet lover's tale. It's a simple idea, but very well done with the sections neatly carrying the reader through a series of dramatic adventures with every assurance, for the first eight lives, that things will come out right at the end of the chapter. This title has taken a long time to appear in paperback where it can become a favourite with a great number of children - and teachers, I suspect. A real possibility for small-group reading.