The Nine Lives of Montezuma
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Cover Story
The illustration on our cover is taken from Think of an Eel, Karen Wallace, ill. Mike Bostock, published by Walker (0 7445 2250 1, £6.99) - see the article 'Facts... With the Freshness of Fiction' for more about this book and others in the 'Read and Wonder' series. We are grateful to Walker Books for their help in using this illustration.
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.