Suggestions from Mt. Lebanon Public Library-Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org

 Cat Stories  

Fiction for older readers. Unless otherwise noted, all books may be found
in the juvenile fiction section, arranged by the author’s last name.

The town cats and other tales by Lloyd Alexander
Eight tales of remarkable cats. Grades 4-6

Whittington by by Alan Armstrong
A descendant of Dick Whittington's famous cat from English folklore, tells his ancestor's story at a rundown barn.  A Newbery honor book.  Grades 5+

Jenny series by Esther Averill
Jenny Linsky, a black cat who lives with Captain Tinker in New York City, has many adventures. Grades 3-5

The Mousehole cat by Antonia Barber
An old fisherman's cat calms the fury of the Great Storm-Cat during a sea voyage. Grades 2-4

Ghost cat by Beverly Butler
Fourteen-year-old Annabel unravels a mystery that involves a crying cat, an abandoned house, murder, and her own grandparents. j M-Grades  5+

Socks by  Beverly Cleary
A happy cat must adapt to a new baby to his household.  Grades 3-5

The cat who went to heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth
A little cat brings a poor Japanese artist good fortune. Grades 3-5

Lionboy by Zizou Corder.
Kidnapped scientist parents, a son who can speak to cats, and rescued circus lions combine to create an exciting adventure. The first of a series.  Grades 4-8

The dandelion caper by Gene DeWeese
A strange cat with unusual powers comes to the rescue of two kids threatened by evil aliens.
Grades 3-5

Little Bo: the story of Bonnie Boadicea by Julie Andrews Edwards
A small cat befriends a sailor, becomes a ship's cat, and has various adventures at sea. 
Grades 3-5

The diary of a killer cat by Anne Fine
A cat with attitude, in trouble for killing a bird, is accused of other
neighborhood crimes.  Grades 2 – 5

The trouble with cats by Martha Freeman
A boy adjusts to a new school and a new stepfather with four cats.  Grades 2-4

The cat and Mrs. Cary by Doris Gates
A talking cat moves in with a woman in her house by the sea. Grades 4-6

Cat's magic by Margaret Greaves
A magic cat helps a girl rescue some Victorian ancestors.  Grades 4-6

Abandoned by G. D. Griffiths
A kitten, abandoned by her owners, learns to survive in the wilds of England. Grades 3-5

Nero Corleone : a cat's story by Elke Heidenreich
A bold tom cat establishes his neighborhood dominance wherever he lives and rules comfortably for many years. Grades 3-5

A cat called Amnesia by E. W. Hildick
Vacationing children must find a lost cat’s owner before returning home.
j M

Manhattan is missing by E. W. Hildick
A cat is kidnapped.  Grades 4-6

The Stink Files series by Holm & Hamel
James Edward Bristlefur, a sophisticated British secret agent cat, is called Mr. Stink in his new home from where he solves curious crimes.  Grades 3-5

Pioneer cat by William H. Hooks
When a young pioneer girl smuggles a cat aboard a wagon. Grades 2-4

Warriors series  by Erin Hunter
Four clans of wild cats share the forest according to ancestral laws but the encroachment of humans and dwindling prey are changing the accepted order of their lives. Grades 6+

The catlady by Dick King-Smith
A kind and eccentric Englishwoman lives with dozens of cats.  Grades 3-5

Martin's mice by Dick King-Smith
A farm cat keeps a family of mice as pets in the barn. Grades 3-5

The nine lives of Aristotle by Dick King-Smith
A little white kitten lives with a witch in an old cottage. Grades 3-5

The cat that walked by himself by Rudyard Kipling
How the wild cat managed to become a house cat and still remain wild. One of the Just So stories. Grades 2-4

Catwings by Ursula K. Le Guin
Four cats with wings search for a place to live. First of a series.  Grades 2-4

A book of cats and creatures by Ruth Manning-Sanders
A collection of tales from around the world. j 398.2452 Man-Grades

Jenny's cat by Miska Miles
A stray cat moves in with a girl and her mother in their new apartment. Grades 2-4

The nine lives of Romeo Crumb,  Life One by L. Rifkin
A domesticated cat discovers that he is destined to battle the Fidel, the evil leader of the "alleys."  The first of a series. Grades 5+

Just plain cat by Nancy K. Robinson
A new kitten helps Chris adjust to the many changes in his life.  Grades 3-4

Lighthouse  Family series by Cynthia  Rylant
Pandora, the cat and Seabold, a canine sailor, raise three mouse orphans, Whistler, Lila, and Tiny in a lighthouse. Grades 2-4

Varjak Paw by S.F. Said.
Varjak Paw, descendent of a legendary Mesopotamian cat, leaves his pampered home in order to save his family. Along the way he visits his ancestral land to learn the Seven Skills of the Way.  First of a series. Grades 5+

Pangur Ban : the white cat by Fay Sampson.
Pangur, a white cat from Wales, has fantastic adventures with the inhabitants of a medieval Irish abbey. Grades 5-8

The cricket in Times Square by George Selden
A Connecticut cricket befriends a little boy a mouse and a cat in New York City.  Grades 3-5

Ghost cats by Susan Shreve
Ghosts of pet cats mysteriously return to visit four siblings. Grades 4-6

Carbonel, the king of the cats by Barbara Sleigh
A girl is persuaded by an old woman to buy an ordinary looking broom and a cat she can’t
afford- which both turn out to be magical. Grades 5+

Sam the cat mysteries– series by Linda Stewart
Sam the Cat’s clients are other cats, but he catches human crooks. j pb S-Grades 3-5

Casebook of a private (cat's) eye by Mary Stolz
Cat detective Eileen O'Kelly tries to solve the case that has left the Boston cat police baffled.
j M-Grades 3-5

Cat walk by Mary Stolz
A kitten sets out on a journey to find his place in the world.  Grades 3-5

Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen by Wendelin Van Draanen
Two teenage sleuths try to solve the mystery of disappearing cats.
j M– Grades 5+

Great-grandmother cat tales  by Jan Wahl
Great-grandmother cat tells her three grandkittens about her exciting nine lives. Grades 2-4

Blitzcat by Robert Westall
During World War II, a cat searches for her beloved master across England.  Grades 5+

Max Leaves Home by Adam Whitmore
Max’s search for his missing tail takes him on adventures around the world. One of a series. Grades 2-4

Catwitch by Una Woodruff
Jules the kitten, who knows a little magic,  is persuaded by fairies to help save their captive prince. Grades 4-6

         POETRY

Cat poems by Dave Crawley   j 811- Grades 2-4

Old Possum's book of practical cats by T.S. Eliot   j 821 Eli    

Cat up a tree : a story in poems by Anne Isaacs
Poems describe the reactions of people when a cat climbs a tree.  j 811 Isa- Grades 3-5

Curious cats : in art and poetry edited by William Lach 
j 808.81 Lac – Grades 5+

Cat poems selected by Myra Cohn Livingston   j 808.81 Liv-Grades 3-5   

Boris by Cynthia Rylant.   j 811-Grades 6+ 

back to top
more booklists

Look for these and other great books in
The Children's Library
Mt. Lebanon Public Library
16 Castle Shannon Blvd.
Pittsburgh, PA 15228
412/531-1913      3.06
www.mtlebanonlibrary.org