Random Acts of Kittens: A Wish Novel - Softcover

Méndez, Yamile Saied

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1338574922 ISBN 13: 9781338574920

Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks, 2019

Synopsis

A heartwarming story about learning to love cats (and friends) of all stripes!

When Natalia Flores finds a lost cat with a litter of newborn kittens, she is desperate to keep one of them. Whether or not her mami says yes to a new pet, the rest of the kitties will need homes -- and Natalia has the purrfect plan.

With help from her friend Reuben, Natalia starts an anonymous online account to find each cat the right owner. But as her classmates apply, her matchmaking scheme gets more complicated. And when her former best friend Meera applies for a kitten, Natalia doesn't know what to do. Will her attempt to spread kindness help heal their friendship, or simply tear her and Meera further apart?

About this title

About the Author

Yamile (sha-MEE-lay) Saied Méndez is the author of Blizzard Besties and several other books for young readers. She was born and raised in Rosario, Argentina, but has lived most of her life in a lovely valley surrounded by mountains with her husband, five kids, two dogs, and one majestic cat who rules them all. A Walter Dean Myers Grant recipient, she is also a graduate of the Vermont College of Fine Arts. Connect with her at yamilesmendez.com.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Mami looked at me, then at the bin at my feet. "What's going on?"

"Mami," I started saying, but then the mamacat peeked out of the bin as if she wanted to see who was talking. Beli and Juli saw the cat at the same time. Their reactions couldn't have been more different. Julieta screamed like a banshee, and Beli exclaimed, "Un gatito? Ay, qué cute!" and walked briskly to me, her scarf trailing behind her. When she saw what was in the tub, she gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.

"Six gatitos!" she mumbled.

"Gatitos?" my mom shrieked. "Mami, for the love of summer, what do you mean?"

"Shhh," I said, not necessarily shushing my mom and my sister, but calming the mamacat, whose back was bristled up, prepared to attack these loud, menacing humans. When I didn't reply, Mami came over and looked down at the kittens. Melting snow was already pooling at her feet. Mami was speechless. She just looked at me.

"I found them in the shed," I said, standing between the cats and my mom. "What was I supposed to do?"

My heart pounded in my ears, and my throat felt so tight I couldn't breathe right.

"Ay, mi amor," Mami sighed, plopping on the sofa in the living room. She put her hands through her long hair that was wet and plastered on her head. "Cats? Six of them!"

"I hate cats!" said Julieta. "They're like vampires with their claws and fangs. And all the hair!"

"They're tiny," I said in an even tinier voice.

Beli was kneeling next to the tub, petting the mamacat's head. This was progress. My mom hardly ever said no to my sister, but to Beli? Anything my grandma said was the law.

"Let me explain," I said in the calmest voice I could manage.

About this edition

• Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2019
• ISBN 10: 1338574922
• ISBN 13: 9781338574920
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 272