Got Me a Cat (Paperback or Softback)

Ages 6-9
She arrived on Halloween Eve, in the Year of Acorns. Benjy named her Tricks. The girl next door called her Fluffy. A funny Halloween cat story and very early chapter book about a boy, a girl who is hard of hearing, and the cat they both love.
Eight-year-old Benjy wants a pet more than anything. Mom says, “No pets.” So when a soft, purring cat shows up in the oak tree on Halloween Eve, Benjy is sure she's meant to be his. He names her Tricks, for Trick or Treat.
Then, on Halloween night, Benjy goes trick-or-treating in his pirate costume and rings the doorbell next door. There's a girl in the very same pirate costume, and she says Tricks is HER cat, Fluffy! Erika has just moved in with her grandmother to attend the Deaf School. She wears a hearing aid and is learning American Sign Language. Her first sign for Benjy? STEALING.
What starts as a tug-of-war over a cat turns into something better. Neighbor cat Bobcat keeps chasing Tricks up the oak tree, and Benjy and Erika team up with a ladder to rescue her. Hiding in the bushes, they discover a secret club house and start a Sign Language Club. Benjy learns CAT, BORING, and YES. But his plan to teach Dad the signs for horse, snake, and bird backfires when Dad learns NO! When Erika's family comes for Fluffy, it takes a clever idea and a little sign language to find a way for everyone to share.
“…excellent tale for young readers.” — Kirkus Reviews
A VERY EARLY CHAPTER BOOK FOR NEW READERS

• Six short chapters in 40 pages, just right for early readers moving up from picture books
• 12 black-and-white illustrations by Kyle McBride keep the pages inviting
• Humor and a fast-moving story build reading confidence for ages 6–9
• A great Halloween read-aloud for classrooms and families, even during the busiest week of the year

A BOOK WITH A DEAF CHARACTER, WRITTEN BY AN AUDIOLOGIST

• Erika is hard of hearing, wears a hearing aid, and attends the Deaf School, and she's the confident one who teaches Benjy
• 13 American Sign Language (ASL) illustrations teach kids real signs, including cat, stealing, boring, yes, no, horse, snake, bird, mouse, book, mom, and dad
• Shows kids how friends who communicate differently can still understand each other
• Author Darcy Pattison holds an M.A. in Audiology and learned sign language working at the Arkansas School for the Deaf

TEACHERS AND PARENTS LOVE IT BECAUSE

• A trick-or-treat story about a boy and a cat that isn't scary, just funny and warm
• An easy way to introduce ASL and deaf awareness to young kids
• Models friendship, sharing, and seeing the other side of an argument
• Perfect for independent reading, a classroom read-aloud, or a Halloween book basket

Wind rustles the old oak. Acorns clatter like laughter. And one lucky cat gets two names, two homes, and two best friends.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR - Children's book author Darcy Pattison writes award-winning fiction and non-fiction books for children. Her works have received starred PW, Kirkus, and BCCB reviews. Awards include the Irma Black Honor award, 5 NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books, Eureka! Nonfiction Honor book, 2 Junior Library Guild selections, and 2 NCTE Notable Children's Book in Language Arts. Her books are translated into ten languages. She's the 2007 recipient of the Arkansas Governor's Arts Award for Individual Artist for her work in children's literature.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATORChildren's book illustrator Kyle McBride has been an artist since a young age, painting landscapes with his grandmother in the summers, and drawing spaceships in the margins of his homework. In addition to his humorous and quirky children's illustration, he is also a graphic designer and art director, working for local and national companies. Kyle is a member of SCBWI and the esteemed Armadillustrators in Austin, Texas. You can find more of Kyle's work at kylemcbride-illustrator.com.