Oona is trying to cope with the loss of her dad, a sick cat, caring for her younger brother and wondering if her mom could be happy again, even if it’s not exactly how Oona would want it. That’s the basis of the book, The Five Lives of our Cat Zook by Joanne Rocklin. Oona has a lot on her plate and she deals with it by telling stories, not only to her little brother, but to herself as well. The best parts of the book are the stories included throughout about her cat Zook’s different lives. They are meant to help her brother cope with Zook being sick, but they also serve to lighten up the story that seems bogged down with a lot of ‘deep’ things. It’s a good novel on how different people/children cope and then how to move on and grow from the experiences. While it’s not exactly a ‘light’ novel, it would be a great one to get children talking or thinking about what they might be going through or what they see others going through.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: None
Violence/Gore: one death mentioned in a second hand account; pet euthanized
Sex/Nudity: None
Mature Subject Matter:
Death of family member, pet euthanasia.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
None
