Clara Humble and the Kitten Caboodle

Clara Humble is back with her best friend Bradley, or is he? It is the summer between 4th and 5th grade and Bradley has just turned 10. Clara and Bradley can finally go to the park or the store by themselves. When they sneak into the abandoned old churchyard instead, they make a discovery, a cat. The next day, it is cats, as the mother has had six kittens. Dealing with trying to save the cat and her kittens, worrying about whether or not Bradley is her BFF anymore and trying to keep everything a secret from her parents is a juggling act.

Clara and Bradley are dealing with a lot in this book. They are not interested in the same things, so they meet new people. Bradley has a new friend that shares his treasure hunting interests, so Clara takes up with Shane, her neighbour that she always thought was a bully before. Lots of issues to discuss such as friendships, being honest with your parents, asking for help when needed, feral cats, adoption vs buying a pet from a breeder, spaying and neutering etc. Once again the illustrations included are from Clara's perspective using her @Cat creation. They are fun and add to the story. As the description states, this is an updated Ramona Quimby type character, that junior level readers will enjoy. I recommend this one to home, classroom, school and public libraries. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book to read. The opinions stated are my own.