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Big Jeremy by Steven Kroll
Bleach Volume 11 by Tite Kubo
Bleach Volume 12 by Tite Kubo
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The Butterfly Alphabet Book by Brian Cassie
Catty-Cornered by Cheryl Ware
A Church of Her Own by Sarah Sentilles
Circle by George Tucker
City of Light by Laurent Belfer
The Crew by Bali Rai
Dark Summit by Nick Heil
A Day in Space by Suzanne Lord and Jolie Epstein
A Day with Traffic Controllers by Joanne Winne
Demons Are Forever by Julie Kenner
Deserts by Seymour Simon
Eating the Alphabet by Lois Ehlert
Expecting Adam by Martha Beck
Firooz and His Brother by Alex Jeffers
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
Ghost Cat by Beverly Butler
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Hungry, Hungry Sharks by Joanna Cole
In the Hall of the Dragon King by Stephen R. Lawhead
Junie B., First Grader: Boss of Lunch by Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying by Barbara Park
Light in August by William Faulkner
The Little Baby Snoogle Fleejer by Jimmy Carter
The Lost and Found by Mark Teague
Magic School Bus: Going Batty by Joanna Cole
Magic School Bus: The Great Shark Escape by Joanna Cole
Mercury and Venus by Robin Kerrod
Miracle on 34th Street by Valentine Davies
Nettie's Trip South by Ann Turner
Peace: 50 Years of Protest by Barry Miles
Postcards: True Stories that Never Happened by Jason Rodriguez
Puss in Boots by Rochelle Larkin
The Road from La Cueva by Sheila Ortego
Seduction by Design by Sandra Brown
The Seven-per-Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer
Space by Carole Stott
The Stone Gods by Jeannette Winterson
Thrilling Wonder Stories by Albert E. Cowdrey
Traitor by M. Rickert
Treasure by Clive Cussler
Under the Microscope: Insects by Grolier
WLT: A Radio Romance by Garrison Keillor

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Catty-Cornered: 05/21/08

Catty-Cornered

I borrowed Catty-Cornered by Cheryl Ware from my local library based on the cover art. Although I sometimes found Venola Mae Cutright's complaining a bit much, I did feel a connection with this adolescent protagonist.

Venola Mae keeps a journal of her time living with her recently widowed Grandmother in the trailer or motorhome in the Cutright's backyard. Venola who hates her Grandmother's thirteen cats more than any of her siblings is the one pegged with the job of keeping Grandmother company while she grieves.

Like Venola I spent time living with my grandmother, although she lived a mile away from my home. I stayed with her after she had a heart attack and I think a couple other times but the reasons why elude me right now. Like Venola's grandmother, mine had a number of cats (five not thirteen but still, a lot of cats). Although I don't hate cats they did add an extra dynamic to staying at my grandmother's house (and extra chores).

Venola also finds herself living under a new set of strict rules: an early bed time, an early wake up call in the morning, no TV except religious shows (brings back memories of Heehaw and Lawrence Welk) and no friends over. My grandmother wasn't as strict as Venola's but I did have to live under a different schedule and different rules.

I think Catty-Cornered could have been a little quicker out of the gate. Venola is given too much time and too many pages to complain early on in her diary. Otherwise, though, I enjoyed the story and the memories it dredged up for me.

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Comment #1: Thursday, May, 22, 2008 at 13:21:38

Frances

I love Sean's new quote. He's right you sure can't take a walk with a bowl of fish. Thanks for stopping by."



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