WHITTINGTON
by Alan Armstrong
Random House
ISBN: 0375828648
Ages 8-12
208 pages

• Read an Excerpt
• Author Interview -- July 2005

Whittington, a cat "the color of old metal," is in need of a place to live. When the boy who owned him was sent away to a special school because he "read things backwards," Whittington, then known as Bent Ear, was no longer welcome with the family.

Along with his new name, which he adopted from "a person in history," Whittington needs a new home. He makes his way to Bernie's barn, where a host of animals has already taken up residence. Here he crosses paths with the Lady, a Muscovy duck who is the unofficial leader of the barn and its inhabitants.

When the Lady asks Whittington why the feline doesn't try to find another family to live with, he replies, "Because I'm not cute anymore. My voice is harsh, I've got the shakes, I have opinions, I like to stay out, I stink, I like to fight. I'm not a house pet." The Lady is undecided about granting the newcomer a place in the barn, but after speaking to the other animals they decide to let him stay. An important factor tipped the scales in Whittington's favor: he's a ratter. The rats in the barn menace the other animals, and soon after his arrival Whittington puts a stop to it.

Bernie's orphaned grandchildren, 10-year-old Abby and eight-year-old Ben, are frequent visitors to the barn and spend much of their free time talking to and caring for the animals. Ben has dyslexia and is struggling to learn how to read. He's been told by the school principal that if his reading skills don't improve, he won't advance to the next grade.

Reminded of the boy with whom he used to live, who also had dyslexia, Whittington is inspired to help Ben. Whittington might not be cute any longer, but he does have a true talent for storytelling. He begins to tell the tale of his namesake, Dick Whittington, who lived in twelfth-century England and had great odds of his own to overcome. Over the course of several months, Abby, Ben and the barnyard animals listen with rapt attention as Whittington reveals how Dick rose from an impoverished child and became a wealthy London merchant --- which he achieved through his own determination and courage, along with a helping paw from his cat (who happens to be Whittington's ancestor).

Through the story of Dick Whittington and his ingenious cat, as well as some exercises Abby devises for her brother, Ben receives encouragement from this unlikely group of friends and begins to overcome his reading disability. Meanwhile, more than a few adventures unfold in the barnyard, including a romance for the Lady, kittens for Whittington, and an unlikely alliance with the rats.

Readers who enjoyed E.B. White's classic tale CHARLOTTE'S WEB will especially treasure this story-within-a-story. Filled with two great tales, a menagerie of fantastic animals, a healthy dose of inspiration and a window onto the world of possibility, WHITTINGTON is indeed the cat's meow.

   --- Reviewed by Shannon McKenna

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