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Proof that cats do indeed watch television.

After his people watched the entire “Mission Impossible” weekend marathon, Miles, wanting to get “in touch” with the wild feline within and sneak up on his food, took the matter into his own hands.

If only he hadn’t miscalculated the height from the kitchen light to the floor, he’d be in kibble heaven right now!

Okay, this post is based on how I remember things, not on how they actually were.

So, back a little past the very break of the dawn of time, I studied Children's Literature. I wasn't much older than a child myself, but I had missed reading It's Like This, Cat by Emily Cheney Neville and other books of that ilk.  Judy Blume may or may not have been on the scene back then.  This was, after all, a LOOONNG time ago.

So, we approached books that dealt with parents fighting, divorce, any kind of abuse, any kind of economic struggle or family difficulty - dead or dying parents, alcoholism, (gasp!) drugs!!!, even sexual awakening as if the books dealt with "problems".  That's what we (or maybe just I) called them, "problem novels". 

As opposed to what?  Dull boring, diaries of someone's life in which they never have problems?  Who would even read a book like that? Look at Nancy Drew!!!  Her books are teeming with snaky problems. 

My granddaughter's favorite lift-the-flap book, Where's Spot?  BEGINS with a problem.  Spot didn't eat his food and Mom Dog can't find him.  Huge problem.

Anyway, even today when doing reader's advisory, I approach some titles with the caveat, "This is a problem novel.  The main character has some really gritty issues to deal with."

And most of the books in this category of mine, fall into the deeply dramatic, heart-wrenching, oh-my-gosh how-will-this-poor-kid-survive description.  Think of Vanessa Diffenbaugh's The Language of Flowers , a cross-over title, whose main character barely survives foster care, homelessness, and a surprise pregnancy before a hopeful ending.

But SOME problem novels approach their subjects with sympathy and a sense of hope.  Almost Home by Joan Bauer saddles poor Sugar Mae Cole with an absent, gambler father, a fragile - though not at first - mother and homelessness.  And yet, because this is Joan Bauer who is writing, we know that Sugar will find friends wherever she goes and that the people who help her will be genuinely helpful, not ineffectual or snakes in disguise.

In Pregnant Pause by Han Nolan, the 16 year old heroine has a problem growing in her belly and the problem's father, her now husband, is an even bigger problem.  All the prospective grandparents, in their attempt to...actually I don't really know what they thought they were doing.  I learned that prospective grandparenthood can be a problem in and of itself. - Anyway, they didn't help much. 
That said, this book was fun to read and it had an upbeat ending.

I know that real life is gritty and painful.  I know that kids suffer; some die.  I also know that these books are written to open young readers' eyes to the problems that others suffer; and to show those young readers who are suffering that help is out there.  Both kinds of "problem" novels are needed - the ones that hit hard and make us gasp with the cruelty of life; AND the gentler books that show us the wounds and then offer a salve that will leave the smallest scar.

Right now, I want the latter.  Death has become all too real to me.  I want my tales of woe with a huge serving of hope on the side.

*******
Did any of you refer to certain teen books as "problem novels" or did I make that up?  Let me know.

Little white cat in a flower meadow. Colored pencil Illustration.

Clarence was no ordinary barnyard cat. Take your eyes off him for a minute and… oops, a few of the chickens have gone missing.

Meoooowzer, that was one bad kitty!

Author Susanna Leonard Hill is having a short story contest on her blog today. The Halloweensie Contest rules are to write a short story of 100 words or less using the three words: witch, trick or treat and bat. Here is my entry:

Boo by Loni Edwards

Boo the cat went into the kitchen. The witch was singing, “It’s Halloween, the time is right – For all witches to give a good fright!” The witch put a bat wing into the stew she was brewing. “Tonight is special, Boo. It is your one hundredth time riding with me.” Boo loved to ride the witch’s broom. Flying through the air, feeling the wind on his fur. The witch tied something onto his head. He looked at his reflection. It was a witch hat! “Now let’s go scare some trick or treaters!” Boo purred.

To read more entries, please head over to Susanna’s blog. As for me, I’m off to a local cemetery  to play a seeking game. Creepy fun

Happy Halloween!

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They’re really not kittens any more—more young cats. But as you can see, Charlie and Lucy have settled in pretty well.

Bobo went missing for 3 days, tried to save herself from the end of the world. Finally we found her at a hidden corner in the store room. I thought this would be her last image I drawn!

Well, the Sun still rises, so MERRY CHRISTMAS!

　　我还以为这会是Bobo留下的最后倩影！

　　话说在传说中的世界末日前一天（20/12/2012），发现Bobo居然徹夜不归，到处都找不到。

　　一开始我还自我安慰並玩笑的想，不怕，她只是去躲世界末日了，末日后自然就会回来，其实希望她只是在那里玩野了，迟早会回来的，根本从心里逃避她会有不测的想法，而且这只猫非常的贪生怕死，一点风吹草动，车过人过，她早已先一步跑去躲了。离家出走？她可不捨得，这点信心我还是有滴！

　　到了傍晚却还是渺无踪跡，我开始慌了，于是一条条马路去找，一辆辆汽车底下去看，一路喊着她的名字，结果一无所获。这时眼泪开始垂，多么希望还能像平时一样在她回来时说一声，“Bobo，妳回来了！”然后心里帮Bobo ＯＳ，“废话！”

　　第二天和第三天，黎明一样到来，Bobo却还是无影无踪。抱着一线渺茫的希望开始在各大宠物领养论坛，网站和facebook上寻找她的踪跡，当然这一丝梦想也破灭了！我的心一点一点的往下沉，我对自己承诺，只要Bobo回来，我要加倍宠她，既往不咎。但是如何加倍宠她？睡床？她天天都在睡！吃喝？在能力范围內从沒亏待她，导致她严重挑食，连新鮮的水煮鸡肉和煎香的魚肉都不吃，只爱吃乾糧！睡刚舖好干净床单的床？嗯！行！只要她回来，任她睡！心里还默默祈祷，就算真失踪了，也希望是有人把她当流浪猫给抱回去养，到时她好好的表演她的才艺，也许会因此让她的新主人在网路上炫耀她的才华，进而让我发现她好好的，则心足矣！

　　昨天（23/12/2012）下午阿嫲去楼上和媳妇联络感情，问起有否看到Bobo，结果被投诉有猫在她们的床上便溺，阿嫲尝试叫声“Bobo”，结果她居然应了，原来躲在人家储藏室一个隱密的角落，叫死不敢出来，后来还是阿嫲通知我把她抱下来了。这一次真是丟脸丟到姥姥家，给补偿人家也不要，人情欠大发了！鉴于之前的承诺*，我还不能惩罚她，真正悲催！不过看到她好好的，心还是高兴滴！

　　难道她真的是去躲世界末日了？

　　日还是一样升，月还是一样落，所以大家继续庆祝圣诞节吧！圣诞快乐！


注：玛雅预言说，2012年12月21日的黑夜降临以后，12月22日的黎明永远不会到来。