LitPick Review
Six middle school students with different backgrounds and personalities are stuck in an upstairs bathroom during an emergency severe weather lockdown. The story is told by Jordan, one of the six boys.
Each student has their own personality quirks and most likely could not spend any time conversing outside of this bathroom, but because they are confined together, they are forced to interact. This leads to some really amusing moments and comical exchanges. The six find that each of them is not so bad after all.
Six Kids and a Cat is not only a novella but also a play. The storyline is reminiscent of the plot to the movie The Breakfast Club.
Opinion:
This was a quick, easy and enjoyable read. The characters were very likable, and the constant banter between them was perfect for the play version of the story. I thought it was drastically different than any other piece I have read by Gary Paulsen.
This story will be perfect for a school English class, since it can be studied as a novella and/or a play. The two versions could be compared and contrasted.
Having a picture of a stuffed cat on the front made me think this story was for upper elementary, but it is clearly written for middle school students. The wit used would be above most elementary student's heads. Some of the terms would simply not be understood by younger readers. For example, "emotionally tone-deaf" was used when describing how the boy just did not notice the needs of others.
