The Amber Cat [Unknown Binding]

Hilary McKay (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 31, 1998

It's December, and Robin, his friend Dan, and Sun Dance are laid low with chicken-pox. To keep them amused, Robin's mother entertains them with memories of the summer when she was eleven and Nick and Charley stayed at her house. When they met Harriet, a strange, shabbily dressed girl who seemed full of surprises and magic, but remained a mystery, until Sun Dance solves the riddle with a small amber cat ...

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"McKay adds just the right measure of magic to this resonant follow-up to Dog Friday," said PW in a starred review. Ages 9-12. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-6. Quirky human characters and a young ghost with perseverance and personality join forces in this touching, often hilarious story that ties together past and present.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Unknown Binding
• Publisher: Perfection Learning Prebound (August 31, 1998)
• ISBN-10: 0780792866
• ISBN-13: 978-0780792869
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #11,126,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Chicken Pox Fun, June 20, 2001

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Amber Cat (Paperback)

This book is about a mother who stays home with three boys while they have the Chicken Pox. She tells them an amazing story about when she was 11 and played at the beach with her cousins and a mysterious girl named Hillary. The author made me feel like I was right there watching them. I felt like I was in a secret world. There were many characters with interesting personalities. The ending left me thinking everything through again in my mind. I would highly recommend this book!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Stick with it, October 3, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Amber Cat (Hardcover)

This was one month's selection for our Mother-Daughter reading group. Half the group couldn't get past the first three chapters (that's never happened before!), and the other half of the group persevered and finished the book, and LOVED it. The beginning is very confusing and there are so many characters introduced, that it's hard to keep track of who's who. Right up until the last chapter, there are things that are unexplained, so it's like putting a puzzle together AFTER you've read the book. This is a book best read silently by yourself---too complex to read aloud. The author does a wonderful job of weaving magic about how we influence the lives of those around us, as well as those who come after, and how others who came before have influenced our lives. My daughters (9 and 10) and I loved this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amber Cat Book Review, July 28, 2004

A Kid's Review

This review is from: The Amber Cat (Hardcover)

Amber Cat was a good book; of course, it was confusing, as all 2 of the 2 books (Dog Friday, Amber Cat) that I read so far by Hilary McKay were. It was confusing as in it didn't exactly give some important details; some so important that you couldn't exactly picture the few scenes, although there were options floating around my head when I read these parts, but none were right, and I will now never know, given to the fact that the author didn't explain the parts and details well enough so that I could see them in my head. But the book made a point, unlike a lot of other books, and it didn't carry on and on with one boring subject, as some other books do also. I also think that Sun Dance's mind was a little jumbled, and that Mrs. Brogan's stories about her childhood were very fascinating and sounded fun. I think that when Robin was going to build a raft, it was not a good idea either. Harriet was very interested and I really enjoyed reading about her and everybody else.