The Gilded Cat [Library Binding]

Catherine Dexter (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 9 and up

Maggie's yard-sale bargain turns out to be the mummy of a kitten with gold-painted toes that must be returned to a long-lost royal tomb in order to save the soul of a lonely boy king.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

"I have gotten power over the spells which are mine . . . my parents will not wake up." Maggie has acquired mysterious powers since she found the mummy cat and met up with a sinister museum curator. But the ancient Egyptian magic that allows her to sneak out and visit the mummy's tomb begins to exert a force over her that she cannot control. As Maggie finds herself inexorably drawn into the story of the cat and its owner, the boy King Thutmose, she comes to realize that she is being used as a tool of destruction by the ghost of his evil uncle, bringing danger to herself and her family. Dexter takes the thrilling and chilling subject of mummies and envelops it in a well-organized, yet spontaneous mystery that makes splendid use of suspense while painlessly imparting information on an engrossing historical period. Maggie is a sparkling heroine, filled with scientific curiosity, and the reader is both entertained and educated by the discoveries she makes about Egyptian spiritual beliefs. Ages 9-up.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7-- When 12-year-old Maggie Jones pays four bits for an odd little figurine at a neighbor's yard sale, she gets far more than she bargained for. It turns out to be the mummified remains of a kitten that had been the pet of Thutmose the Utmost, a boy pharoah whose reign was so tragically brief that it has been ignored by Egyptologists. Ignored or not, Thut's spirit--Maggie soon discovers--is very much alive and anxious to recover its property. Before you can say, ``The Mummy walks,'' Maggie is involved with Thut in solving an ancient mystery that still has the potential to destroy both her and her family. Despite some genuinely frightening moments, The Gilded Cat is not without its flaws. Its basic premise, for example, begs the question of how an American archaeologist could have taken the tomb of a pharoah--even one forgotten by history--out of Egypt in the first place. And even if readers ignore that improbability, they cannot ignore the fact that the book's denouement is also both predictable and--despite a careful buildup--almost perfunctory in its resolution. And yet . . . Dexter does demonstrate a real gift for mixing well-imagined elements of the supernatural with realistic settings and believable and sympathetic characters. Less critical readers will ignore the imperfections and enjoy an otherwise well-crafted and scary story. --Michael Cart, formerly at Beverly Hills Public Library
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Library Binding: 199 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co (April 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688094252
• ISBN-13: 978-0688094256
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,789,688 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Gilded Cat-A suspenseful Journey Through Ancient Egypt, July 12, 2000

By 

Heidi Sutton (Yakima, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Gilded Cat (Library Binding)

The Gilded Cat is a wonderful young adult novel about a girl who stumbles upon an old papier mache cat that may have more magical powers than she expected. I have used this novel with 6th and 7th grade social studies students as we study Ancient Egypt. Catherine Dexter's historical accounts of the mysteries and magic of mummies and Kings is brought to life by modern day characacter Maggie. Readers will enjoy the intrigue and suspense of solving Maggie's mystery while learning the historical aspects of the ancient culture of Egyptian life. This is a well written novel that keeps young people interested and craving for more.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Trouble with Amazon, October 31, 2004

By 

Kathleen Kraay - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Gilded Cat (Library Binding)

Amazon makes it nearly impossible for customers to contact them by e-mail or phone. In the past, I have found that the only way I can actually get Amazon to address my concerns is by pretending to write a review, as I am now doing. Today, I have attempted in vain to order 30 used copies of The Gilded Cat by Catherine Dexter for my class. As always, when I got to my 'shopping cart, I discovered that Amazon had already placed items in it that I had never heard of. When I deleted them, I found that I was unable to put my desired items in without also getting the strange ones...a shabby and ridiculous way to pad someone's order. This happens frequently with Amazon. I do want the 30 used copies and nothing else. How might I accomplish that? (Please don't ask me not to use this forum unless you are prepared to provide an e-mail address of phone number!)