The Time Travelling Cat [Paperback]

Julia Jarman (Author)

Book Description

Topher's cat, Ka, is not always who she seems to be. Sometimes she disappears for days and all that Ka has left by his bedside is a little stone carving of a cat. One days Ka leaves a clue on Topher's computer. She types Bubastis and soon Topher finds himself time-travelling to Ancient Egypt where Ka is in terrible danger. Julia Jarman's characters are acutely observed from real life -- she manages to introduce contemporary issues such as single-parent families and disability and blends them with historical fact and fantasy in this fast-paced novel. With Ancient Egypt high on the agenda in National Curriculum History, this book is already much in demand with children, teachers and librarians.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 2-5-Topher, a young boy still grieving over the death of his mother, an Egyptologist, is entranced when a stray cat (who happens to bear a remarkable resemblance to the cat figurine his mother gave him before her death) adopts him as her owner. The cat, whom Topher names Ka (Egyptian for "double"), disappears for days at a time, and only when he uncovers her secret and follows her back through time does he find the key to her loyalty. In the meantime, Topher comes to terms with his mother's death and makes a new friend, a deaf girl named Ellie. Though David Collins' straightforward narration brings Julia Jarman's characters to life, particularly through his sensitive reading of Topher's inner thoughts, his attempts to render Ellie's deaf accent make her dialogue nearly unintelligible. The story's climax is more of an anticlimax, with Topher's trip to ancient Egypt providing no surprises, and a sub-plot involving Ellie's operation to receive a cochlear implant feels tacked on. The time travel element of the story is never fully developed; the connections hinted at between past and present, between Ka and Topher's mother, are never fully fleshed out. This is a very good reading of a flawed story.
Kathleen Kelly MacMillan, Maryland School for the Deaf, Columbia
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

'Intriguing and well written fantasy' Books for Keeps --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins Childrens Books (December 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0006746349
• ISBN-13: 978-0006746348
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,182,323 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good cat book - not just for children, May 31, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Time Travelling Cat (Paperback)

This book is good and not just for children. I read it when I was 13 and found it really good - I think its probably more suitable for people over 6 or 7 anyway. The boy is very likeable and the cat in it is wonderful. It makes you really want to read on and find out about the cat (Ka) and ancient Egypt. Go and buy this book - you will enjoy it and its a great book for people who like cats. Also its got a good sub plot with the boys relationship with a deaf girl and its a really likeable story.