Cat Girl's Day Off

Gr 6–10—With her ultra-lame Talent for feline communication, Natalie Ng has always felt out of place among her über-Talented family of mind readers and supergeniuses. Then Regina Fedorka, a vengeful wannabe actress with a Talent for shape-shifting, kidnaps Hollywood starlet Victoria Welling and celebrity blogger Easton West. Regina hopes to impersonate her two hostages to further her own floundering career. The only witness to the crime is Easton's cat, Tiddlywinks (aka Rufus Brutus III). Assisted by her celeb-obsessed friends and a team of snarky felines, Natalie foils Regina's evil plot and saves the day—and a remake of the teen cult classic Ferris Bueller's Day Off. Perhaps Natalie's Talent isn't so dumb after all. Pauley's homage to Chicago and her favorite teen movie is entertaining, hilarious, and exceptionally creative. Populated with wonderfully eccentric and endearing characters, this lighthearted comedy will be an instant hit, especially among teen and tween girls. One thing is for certain—readers will never again look at their feline friends in the same way.—Alissa J. LeMerise, Oxford Public Library, MI