Cat's Eye Corner

Terry Griggs

4.09

76 ratings by Goodreads

ISBN 10: 0613786416 ISBN 13: 9780613786416

Publisher: Tandem Library, 2003

Short-listed for Mr. Christie's Book Award, the Red Cedar Book Award, and a Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice selection, this adventure begins when Olivier goes to spend his summer vacation at Cat's Eye Corner, the very strange home of his grandfather and his new bride, Sylvia de Whosit of Whatsit -- a reported witch. Olivier discovers a mansion filled with shifting rooms, doors with mirrored keyholes, and talking shrubbery. The chief culprits are the Inklings -- word fairies that wreak havoc on language, much to the chagrin of the cats who have been changed from pets to poets! Olivier finds himself embroiled in a magical scavenger hunt to recover a fantastical book buried in Nevermore Lake. Along the way, he meets members of the So-So Gang, a talking pen named Murray Shaeffer, a swarm of French-speaking flies, a girl named Linnette who can channel the wind, and a boy named Fathom who lives in the river. Filled with characters that pop in and out of the story, Cat's Eye Corner is a cleverly written novel with much of the fun derived from wordplay -- puns, literary allusions, and misspellings.

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About the Author:

Terry Griggs is the author of adult fiction titles The Lusty Man and Quickening, nominated for the Governor General's Award. Her works has also appeared in The New Story Writers, The Journey Prize Anthology, and Writing Home. She lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and son.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 4-7-When Olivier is invited to spend the summer with his eccentric grandfather and his even more eccentric third wife, Sylvia de Whosit of Whatsit, at their strange old mansion, Cat's Eye Corner, he knows that he is in for a real and true adventure. And, Olivier is not disappointed, for on his first morning at Cat's Eye Corner, his step-step-stepgramma sets him off on a scavenger hunt to keep him amused. As Olivier forages in and around the seemingly ever-changing mansion in search of all the items on his list, he acquires various odd friends, including a witty fountain pen and a resourceful dragonfly. Together they find all of the items, stop the nasty Mr. Mirrific from rewriting the dictionary and other literary classics, and generally have a grand adventure. This is a cleverly written novel, and the wordplay alone makes it a joy to read. Olivier is a believable character, and his awareness of the adventure he is on and his obvious knowledge of other literary adventures is entertaining and adds a nice twist to the story. Fans of Eva Ibbotson and, yes, Harry Potter are sure to enjoy this quirky read.
Laura Reed, Kitchener Public Library, Ontario, Canada
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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