The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

The illustrations say sweet 3rd grade animal story, but the short chapters introducing many, many mysterious and menacing characters say middle school trauma/thriller. The developing relationship between the hound and the calico is lovely. We'll see . . .

Poetic and moody, beautiful and so, so tragic. I love it. It's a swampy Texas Odyssey. There's also a lovely hound-dog lullaby (p.66-67) that will be joining our family repertoire.

Looking back at all my students over the years, I am wondering to whom I would recommend this book. The writing is unique, the story not strictly linear, and it's unfolding a little slowly. It almost makes my give-to-your-favorite-kids list, if not for all the loss and sorrow. Very worth reading.

A favorite passage (p.175):
"The trees especially miss them, the jaguarundi and ocelots and pumas. Trees love cats. Whenever a tree has an itch, it can count on a cat to give it a good scratching. Trees love a cat's sharp claws. Love their purrs when they rub against their trunks. Love to hold them in the forks of their branches while they sleep the day away."

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