Varjak Paw
Written by SF Said
Illustrated by Dave McKean
Reviewed by Preston H. (age 11)
This cat must learn to fight! Varjak, a young Mesopotamian Blue, is made fun of by his family because he has amber eyes (the color of danger). The Elder Paw, on the other hand, tells Varjak great stories about his ancestor Jalal, the great Mesopotamian Blue who knows the way. Then, the Gentleman came. His two black cats kill the Elder Paw while he and Varjak are attempting to escape to Outside. He tells Varjak about the way and that he must come back with a dog, the only creature strong enough to stop the Gentleman. This brave cat and his friends, Holly and Tam, must find a dog while avoiding cars, gangs, and most of all, the mysterious vanishings. As Varjak learns more about the way, he discovers things aren't as they seem! Find out what happens in Varjak Paw.
I found myself reading this book more and more each day because I was entranced by the action and suspense. In fact, there was one part when the black cats were trying to stop Varjak from escaping to Outside, this was probably my favorite part because of all the action. I thought Varjak was very lonely when he was growing up in the family, because everyone made fun of him and abandoned him. Through the illustrations I was able to get an even better image of my farvorite character Varjak. Varjak was my favorite character because I could connect with him a lot. He is usually very independent and doesn't give up easily ... just like me.
I recommend this book to any 5th or 6th grader who likes short action books. I also recommend this book to any cat lovers or anyone who likes the book series Warriors.