Hunter

by Eric Walters

Overview

Hunter knows humans are dangerous to himself and the other cats of his colony. He avoids them, as all wild cats should. So when a neighborhood boy starts showing up in Hunter's junkyard to chase away dogs and bring the colony food, Hunter keeps his distance. But a new condo development puts the whole colony in danger, and Hunter soon realizes the only way to save his family is to put his trust in the boy.

The story of Catboy told through very different eyes.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781459801592
Publisher:	Orca Book Publishers
Publication date:	09/01/2012
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	208
Lexile:	600L (what's this?)
File size:	558 KB
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Eric Walters is a Member of the Order of Canada and the author of over 125 books that have collectively won more than 100 awards including the Governor General’s Literary Award for The King of Jam Sandwiches. A former teacher, Eric began writing as a way to get his fifth-grade students interested in reading and writing. Eric is a tireless presenter, speaking to over 100,000 students per year in schools across the country. He lives in Guelph, Ontario.

Editorial Reviews

"Structured in a way that allows the reader to learn along with the protagonist, Catboy touches on some important information regarding feral cat colonies...The author also intersperses messages about cultural diversity, gentrification and the question of morality vs. legality—all of which offer the possibility of further critical thinking and discussion...A page-turning and thought-provoking read."

BC SPCA

"A simple but lively adventure that would appeal to young readers."

Tucson Unified School District

"Fast-paced action will appeal to boys and girls."

Resource Links

"Hunter is a good read, and it is obvious that Walters has a very intimate knowledge of his subject matter. He captures the tension between the different animals and humans quite well. Walters also touches on the impact of the human environment and human activities on the feral cat colonies...I would highly recommend Walters' Hunter to be included in a public or school library collection."

CM Magazine

"This book should definitely be added to libraries with Catboy, and is recommended for fans of animal stories."

Library Media Connection

An interesting experiment in collaborative creation and complementary storytelling, this Canadian import falls short as a stand-alone work. As he did with Catboy (2011), Walters solicited feedback from students as he wrote. Both books feature the same plot but differ in perspective. Hunter, the title character, is a member of a feral cat colony, and the story is told from his perspective. Because the cats don't understand human speech, readers unfamiliar with the earlier work know nothing of the motivations of the people involved and will likely have trouble following the events. An uneasy mix of anthropomorphism and realistic animal behavior further limits audience appeal. An old raccoon talks like a stereotypical wise teacher, a rival cat is a one-dimensional tough guy, and Hunter's mate, Mittens, a former house cat, is ridiculously sweet. Her interactions with Hunter are decidedly domestic and extremely affectionate, which contrasts oddly with Hunter's concern that stress might lead Mittens to kill their newborn kittens. Walters' writing style is choppy and repetitive, most likely the result of incorporating input from, as he notes, "hundreds of student co-authors." As a companion piece, this may be of interest to readers who enjoyed Walters' previous book; as a plea for humane treatment of feral cats, it's a somewhat clumsy but obviously heartfelt statement; unfortunately, however, it's ultimately less than the sum of its parts. (author's note) (Fiction. 9-12)

Kirkus Reviews