Ellie and her family leave pet cat Tuffy in the care of Reverend Barnham while they are away on vacation, much to Tuffy's dismay, as he had been looking forward to free reign of the house. As his name implies, Tuffy has rough edges: Catty, snide and sarcastic, he aggravates the vicar to no end. For newly accomplished readers, Tuffy's story is one crazy high-jinks after another. ( )

this book is realy funny and I agree with the four and a half stars.ITS GREAT! ( )

Tuffy est un chat comme les autres. Il est indépendant... mais surtout, il a l'esprit de famille! ( )

Sylvia B. Kendrick IST 612 Summer 2007 Annotation Assignment

Category/genre: Easy Chapter Books (1 of 2)

Title: The Return of the Killer Cat

Author: Anne Fine

Illustrator: Steve Cox

Publisher: New York, Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Date of Publication: 2007

Recommended age: 7-9

Rationale for age level: Children in this age group are developing their sense of humor and will relate to Tuffy's embarassment when he ends up wearing baby clothes. They will enjoy the mischief Tuffy gets into since they are developing a sense of right and wrong.

Annotation/review:
Tuffy the cat is very excited when he finds out his owners are going on vacation for a week. But his plans to lounge on top of the TV and trample the garden uninterrupted are dashed. The vicar is cat sitting and he proves to be none too happy about Tuffy's habits. Tuffy challenges the vicar's patience with his howling parties, his refusal to eat, and finally by disappearing. This book was first printed in 2003 in Great Britain. Some of the words used in the story reflect the British flavor, such as “vicar” and “knickers”.

Illustrations:
The simple blackline drawings succeed in conveying the many expressions of the cat star and his human companions. They add to the hilarious moments, like when Tuffy finds himself in a baby outfit.

Suggested use: What other adventures might Tuffy get into? Write a new chapter for this boo