Whittington is a roughneck Tom who arrives one day at a barn full of rescued animals and asks for a place there. He spins for the animals-- as well as for Ben and Abby, the kids whose grandfather does the rescuing-- a yarn about his ancestor, the nameless cat who brought Dick Whittington to the heights of wealth and power in 16th-century England. This is an unforgettable tale about the healing, transcendent power of storytelling, and how learning to read saves one little boy. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Starred Review. Gr 4-6 This superior novel interweaves animal fantasy and family story with a retelling of the English folktale âÇ£Dick Whittington and His Cat.âÇ  A battered tomcat named Whittington arrives one late-fall day at a New England barn, where he gradually befriends the equally ragtag group of animals already adopted by the barn's taciturn but soft-hearted owner, Bernie. When the year's first big snowstorm traps the bored animals in the barn, Whittington begins telling the story of his namesake, Dick Whittington, to an audience that grows to include Bernie's parentless grandchildren. The feline continues the story as winter grinds on, and the children and animals together absorb Dick's tale of good fortune, which he earned through trust in the advice of his dear friend, a remarkable cat, and his own hard work and struggles. The tale parallels that of Ben, Bernie's grandson, who learns to read once he trusts the advice of his friends and takes extra classes to help him overcome his dyslexia. Graceful prose, engaging human and animal characters, and a deft interweaving of three story lines make this book worthy of comparison to the work of Dick King-Smith and E. B. White. Teachers and librarians looking for a classroom choice to follow Kate DiCamillo's The Tale of Despereaux (Candlewick, 2003) take note: Whittington reads aloud beautifully, and the extended happy ending will leave everyone smiling in delight. Beth Wright, Fletcher Free Library, Burlington, VT Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From: Reed Elsevier Inc. Copyright Reed Business Information

Gr. 5-8. So what do you want, Mr. Whittington? A place to live, the cat replies to Lady, the take-charge duck asking the questions, as Whittington attempts to sell his skills as a ratter and all-around useful fellow. Once he does and becomes part of the community of outcast animals who look after one another in softhearted Bernie's old barn, readers will settle in with him for a tale of charming animal bravura. Whittington entertains the group daily with the tale of his ancestor, Dick Whittington's cat, and relates the story of Whittington's fourteenth-century escapades as a rags-to-riches British merchant and far-traveling adventurer. The story works beautifully, both as historical fiction about medieval street life and commerce and as a witty, engaging tale of barnyard camaraderie and survival. A third strand, about Bernie's grandchildren, particularly Ben and his troubles and eventual success with learning to read, seems forced and didactic in what is otherwise a very strong story. Final illustrations not available. AnneO'Malley. From: Syndetics Solutions, Inc. Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.

Map of Dick Whittington's Journeys	iv
1 Whittington Meets the Lady	1
2 The Animals in the Barn	7
3 Bernie and How He Got the Horses	10
4 Abby and Ben Meet the Horses	15
5 The Lady Tells the Barn About Whittington	17
6 The Animals Tell Whittington About Themselves	20
7 Havey and the Cat's Surprise	26
8 The Last Day for Baths	31
9 The Lady Asks Whittington to Tell His Story	34
10 The Man Whittington Named Himself After	38
11 Dick's Dream	43
12 Dick Goes to London	49
13 Dick Arrives in London	56
14 Dick Is Given a Home	61
15 The Boy Goes to Work for Fitzwarren	68
16 Ben's First Reading Lesson in the Barn	71
17 Blackie Arrives	74
18 Dick Meets His Cat	76
19 Out with the Owls	84
20 Spooker Is Sick	88
21 Ben's Reading	92
22 To Africa on the Unicorn	95
23 The Registered Letter	103
24 Ben's School Principal Visits the Texaco	106
25 Reading Recovery	109
26 Dick Sees a Beautiful Girl in Black	111
27 Two Newcomers Join the Barn	119
28 Dick's Cat Returns	122
29 A Hawk Attacks the Lady	127
30 Ben Goes to Reading Recovery and Meets Miss O'Brian	130
31 The Cat's Operation	133
32 Dick Meets Will Price Again	137
33 Willy the Goat's Surprise	141
34 Dick Sees the Girl in Black Again	144
35 Marker Raids the Barn	150
36 Dick Decides on the Dangerous Voyage	152
37 Ben's Decision	156
38 A Token for Mary	158
39 Gent Arrives	163
40 A Rescue	168
41 Dick's Cat Is Lost at Sea	170
42 Mary	177
43 Ben's Triumph	180
44 Life in the Barn Continues	182

Distributed by Syndetic Solutions, Inc.