Anne Fine, Return of the Killer Cat. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2003

Fat orange tabby cats always seem to get into trouble: the adventures of Heathcliff and Garfield have been staples of the funny pages for years. Tuffy is another cat in this vein—Return is his second book, following Diary of a Killer Cat. This time, Tuffy’s family is going on vacation and recruits the local minister to cat-sit. Reverend Barnham, though, doesn’t appreciate Tuffy’s dietary needs, or his extra-curricular activities. Meanwhile, the neighbor is desperate for a pet “just like Tuffy”—and offering fresh cream and tuna, three times a day.

So Tuffy does what any cat would do, even though it means abandoning his gang and dressing up as “Janet”. Trouble, naturally, ensues in this delightful tale for young children reading short chapter-books.