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Catboy
Catboy
Taylor and his mother have moved from a small northern town to the heart of Toronto. The differences are dramatic as Taylor becomes part of a classroom of kids as diverse as the city itself. While taking a shortcut across a junkyard with his new best friend, Simon, Taylor becomes aware of a colony of wild cats that make the junkyard their home. Assisted by his classmates, teacher and the security guard, Mr. Singh, Taylor takes a special interest in caring for the cats. Suddenly there is an announcement—the junkyard is being redeveloped to become condominiums. Can Taylor and his friends save the cats of the colony from certain death?
240 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2011
13 people are currently reading
108 people want to read
About the author
Eric Walters
158 books910 followersEric was born in Toronto in 1957, which makes him "real old". But, as Eric says, "Just because I have to grow old doesn't mean that I have to grow up!" In his many roles as parent, teacher, social worker, youth sports coach and writer he is in constant contact with children and young adults. He draws from these experiences and feels that this helps him to capture the realistic interaction between young people—the conflicts, tensions, stresses and interests that make up their lives.
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
Eric began his writing as a teacher. He taught in classes from kindergarten up and his stories often reflect the curriculum that he was teaching. He always read stories—picture books and novels—to his students and this helped him to understand what children liked, responded to, and were inspired by. He enjoys the enthusiasm of his students and often looks at them to provide him with the inspiration to pursue a particular topic in both the classroom and in his writing.
Eric tries to write every day. When he has a story idea he starts with research. This could involve reading books, watching a documentary, or trying to experience the things that his characters are going to go through. This could include rock climbing or riding white water (for Stars), spending time in a wheelchair (Rebound), playing and walking with tigers (Tiger by the Tail), hanging around a tough biker bar (Diamonds in the Rough), standing out in his backyard in a blizzard wearing a T-shirt and shorts (Trapped in Ice), or traveling to Africa (Alexandria of Africa).
"The most important thing anybody ever told me about writing was to write what you know . . . and the only way to get to know things is to do your homework and research before you write," Eric stated.
Once the writing begins the story is always playing around in his head. He takes any opportunity, even if it's just a few minutes between presentations, to put things down, either with pen and paper or on his laptop.
Prior to entering teaching and writing Eric was a social worker (B.S.W., M.S.W., B.A.Hons—specialized major psychology). He worked in a variety of settings including child welfare, private practice, a mental health centre, and, for twenty years on a part-time basis as a Crisis Social Worker in an emergency department. He stopped teaching 4 years ago and left the ER only last year.
The majority of Eric's time is spent in the company of his wife, children and dogs (Lola a big standard poodle and a little white dog named Winnie the Poodle).
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 28 reviews
April 1, 2016
A very good book for young readers with heavy themes of kindness and compassion for humans and animals both.
Dealing with a feral cat population is not at all as simple as portrayed in the book but this is the kind of book where that level of realism is forsaken for the importance of instilling the general message.
It also came off as a little too "perfect" but in the afterword, the author mentions that he has an entire classroom of kids as co-authors. They read drafts and gave their feedback and so it makes sense that the story ends up being rather utopian in the behaviors of the "good" characters and in outcome.
I'd recommend it for young readers. There's time enough for them to learn the harsh truth of reality later on.
Dealing with a feral cat population is not at all as simple as portrayed in the book but this is the kind of book where that level of realism is forsaken for the importance of instilling the general message.
It also came off as a little too "perfect" but in the afterword, the author mentions that he has an entire classroom of kids as co-authors. They read drafts and gave their feedback and so it makes sense that the story ends up being rather utopian in the behaviors of the "good" characters and in outcome.
I'd recommend it for young readers. There's time enough for them to learn the harsh truth of reality later on.
August 2, 2012
LOL, I love cats so thats why i chose to read this book.
CLEARLY
I do love the author because I read most of his books (his books are pretty good).
So this book is about a guy who moved in to Toronto and go to this junckyard and see all the cats that are there. Then all other stuff happend blah blah blah THEN these people are going to bulid condos where the cats are and the guy and his friends are going to try to save the cats and of course...they do.
Pretty good book i must say!
CLEARLY
I do love the author because I read most of his books (his books are pretty good).
So this book is about a guy who moved in to Toronto and go to this junckyard and see all the cats that are there. Then all other stuff happend blah blah blah THEN these people are going to bulid condos where the cats are and the guy and his friends are going to try to save the cats and of course...they do.
Pretty good book i must say!
August 5, 2011
This is an okay story. I like the idea of the story more than the quality of writing. I appreciate the boy's compassion for the feral cats but I'm troubled that no mention is ever made in the story, even by a prominently featured veterinarian, about the importance of neutering feral cats. That omission seems a bit irresponsible.
February 11, 2021
I was disappointed with this book until I read the back : it's a collaboration between the authors and the students of the TDSB. Interesting way to get kids to read! And I applaud the author for that.
However...
The book really isn't good. The entire last half of the book seems like Taylor was having a fever dream. Cats don't behave that way (I'm a cat lover too, but my cat only does "cat-ly" things) and neither do raccoons.
The vet in the book misses a big opportunity to get the cat colony under control : remember what Bob Barker (and now Drew Carey) says at the end of every episode of "The Price is Right"? The vet mentions doing that (in passing), but doesn't actually do it. That would have been a good teachable moment and the responsible thing to do. I'm also not convinced that Taylor's "solution" was a good one. I'm sure the Toronto RCA would have something to say about that.
However...
The book really isn't good. The entire last half of the book seems like Taylor was having a fever dream. Cats don't behave that way (I'm a cat lover too, but my cat only does "cat-ly" things) and neither do raccoons.
The vet in the book misses a big opportunity to get the cat colony under control : remember what Bob Barker (and now Drew Carey) says at the end of every episode of "The Price is Right"? The vet mentions doing that (in passing), but doesn't actually do it. That would have been a good teachable moment and the responsible thing to do. I'm also not convinced that Taylor's "solution" was a good one. I'm sure the Toronto RCA would have something to say about that.
May 28, 2023
Catboy was a good preteen novel that my son liked quite a bit. The book is about an 11-year-old boy who moves to Toronto and manages to make friends in his highly multicultural school. He befriends a colony of feral cats in a local junkyard and then has to try to save them when the junkyard is sold to developers. The book was good in many respects and overall I liked it. I gave it only 3 stars though because I thought that a few points in the plot were a little too unrealistic. I don't think most young readers would mind those issues though.
July 1, 2018
Sweet book. Young kid moves to Toronto, has few friends (but loyal ones) and discovers a colony of feral cats. Condos are going to be built there, so he has to save his cats. With the help of a great rescue and his friends, he does it. It is very simplistic, but for a middle school reader or any kid who loves animals, this is a great read.
December 15, 2021
Cute book and a great palate cleanser. It hits all of those utopic-style kids lessons about multiculturalism, caring for other beings, helping your parents, making friends, animals are magic, condos are evil, etc. And it's cute that there were kids who helped him write it!
October 24, 2020
It's a cute book. I really liked it.
July 14, 2023
Beautifully written book that was a little slow at times. Read with a group of grade 7 students. Beautiful visual book. Hunter by Eric Walters gives the same story but from the cat's perspective.
January 5, 2014
This is a very good book and I don't know anything about cats. When I first picked it up I thought it would be somewhat serious considering they are going to relocate a whole colony of cats if they want them to live but most of the time it was funny. It sort of surprised me when It only took one time to see the colony and Taylor had such a strong bond with them. This great book is about a 11 year old boy named Taylor that takes a short cut through a junk yard on the way back from school. When walking through the yard he discovers a colony of feral cats and immediately has a strong bond. First it was just him and his best friend Simon that new but soon all his friend's new about the colony and eventually just about the whole colony has a name. Every thing is great for all of the 50 cats but then it takes a turn for the worst one of the cats are injured and the junkyard is sold to a developer to build some condos. Will Taylor be able to save the whole colony?
November 20, 2012
Catboy is about a boy named Taylor who tries to help save a bunch of stray cats. A colony of cats makes a junk yard their home but the city is going to take it down to build condominiums. Taylor worries if the cats will survive during the development. So Taylor gets his mom, some friends from school, his teacher, and the security guard to help him gather the cats to move them to a safer place to live.
I picked this book because the title of the book "catboy" caught my eye and it made me wonder why the book is called catboy. Also the book is written by Eric Walters and he is one of my favourite authors.
I finished this book because I wanted to keep on reading to see what the ending was and how Taylor tried to save the cats.
I would recommend this book to any Eric Walters fans because to me, this is one of my favourite books written by him.
I picked this book because the title of the book "catboy" caught my eye and it made me wonder why the book is called catboy. Also the book is written by Eric Walters and he is one of my favourite authors.
I finished this book because I wanted to keep on reading to see what the ending was and how Taylor tried to save the cats.
I would recommend this book to any Eric Walters fans because to me, this is one of my favourite books written by him.
August 24, 2011
Twelve-year-old Taylor is new to the city of Toronto and fascinated by the multicultural nature of his school. When his new friend Simon talks him into taking a shortcut across a junkyard, he finds a colony of feral cats and starts a big project caring for the cats. One of his favorite cats gets hurt, so Taylor enlists the help of a feral cat rescue organization. When the entire colony is threatened by construction, he needs the help of the organization, his friends, and some of the animals. Heartwarming, fun, and informative, this is a good book for kids because Taylor takes action and because the reader learns a lot about different cultures and about cats. The plot is absorbing and the characters are lovable.
December 11, 2011
This bookis really good. Most of Eric walters books are.
This book is about a boy named Tayler who just moved to Toronto with his mom. One day his friend Simon takes him through a junkyard as a shortcut and he finds out that there are wild cats living there. He befriends the cats and startsto feed them but then he finds out that the junkyard is being turned intonew condominiums he is determined to find a way to save the cats.
I picked this book up because it looked kindof interesting so I decided to try it.
I finished this book because it was goodand I wanted to know if Taylor would keep Hunter, a wild cat.
I would recommed this book to Grace because this book is about cats and I know that she likes to read about animals.
This book is about a boy named Tayler who just moved to Toronto with his mom. One day his friend Simon takes him through a junkyard as a shortcut and he finds out that there are wild cats living there. He befriends the cats and startsto feed them but then he finds out that the junkyard is being turned intonew condominiums he is determined to find a way to save the cats.
I picked this book up because it looked kindof interesting so I decided to try it.
I finished this book because it was goodand I wanted to know if Taylor would keep Hunter, a wild cat.
I would recommed this book to Grace because this book is about cats and I know that she likes to read about animals.
November 30, 2011
This story could have been so much more. It started out as a realistic contemporary story with a Canadian slant, but 3/4 of the way into the story it became so cheezy that I was almost offended. Taylor and his mom have moved to Toronto from a small town in northern Ontario. He discovers a feral cat colony in a nearby scrap metal yard, befriends one of the security guards and starts bringing food to the cats on a regular basis. When the survival of the cats is threatened by a redevelopment project that will turn the junk yard into condominiums, Taylor struggles to try to save them. The story seemed realistically plausible until the author started to anthropomorphize the cats. Sheesh!
October 8, 2012
A quick and enjoyable read. I think middle grade girls will particularly like this title even though the main character is a boy. It could also be a good selection for classrooms studying cultures, societies, and appreciating differences in each other - as well as accepting and dealing with change.
It is a squeaky clean title - no swearing, sexual references, etc. There are a few touching and exciting scenes. A good choice for many reasons.
It is a squeaky clean title - no swearing, sexual references, etc. There are a few touching and exciting scenes. A good choice for many reasons.
January 23, 2016
Rated this book, 5 stars because I liked how the boy cared for the cat and cares about animals. I like that the idea that the boy helped the cat and had feelings for it. When I was this book, I felt the connection between the boy and the cat, how they know each other's feelings, just by looking at each other(making eye contact), even though they can be 2 different types of mammals...
December 31, 2011
Nice, heartwarming read with likeable characters. Interesting what one boy can do to have everyone rally around the plight of the feral cats in the junkyard.
April 2, 2012
Cute, heartwarming, informative story. A 12 year old boy enlists his multicultural friends and a vet to help him move a colony of feral cats when new construction threatens the cats' junkyard home.
December 14, 2012
A lovely heartwarming junior fiction story. I actually cried at the end, that's what pushed it 4 stars :) A quick, easy read.
Read
January 18, 2013Really touching Tale..
November 21, 2014
Great book. If you like this, try reading Hunter. Same book, just by the perspective from Hunter the Cat. As opposted to Taylor the Human.
July 6, 2013
Eric Walters Rocks.
Read
March 27, 2014I love cats now
June 13, 2014
It was very unexciting and meant for a younger audience. Not my style!
July 25, 2014
It was a little interesting, but not the best.
July 11, 2013
ii dident even finish it and i never will want to its not very good but its okay.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 28 reviews