Charlie Anderson

by Barbara Abercrombie, Mark Graham (Illustrator)

Charlie, a fuzzy gray cat, walked out of the woods one evening and into Elizabeth's and Sarah's hearts. Now he sleeps on their beds, lets them dress him up in doll clothes, and laps up warm milk on chilly nights. But where does Charlie go during the day?
It's not until a storm keeps Charlie away one night that the two sisters discover his other, daytime, home. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. Because, just like Elizabeth and Sarah, Charlie has two houses, two beds, and two families who love him very, very much!

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Cats, Childrens, Divorce, Family, Fiction

32 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 1990

About the author

Barbara Abercrombie has published 15 books -two novels for adults, books for children, including the award winning picture book, CHARLIE ANDERSON, plus non-fiction books. Her novels have been optioned for films and published in six languages. Her essays, articles and poems have appeared in numerous magazines and newspapers, and her sixteenth book THE LANGUAGE OF LOSS will be published in November 2020 by New World Library.

She teaches in the Writers' Program at UCLA Extension where she won the Outstanding Teacher award in 1994 and the Distinguished Instructor award in 2010.

Barbara lives in Pasadena and Lake Arrowhead California.

Reviews

[Ms. B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is Elizabeth and Sarah's cat getting fatter? With a name like Charlie, I thought we would find out the cat was really a female? This is a touching story about two girls who split time between their parents' homes and a cat that holds a special place in their heart.
Give this one to the cat lovers and those who also know what it's like to live in two separate, yet loving homes.

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story! Its about a cat that has two homes. While one owner thinks that their cat, Charlie, is out hunting for the night it is actually as a different house. When the 2nd house thinks their cat, Anderson, is out hunting for the day it is at the first house. Eventually both owners find out that their cat is spending time at both houses they change his name to Charlie Anderson. The child in the book can relate to the cat in the story because they also split their time between two homes. This is a great book to read to bring up the topic of divorce.

[Casey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme for one of my book clubs this month is "childhood favorites," so I gathered an assortment of some of the books I remember loving as a wee bean. This one was my favorite. The story of a cat named both Charlie and Anderson, loved deeply by two families. Look, maybe I cry. The power of nostalgia and cats, man. 😻

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a touching story that also gave me a good chuckle. Additionally, the pictures are beautifully done and the message a good one for children whose parents are living apart, and also just generally for understanding the different types of families the people can have.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful book! Loved it.

[Siskiyou-Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a really sweet book. I loved the little twist. I definitely thought it sounded like a person name and wondered what this story would be about. It's really fun. Read because of Creative Curriculum.

[Liz Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always a fave. Sweet, quiet.. surprising. :)

[Heather Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Type of book- picture book
literary genre- realistic fiction
Awards- none
Summary- One day a grey cat shows up at the house where two sisters live. They take him in and feed him and let him sleep at the end of their bed. Every morning after breakfast, Charlie leaves and goes into the woods. One day Charlie doesn't come back and the two sisters go looking for him. They ask several people, who haven't seen him, until they go to the house on the other side of the woods. They ask the people if they have seen their cat "Charlie" and the people reply that they have a cat who is grey, but his name isn't Charlie, his name is "Anderson". When the cat walks down the stairs, they realize that "Charlie" and "Anderson" are the same cat! After that they call him Charlie Anderson and the cat has two families who love him.
Critique of the book- This was a very cute book that was very helpful in teaching the students to synthesis, or think about their thinking and how their thinking changes throughout the book. It was a very unexpected ending and my students all loved it.
Prompts or questions- Why do you think the cat showed up at their house? (1)
Where do you think Charlie is going every morning? (5)
Why do you think Charlie is purring? What emotion do you think he has when he is at their house? (11)
What do you think happened to Charlie? Why didn't he come home? (15)
Why did Sarah and Elizabeth say that Anderson was Charlie? (22)
Craft elements for a lesson plan- I used this book in the instruction of synthesis which is a metacognitive strategy to help students think about their thinking throughout the story. The plot was very unexpected and so it was good in having their thinking about what was going to happen throughout.

[Reena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: divorce-fiction
Grade Level: 2nd-3rd
This is a great book which is why it is on my favorites shelf. It is a about a cat names Charlie Anderson , he is a cat who has two homes, two different families. This book is a good book to help children understand that sometimes people have two families, and it is not a bad thing. The book has a surprising ending, so it is a good way to have students write their own endings before you finish reading the story to them. This book is also a good way to start to have a conversation about blended families.

[Reade · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Anderson is a book about a furry cat that finds its way into a house with two girls. The two girls decide to name it Charlie. Charlie comes every night and sleeps in their beds, then leaves in the morning to go to the woods. One night, Charlie never come. The girls are worried so they go house to house asking if anyone has seen the cat. They get to a house and find that Charlie has been living in another house during the day and they call the cat Anderson. Charlie Anderson continues to go from house to house every day and every night.
3 book topic ideas
1.) Students could write a story about their pets and what they might do every time they go off to somewhere.
2.) Students could write stories about their family and their pets as well.
3.) Students could draw a story with a cat and decided what this cat is doing throughout the day when it is gone.

[Ryan Madis · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I see it, a picture book is defined by its pictures. That makes sense right? The pictures in this book had a certain light to them, which I felt made them unique in that way, but the painting style itself was pretty average.

The story was pretty easy to follow, making it a good children's book in general. It was easy to follow as many people have some sort of house animals that might run away, and I really liked the twist at the end. It just predictable enough to have that 10 second moment of "I know what's going to happen!", and I like that very much.

Also, I love the deeper message behind the book, having to do with divorced parents. My parents have always been together, so I can't personally relate to that, but I think this does a great job of relating to kids in that situation.

Honestly, I'm a big fan.

[Leah Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Charlie Anderson is a warm and thoughtful story, perfect for grades 2nd-4th. It follows two sisters who take in a stray cat, Charlie, who shows up at their house every night. They grow to love him, but one day, Charlie doesn’t come home, leading them to discover a surprising secret that Charlie has two homes. The story explores themes of love, belonging, and how families can look different for everyone. I picked this book because it’s a gentle and comforting story with an important message. In class, students will enjoy the mystery of Charlie’s double life and connect with the idea that love isn’t limited to just one place. It’s also a great way to start discussions about family, adoption, or even pets that roam the neighborhood. Plus, the soft, cozy illustrations make this book even more special.

[Nichole · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover makes this book look like something I might have enjoyed as a young girl, but now I look at it and I thought, oh no. This is going to be terrible and trite and dull. And then I started reading and it was ok and then it looked like it was going to be a cat with two homes story (Why are there so many cat with two homes stories?!?!?) and it is. But it's also more. The cat has two homes where it is loved and cared for--- just like the little girls who are the children of divorce. I really liked that connection. Worth the read, especially for kids struggling to deal with divorce.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

One night a cat shows up where Elizabeth and Sarah live. He makes himself quite at home and the girls name him Charlie. Every morning, Charlie disappears into the woods. He grows fat and the family grows very attached. But one stormy night, Charlie doesn’t show up. Elizabeth and Sarah look everywhere. When they find him, they realize he has been living with another family during the day. They continue to share Charlie Anderson.

Beautiful illustrations and a fun twist at the end makes this a popular read aloud with students.

[Becky McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very cute short story about a cat who has two homes, but his owners are unaware of this until he goes missing. In the end, it gives a small lesson that even if he has two homes, he is still loved, and spend time at each place equally. I used this in my classroom as a way to introduce and practice how to create a summary of a story. We used the SWBS (Someone Wanted But So) steps, and my students did a wonderful job!

[Mal the Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very cute. I love cats very much and I can relate to feeding a cat and it gets fatter. I deliver a newspaper route at night and there's always this one orange, fat, tabby cat. Me and my siblings named him Garfield. And we decided we would bring him food at night. So i can relate to Elizabeth and Sarah when they want to help a cat they thought was a stray. This book is in my top 5 of children's books read this year so far.

[Susanne Davison · Rating 4 out of 5]

From jacket cover: A cat comes out of the night to steal the hearts of two sisters who look forward to his sleeping on their beds, until one day Charlie doesn't come home and they learn a surprising secret about him.

[Kiyoko · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well constructed story to explain how children can have more than one home and happily go back and forth.

I don't know that kids enjoy moving around all the time after a divorce, even with the explanation about the cat, but the story makes it sound swell.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! The story is great and the pictures are wonderful. I used this book for a Pets Unit for preschool, but apparently The Creative Curriculum recommends using this book at the beginning of the school year...I forgot why though.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations were lovely

[AMY · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book to pair with The Cat in the Hat or Pete the Cat to explain the difference between make-believe and real stories. Highly recommended cat story.

[Nancy Palmer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice story about living in 2 places.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

We liked this story. We liked how the cats' life is like a reflection of the girls' life. Maybe it would help kids who are going through their parents' separation.

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! Charlie Anderson is beautiful!

[Jesse Jester · Rating 5 out of 5]

Adorably sweet and amusing! my kids loved it!

[Chelsea K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered this cute book in a kindergarten class and had to read and have it because I am a cat lover. The illustrations are nice, too!

[Andrea]

Good book for thinking about questions

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Anderson is a cuddly, purring striped gray cat who appears at Sarah and Elizabeth's house each night. They love him, but wonder where he lives during the day. It is not until a scary stormy night in which Charlie does not show that the mystery takes on a new slant. Sarah and Elizabeth go over to the new house beyond the woods and ask the couple if they've seen him. Yes! Of course 'Anderson', our cuddly gray cat lives here!.

In time, Sarah and Elizabeth realize that a cat can be loved and cared for in two homes...just as they are loved in two homes, one with their mother and the other at their father's house with the step-family.

Charlie Anderson is a simple, yet mindful portrait of step-families, love multiplied, and caring. A great book for prediction and surprise endings.

[Acacia Casner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlie Anderson is a kitten that has won the love and affection of two young girls. The girls take good care of kitten each day. It isn't until the kitten goes missing that the two girls discover that the kitten also has another place to call home that is full of love. This book has implications of divorce as the two girls are comparing their lives to that of their kitten Charlie Anderson. They each have two homes that are full of love. I use this book to teach inferring, but it would also be great for a student whose parents are going through a divorce.

[Fibersian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another favorite book of mine. This one sets up a little mystery. A cat comes to visit a family every night. They name him Charlie and take care of him. Then he disappears. They search and search. Finally they find him with another family who have named him Anderson. Usually Charlie spends the day with this family. The 2 families share the cat Charlie Anderson.

This is a story that promotes critical thinking. The reader can think aloud as s/he reads the story. Then have the children start thinking about where Charlie goes.