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Bodega Cats #2
Just Kitten Around
In the Heights
meets
Front Desk
in this heartwarming and funny story about the friendship between a bodega owner's anxious kid and her newly adopted mischievous kitten.
Everyone thinks Yesenia is calm, collected, and crushing it. But really, her stomach is constantly a ball of nerves. With parents who left their home in the Dominican Republic to make a better life for their kids, and three perfect, over-achieving older sisters, Yesenia can't let anyone know about the anxiety that’s causing her to fall behind in school. When her doctor tells her parents that taking care of an animal could help, little did they know her newly adopted kitten would be such a mischievous influence.
All kitten Candy can think about is adventure—and what’s she supposed to do when her owner is cooped up inside helping at the bodega? But when Candy escapes and gets lost in New York City for a night, she realizes maybe the big open world isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Can these two find a way out of feeling so lost, as long they’re together?
Everyone thinks Yesenia is calm, collected, and crushing it. But really, her stomach is constantly a ball of nerves. With parents who left their home in the Dominican Republic to make a better life for their kids, and three perfect, over-achieving older sisters, Yesenia can't let anyone know about the anxiety that’s causing her to fall behind in school. When her doctor tells her parents that taking care of an animal could help, little did they know her newly adopted kitten would be such a mischievous influence.
All kitten Candy can think about is adventure—and what’s she supposed to do when her owner is cooped up inside helping at the bodega? But when Candy escapes and gets lost in New York City for a night, she realizes maybe the big open world isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Can these two find a way out of feeling so lost, as long they’re together?
160 pages, Hardcover
Published January 21, 2025
3 people are currently reading
27 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
February 22, 2025
This story was excellent! The ending got a tear out of my eyes. Yesenia's stress was relieved and the cat's itching for adventure was satisfied. All was well in the end. The story was told in English with Spanish words here and there. At first I was confused with the audiobook alone but reading along to the audiobook helps me to understand the story better.
This story followed Yesenia. She's been pulling out her hair every time she gets stressed. She was stressful with grades, class work, and her parent's expectations of her to be like her big sisters. The doctor suggested Yesenia to get a pet. At first her parents disapproved. The kitten was naughty so her parents were even more unhappy. Yesenia has a bad grade on her test. She has been hiding it from her parents. Through some fun activity with the cat, the test with the bad grade was out of its hiding place and Yesenia was in trouble. Through the commotion, the cat named Candy ran away. Candy got a tough lesson living on the streets. At first it was fun until it wasn't. This story was told in the view of Yesenia and the cat. It's great to follow the cat's view. Yesenia finally stood up to her parents and told them what she loved to do and didn't want to do what her sisters did.
A great story and audiobook! Good illustrations! I will refer to it for crochet lessons!
Thank you MacKidsBooks and Henry Holt Books for the opportunity to read and review. I borrowed the audiobook from Libby App.
This story followed Yesenia. She's been pulling out her hair every time she gets stressed. She was stressful with grades, class work, and her parent's expectations of her to be like her big sisters. The doctor suggested Yesenia to get a pet. At first her parents disapproved. The kitten was naughty so her parents were even more unhappy. Yesenia has a bad grade on her test. She has been hiding it from her parents. Through some fun activity with the cat, the test with the bad grade was out of its hiding place and Yesenia was in trouble. Through the commotion, the cat named Candy ran away. Candy got a tough lesson living on the streets. At first it was fun until it wasn't. This story was told in the view of Yesenia and the cat. It's great to follow the cat's view. Yesenia finally stood up to her parents and told them what she loved to do and didn't want to do what her sisters did.
A great story and audiobook! Good illustrations! I will refer to it for crochet lessons!
Thank you MacKidsBooks and Henry Holt Books for the opportunity to read and review. I borrowed the audiobook from Libby App.
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June 20, 2025Loved that it ended with Yesenia crocheting a leash and harness for her cat
September 28, 2025
I liked t a lot! I am excited to read book three!
August 28, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
In this illustrated chapter book, Yesenia (who is Miguel's cousin from Picture Perfect) is feeling very anxious about fifth grade. There's a lot going on, and she feels that she has to excel at things, like science fair, that her three older sisters did when they were her age. Dr. Morales, her physician, recommends getting a pet to help her with stress. Since a cat at Miguel's bodega has had kittens, the family goes to adopt one there. Yesenia admires a yellow kitten who is a little wild; Miguel's family calls her Pura candela (a firecracker). The parents are concerned, but let Yesenia take Candy home. The cat is an immediate problem, especially since the parents don't really want a pet. Candy hangs from the curtains, smashes a vase, pees on the carpet, and eventually scratches Lucita, Yesenia's four year old sister. Yesenia doesn't mind; she's impressed that the kitten does her own thing, no matter what anyone says, but the parents react by banishing the cat to a cage. Yesenia has some problems at school, and has recently gotten a "D" on a social studies test. She's so afraid to show it to her parents that she forgets her mother's signature, even though her teacher is very understanding and asks how she can help. There is a social studies project that she's working on with her friend Frankie. At one point, Candy manages to jump out of a window, and decides to hang out with other cats on the street, to mixed results. Yesenia goes looking for Candy, but the kitten runs away from her. While she and Frankie are going around their neighborhood, taking pictures for their history project, they look for Candy, and eventually find her. The kitten's absence softens the parents' attitudes toward her, so when Yesenia gets in trouble for doing poorly in school and forging the mother's signature, she decides to run away. She gets locked into the school library when everyone is gone for the day. She regrets her actions, and the custodian lets her out, and her family forgives her as well.
Strengths: Up until the 1970s, even young adult novels would have occasional illustrations, and I'm a big fan of bringing this back. Would Charlotte's Web have been the same without the Garth Williams' illustrations? Beverly Cleary's teen novels without the Joe and Beth Krush pictures? Donald Sobol without Leonard Shortall? No! Kittens are absolutely adorable, so it's great to see Faison capture Candy's antics. Yesenia's problems are ones that will resonate with later elementary readers, who might make some of the mistakes that Yesenia makes. I would also like to see more family dynamics portrayed in books; I do have a few students who come from larger families like Yesenia's, and when I was growing up with just one younger brother, I was enthralled by books like All of a Kind Family.
Weaknesses: I'm not sure that getting a kitten for Yesenia was great for the animal! Things work out in the end, but I found it hard to believe that any doctor would suggest adding a cat to an already very busy and crowded family situation, especially when the parents were so angry about having an animal! I'm also not a fan of encouraging children to run away to solve their problems, especially in the city, but this did turn out well in the end.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Jacobsen's Twig and Turtle or Brown's Lola Levine series, but seemed a bit young for middle school readers.
In this illustrated chapter book, Yesenia (who is Miguel's cousin from Picture Perfect) is feeling very anxious about fifth grade. There's a lot going on, and she feels that she has to excel at things, like science fair, that her three older sisters did when they were her age. Dr. Morales, her physician, recommends getting a pet to help her with stress. Since a cat at Miguel's bodega has had kittens, the family goes to adopt one there. Yesenia admires a yellow kitten who is a little wild; Miguel's family calls her Pura candela (a firecracker). The parents are concerned, but let Yesenia take Candy home. The cat is an immediate problem, especially since the parents don't really want a pet. Candy hangs from the curtains, smashes a vase, pees on the carpet, and eventually scratches Lucita, Yesenia's four year old sister. Yesenia doesn't mind; she's impressed that the kitten does her own thing, no matter what anyone says, but the parents react by banishing the cat to a cage. Yesenia has some problems at school, and has recently gotten a "D" on a social studies test. She's so afraid to show it to her parents that she forgets her mother's signature, even though her teacher is very understanding and asks how she can help. There is a social studies project that she's working on with her friend Frankie. At one point, Candy manages to jump out of a window, and decides to hang out with other cats on the street, to mixed results. Yesenia goes looking for Candy, but the kitten runs away from her. While she and Frankie are going around their neighborhood, taking pictures for their history project, they look for Candy, and eventually find her. The kitten's absence softens the parents' attitudes toward her, so when Yesenia gets in trouble for doing poorly in school and forging the mother's signature, she decides to run away. She gets locked into the school library when everyone is gone for the day. She regrets her actions, and the custodian lets her out, and her family forgives her as well.
Strengths: Up until the 1970s, even young adult novels would have occasional illustrations, and I'm a big fan of bringing this back. Would Charlotte's Web have been the same without the Garth Williams' illustrations? Beverly Cleary's teen novels without the Joe and Beth Krush pictures? Donald Sobol without Leonard Shortall? No! Kittens are absolutely adorable, so it's great to see Faison capture Candy's antics. Yesenia's problems are ones that will resonate with later elementary readers, who might make some of the mistakes that Yesenia makes. I would also like to see more family dynamics portrayed in books; I do have a few students who come from larger families like Yesenia's, and when I was growing up with just one younger brother, I was enthralled by books like All of a Kind Family.
Weaknesses: I'm not sure that getting a kitten for Yesenia was great for the animal! Things work out in the end, but I found it hard to believe that any doctor would suggest adding a cat to an already very busy and crowded family situation, especially when the parents were so angry about having an animal! I'm also not a fan of encouraging children to run away to solve their problems, especially in the city, but this did turn out well in the end.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Jacobsen's Twig and Turtle or Brown's Lola Levine series, but seemed a bit young for middle school readers.
December 13, 2024
Yesenia is a bundle of nerves. All the time. She’s trying to do well in school and also help in her family’s bodega AND live up to the achievements of her older sisters. She bombed her history test and is afraid to tell her family. In short, she’s a mess. Then her doctor suggests that she get a kitten. When Yesi meets Candy it is love at first sight, but Candy’s unrelenting kitten energy has the family concerned. When Candy goes missing, Yesenia feels like her world will end.
“Bodega Cats: Just Kitten Around” is a sweet story about the importance of being yourself and the importance of communicating clearly with loved ones. Candy learns some important lessons about living with her human family. Yesenia learns that it’s okay to be herself and pursue her own interests even if they don’t rise to the level of her older sisters.
The story is told from the perspectives of Yesenia and Candy in alternating chapters.
This story is great for young readers who enjoy cats and stories about sensitive children trying to make their way in the world.
I received an advance review copy for free from Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
“Bodega Cats: Just Kitten Around” is a sweet story about the importance of being yourself and the importance of communicating clearly with loved ones. Candy learns some important lessons about living with her human family. Yesenia learns that it’s okay to be herself and pursue her own interests even if they don’t rise to the level of her older sisters.
The story is told from the perspectives of Yesenia and Candy in alternating chapters.
This story is great for young readers who enjoy cats and stories about sensitive children trying to make their way in the world.
I received an advance review copy for free from Netgalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 8, 2025
In BODEGA CATS: JUST KITTEN AROUND, Yesenia has high achieving sisters and is struggling with school and with helping in her family’s bodega but doesn’t want to let her parents know. After her doctor suggests she get a pet to help her deal with her anxiety, her parents agree to let her get a kitten. Candy, the high energy kitty, is a handful and Yesenia’s parents begin to doubt whether adding a cat to their busy family was a good idea. When Candy goes missing, Yesenia is devastated.
Told from the alternating points of view of Yesenia and Candy, this illustrated chapter book addresses the importance of honesty and being true to yourself along with some of the challenges and responsibilities of pet ownership. Yesenia’s problems at school and at home will ring true with many elementary readers and may provide reassurance that they are not alone in feeling this way. Yesenia’s family dynamics add depth to the story and the family’s bodega provides a unifying background for the events. A fun read for young readers interested in animal stories or realistic fiction.
Told from the alternating points of view of Yesenia and Candy, this illustrated chapter book addresses the importance of honesty and being true to yourself along with some of the challenges and responsibilities of pet ownership. Yesenia’s problems at school and at home will ring true with many elementary readers and may provide reassurance that they are not alone in feeling this way. Yesenia’s family dynamics add depth to the story and the family’s bodega provides a unifying background for the events. A fun read for young readers interested in animal stories or realistic fiction.
June 14, 2025
Children's first chapter book, contemporary realistic fiction. Yesenia wants to adopt one of the kittens born at her cousin Miguel's bodega, but her parents are reluctant. When her doctor realizes that Yesenia has started pulling her hair due to stress, the doctor convinces the parents that a pet might help. When Yesenia chooses the bright yellow kitten, Miguel warns her that kitten is a handful. Can Candy the kitten and Yesenia's family full of sisters adapt to life together? This story is the second in the series (the first one centers Miguel) but can be read on its own. The chapters alternate between Yesenia narrating and Candy narrating, interspersed with drawings from Yesenia's crochet notebook.
I enjoyed both this book and the first in the series. The kids have to deal with so much-- their siblings and parents, working at the bodega, keeping up in school, their own hobbies, and then the antics of the cats as well. But they find help along the way, from both within the family and the larger community. I look forward to reading nook 3 when it comes out.
I enjoyed both this book and the first in the series. The kids have to deal with so much-- their siblings and parents, working at the bodega, keeping up in school, their own hobbies, and then the antics of the cats as well. But they find help along the way, from both within the family and the larger community. I look forward to reading nook 3 when it comes out.
January 21, 2025
The subtitle of Bodega Cats, is just Kitten Around. However despite the cute cover and title, this chapter book tackles some topics that are nothing to laugh about. Yesenia is a youngster dealing with anxiety and the pressure to live up to everyone's expectations. Her parents expect straight A's and she also is failing at her attempt to shine in her older sisters' shadows. When her doctor suggests that a pet ight help her deal with anxiety, the energetic kitten helps soothe her, but also adds her antics to Yesina's stress. Th author captures the interest of youngsters by alternating points of view between Yesinia and her new kitten Candy. Eventually Yesenia learns from her kitten the importance of just being yourself. She realizes the need to communicate with her family about what she really wants and doesn't want. The cute illustrations by Siara Faison help bring this story to life.
February 14, 2025
This series is so fun! Each one features a different kitten and their young human companion centered around the vibrant bodega scene in New York City. In this one, Yesenia is struggling with stress and anxiety. Her doctor suggests getting a pet might be a great distraction and help calm her worries. But calm is the opposite of the new kitten that they adopt! Read it to find out how these two opposites can help one another.
February 15, 2025
👦🏻reviews: This is a great story about Yesenia and her cat Candy in Washington Heights, NY. I know it is hard to acclimate to a new environment and what Yesenia went through is something many kids who move to different places in their lives can cause anxiety. It is an easy read with cute illustrations in some of the pages. I like how the book showed how Yesenia handled and managed her stress and being lost in the big NYC. Fascinating!!!
May 26, 2025
This book was so-so. The story was a good one, about a girl with problems with anxiety and a playful but mischievous kitten who is supposed to provide therapy. The first switch between Yesenia's point of view and her kitten's point of view was a bit jarring; there are no clues to the reader that it is coming. I liked the characters, but every problem seemed to be wrapped up too quickly and easily. I would have liked more time spent on the resolution. Cute story, but could have been better.
January 4, 2026
A fascinating and fun book about Yesenia and Candy, her new kitten. Yesenia is anxious—she is stressed by trying to excel at all she does. Candy is adventuresome—she runs about the house breaking things and then jumps out of a window and runs away. I love the way Yesenia’s and Candy’s adventures are told from alternating points of view. The ending is a touching conclusion for both these empathetic characters!
November 9, 2024
A sweet story for young readers about learning to accept yourself and be who you are. The story is also about learning to accept others for who they are. Good depiction of the anxiety and stress young people may go through while trying to live up to the expectations placed on them by themselves or by others. all of this packaged with cute cats!
January 23, 2025
This is such a cute addition to this series. Any kids who love cats will really love reading these books.
Yesenia is such a good representation of a child having anxiety and how she finds ways to deal with it. Taking care of an animal is a great way to learn responsibility.
Yesenia is such a good representation of a child having anxiety and how she finds ways to deal with it. Taking care of an animal is a great way to learn responsibility.
January 31, 2025
This wonderful chapter book is purrfect for kids looking for an adventurous and sweet middle grade series. I really like the parallel chapters of Yesenia and her mischievous kitten, Candy. Both of the main characters are well rounded and delightful.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews