Pickle Puss

The Kids of the Polk Street School #12

by Patricia Reilly Giff, Blanche Sims (Illustrator)

It's August, and Emily has big plans at the library. She's going to read lots of books and tack a paper fish next to her name for each one. Then Dawn Bosco says she can read more books than Emily. Not only that, both Emily and Dawn want to keep Pickle Puss, a stray cat thay found. They decide that whoever reads the most books can keep cat.



When Emily adds a fish for a book she read along time ago, she has one more fish than Dawn. She knows she's cheating, but she wants to keep the cat. What a pickle she's in.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Middle Grade

80 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1986

About the author

Patricia Reilly Giff was an American author and educator whose warm, emotionally resonant books made her a beloved figure in children's literature. After spending roughly two decades as a teacher, she turned to writing and brought a deep understanding of young readers to stories that balanced humor, resilience, and emotional truth. Educated at Marymount Manhattan College, St. John's University, and Hofstra University, she drew on both her classroom experience and literary instincts to create memorable fiction for children and middle-grade readers. She became especially well known for the popular Polk Street School series, which captured the everyday dramas of school life with charm and empathy. Beyond those books, she wrote acclaimed novels such as Lily's Crossing, Nory Ryan's Song, Pictures of Hollis Woods, Eleven, and Genevieve's War, often exploring themes of belonging, family, hardship, and courage. Her work earned wide recognition, including Newbery Honors, an ALA Best Book for Young Adults designation, and a Christopher Award. Giff also influenced younger writers through her workshops and teaching spirit. Throughout her career, she remained a compassionate literary voice whose stories spoke directly to children's fears, hopes, and imaginations.

Reviews

[Renata · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm sure this was perfectly cromulent for beginning readers but for a (not 2 brag) accomplished adult reader encountering this for the first time.......not a lot to offer.

http://www.frowl.org/worstbestsellers...

[Marcus Gulley]

It's August, and Emily has big plans at the library. She's going to read lots of books and tack a paper fish next to her name for each one. Then Dawn Bosco says she can read more books than Emily. Not only that, both Emily and Dawn want to keep Pickle Puss, a stray cat they found. They decide that whoever reads the most books can keep the cat.

[Ari]

in this book Emily has big plans at the library. She is going to read lots of books and tack a paper fish next to her name for each one. Then Dawn Bosco says she can read more books than Emily. Not only that, but both Emily and Dawn want to keep Pickle Puss. A stray cat they found. With their argument about who can read more they decide whoever can read more books gets to keep the cat. to keep track of their books they mark them with fish. Emily added a book she read a long time ago that added one more fish than Dawn. She knows she is cheating but she wants to keep that cat!

[Jane Deaux]

the other night i had a dream that i was a kid again and i was looking at the books on my bookshelf. this was one of them. i haven't thought about this book in probably about 20 years.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trip down memory lane. Use to read ALL of Giff's books from the library in the summer. I loved those sweet dumb kids. ;)

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars -- Emily Arrow is a good character/person. She is not perfect, but she is really good. This is proven so well in this story. The plot revolves around two main things: summer reading at the public library and a stray black & white cat. Beast, Jill, Dawn, & Emily all want the cat, but for various reasons, it comes down to Dawn & Emily. They make a bet that whoever reads the most library books during the August library challenge will be the winner, and the rest of it unfolds from there. Way to go, Emily. You make some really great choices here.

[Hugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bring me back memories of this book when I was in 4th grade. Just thought I reread the book

Very fun book to read about summer read

[Alyssa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whose cat is this???? There's a cat hanging around the neighborhood and the kids manage to catch it and Dawn keeps it in her bedroom and it's so well-behaved that her mother is fine with all of this. A feral cat would not submit to that. It's the '80s and pet owners are less responsible, it could be a dumped kitty, but I kept expecting that at one of the trips to the library they would all see the Missing: Reward posters.

A good summer book. Emily learns the joy of reading, Jill gets called "fat" a bunch of times, everyone enjoys their summer, and Dawn gets a cat. Rock solid, nothing too crazy.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pickle Puss is a story about an elementary school aged girl who has a rivalry with another girl her age over a library contest and a cat.

This book would be good for kids in 1st or 2nd grade. I think it's okay for younger kids too, if they like to listen to chapter books like my son does.

The book is not very long and easy to read. It's lighthearted and contains good lessons for school-aged kids.

[Cws]

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