The Nine Lives of Travis Keating

by Jill MacLean

Ann Connor Brimer Award for Children's Literature Winner, 2009 On the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) Honour List On Resource Link's "Best of 2008" List CLA Children's Book of the Year Award shortlist, 2009 2009 KIND Children's Honor Book Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice, 2009 Starred Choice OLA's Silver Birch Fiction nominee 2010 Rocky Mountain Book Award Shortlist, 2011 On the Pennsylvania School Library Association Top 40 Fiction List, 2009 After his mother's death, Travis Keating and his father move to Ratchet, Newfoundland, to start a new life. Some life. Travis soon discovers that only a few oddballs show any interest in Cole, a talker who soon makes himself scarce; Hector, a strange kid whose ears stick out; and Prinny, a girl as scraggly as her skinny ponytail. Nobody you can really call a friend. And then there's Hud, the toughest, nastiest bully in school, who hates "townies" and promises to make Travis's life an utter misery. But Travis doesn't care. He's got his "funeral face," a tight mask that gives away nothing and allows him to hide his feelings. Funeral face comes in handy, especially with parents and other adults who think they know what you're feeling every minute of the day. But funeral face can also make him reckless, and Travis decides to visit the dangerous Gulley Cove, with its treacherous wharf and its tumbledown fish shacks, which some of the kids say are haunted. Instead of ghosts, Travis discovers a colony of feral cats, sickly and starving, and unused to kindness. Putting aside his own problems to care for them is about to bring Travis more satisfaction-and more danger-than he ever would have thought possible. A stunning first children's novel, The Nine Lives of Travis Keating is a moving story about coping with grief. But more than that, it's about belonging, learning to be a friend, and finding bravery in the most unexpected of places.

Genres: Middle Grade, Cats, Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Animals, Canada, School

217 pages, Paperback

First published September 26, 2008

About the author

Jill MacLean started as a writer of so-called formula fiction, but many years ago turned to poetry, its polar opposite; her collection was shortlisted for two awards, while her five literary novels for young readers have won four awards and received numerous nominations, four of them international. She’s now working on a novel for adults, set in the early years of the One Hundred Years War, in the shadow of plague.

She lives in Nova Scotia, has been a palliative care volunteer and a dog walker for two humane societies, and is a keen reader who loves libraries (they’re full of books and they’re free). Time with family and friends is of the essence. Gardening, music and solo canoeing are also high on her list: picture her paddling into the sunrise on a mist-wreathed lake (edit out the blackflies). She has a strong sense of adventure: she’s hiked the high Arctic tundra, driven the Dempster Highway, tramped lava fields in central Iceland, traversed very scary, unlit, one-way tunnels in the Faroes Islands and been much too close to a grizzly in the Mackenzie Mountains. Medieval peasants, war and plague? An adventure of a different kind. Add to this curiosity and a propensity for eavesdropping, along with a passion for vibrant characters and a well-told story, and you begin to understand what keeps her at her desk, day after day.

Jill needs an update here - a busy few years. Her first medieval novel, "The Arrows of Mercy," was published in 2023, and was a finalist for the Whistler Independent Book Awards sponsored by The Writers' Union of Canada. It received a stellar review in The Miramichi Reader and was one of their Best Books for 2023. The Historical Society highly recommended it.
Since then, she's written a standalone sequel, called "The Arrows of Fealty," which will be launched September 21, 2025. The advance reviews are excellent, and it received a 5-star review (based on the ARC) yesterday.

Reviews

[Zanib · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book during my grade six year (or maybe it was grade five) for a reading program (Forrest of reading). There were about ten books, and out of the ten, I inexplicably fell in love with this one. I was one of the only kids who did fall in love with it. It was around that time that I began pushing away from your typical "reads a book here and there" person, and getting into "crazy book freak" mode. I began to feel something new for books. While reading books around that time, I experienced things that for the developed reader are normal, but for me then, were the very definition of magic.

This book really sped up the process of "Zanib becomes a book nerd".

Travis Keating moves into a small Newfoundland town, and his presence is not welcomed by all. He is now the target of a an old bully, and for the most part, he does not seem to fit in. Things are looking down until he befriends a colony of cats and a girl by the name of Prinny Murphy.

I really loved the atmosphere in this story. Travis is in this new, small, and rainy town. I could picture the wet pavement and the mossy smell in the air. His relationship with Prinny was nicely developed, and it really embodied friendship.

All the characters were realistic, even the bully. He wasn't your typical gruff, emotionless baboon. He wasn't a piece of cardboard. I even took a liking to him.

For the most part, there was nothing overly peculiar about this book, but what made it magical for me was the very normality of it. The normality and the elephantization of beautiful and emotion/thought provoking themes of familial love, friendship and second chances.

[Steve Vernon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Nine Lives of Travis Keating is a lively charming tale of a fish-out-of-water in a small coastal community in Newfoundland.

Travis has agreed to "test-drive" living in the small Newfoundland community where his father grew up. He doesn't think he is ever going to learn to fit in until he figures out that friends and fitting-in can happen in a lot of unexpected ways.

The author, Jill MacLean, has really captured the voice of her character. Before the first chapter was over I felt I really knew and could identify with Travis. She also does a wonderful job of creating rural characters. Every small town has its own charm and style and her depiction of life in Fiddlers Cove is truly bang-on.

I'd recommend this one heartily. I have seen it at an awful lot of school libraries. It is a quiet comfortable read and I enjoyed it thoroughly and am looking forward to reading her sequel - The Present Tense of Prinny Murphy.

Yours in storytelling,



Steve Vernon

[Sue Slade · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was caught and reeled in by the very first line in Jill MacLean’s 'The Nine Lives of Travis Keating', “Some Sunday nights, you should go to sleep and not wake up until Tuesday.” This middle-grade novel was recently selected by the Nova School Board for use in schools and I can see why. Travis Keating has a lot on his plate, he is the new kid on the block, the target of the school bully, he is grieving the loss of his Mother to Cancer, and his friends he has left behind in his move from the city to a fishing village. Set in Newfoundland, Jill develops a realistic, engaging story about the struggles of being lonely, fitting in and making friends, and doing what is right versus what others would want. It was nice to see that a portion of the sales of the book goes to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

[Crystal Bandel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Nine Lives of Travis Keating by Jill MacLean, published 2009.

Realistic fiction.

Novel.

Grades 4-7.

Found via School Library Journal, reviewed by Kara Schaff Dean.

To escape reminders of his mother's death, Travis's father moves them to a small town in Newfoundland, where he'll be working as a physician. Travis isn't excited about the move, but he agrees to give it a full year. Travis immediately attracts the attention of the school bully, leaving him with no friends, until he discovers some abandoned cats living in a cove. Travis reluctantly decides to take care of them, a decision which eventually leads him to make friends and ties within the community. Reviewer Dean explains that, because "Travis is likable and sympathetic, an ordinary middle-school boy who has weathered a difficult life experience," "[t]his is a solid piece of contemporary fiction with an interesting story. It should have broad appeal." The area that Travis moves to is well-described in the book, and he is realistically developed as a character. Readers should be warned of parental death and bullying, but otherwise this book should have wide appeal with readers.

[Bob · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 6th grade daughter brought this book home from her school library. I thought I’d read a few chapters so we could chat about it. I ended up reading the whole book. I quite enjoyed it. The story line is great for 6th graders and old guys like me. There are plenty if good life lessons, too.

Reading this book took me way back to the days when I would hide out in the library so I could read a good book or two before my mom (or baseball buddies) would find me...

Highly recommended for all ages.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked this book quite a bit, I was reading it as a potential candidate for a middle school Battle of the Books, and will recommend it for that. The characters are pretty well developed, nobody is just one-dimensional.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is awesome!

[Karen Upper · Rating 5 out of 5]

A brilliant touching story!

[Canadian Children's Book Centre]

Travis Keating has agreed to endure 365 days of his Dad’s experiment of moving to a tiny coastal community in Newfoundland, but he has no idea how hard it will be! On the first day of the school he meets Hud, the school’s meanest bully, who manages to alienate Travis from all the other kids. It’s not until Travis discovers a colony of feral cats that he befriends Hector and Prinny. Hector says little and loves to build things, while Prinny, not accepted by the other girls, has a tough home life and could use a good friend. This odd trio bands together to save the wild cats from the elements, wild dogs and Hud. Jill MacLean’s attention to each character’s development is extremely well done. By revealing a little about each character’s home life, she helps us to understand their complex personalities and even manages to arouse empathy for the school bully. The use of local colloquialisms rings true and adds a layer of authenticity to the story. This beautifully written story left me wanting more. It deals with loneliness, the many emotions surrounding the death of a parent, friendship, responsibility, bullying and fitting in. Any child who has ever moved from one neighbourhood, city or country to another and tried to find their place in that community will relate to Travis’ struggles. Written for junior/intermediate students this would be a great book to read aloud at the beginning of each school year when new students enter a school or as part of an anti-bullying unit.

Reviewed by Sandra O'Brien in Canadian Children's Book News
Winter 2009 VOL.32 NO.1

[Sathursan.K · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "The Nine Lives of Travis Keating" is a book about a boy named Travis who moves into a small town in Newfoundland and Labrador named "Ratchet". His dad made him go to the town for one year after Travis's mom passed away. Moving away from St.John means having to make new friends in a small town but when he finds abandon cats in a cove starving to death, Travis goes feed them without letting anyone knowing about them. Then with the help of the cats and hockey season, Travis makes new friends with Prinny and Hector, he feels safe about the cats. When he has to help a bully who accused of a crime, Travis stands up and help finds the cats new homes.

I chose this book because it was in the top 3 for Silver Birch when I was in Gr.6. This book is very interesting because it talks about how cats changed a boy's life by a lot.

I read this book because this book has been a great choice by myself and some of my friends.This book helps people to learn about helping those in need evening with a cause and in this book, it is the safety of the cats.

I would recommend this book to those who loves cats and a person who risks his life to help save the cats from dying or getting drown by the bully.

[Anah Malik · Rating 3 out of 5]

Travis Keating is a young boy who has moved to a new place, after his mother's death. Still mourning her and his old home, Travis stumbles upon a group of cats living in abandoned shacks. For the next few months, Travis takes care of the cats, making them his distraction from his life, and his escape.

The story of Travis is a short, sweet, and simple one. I found it very nostalgic, because of how much it reminded me of my own childhood. Just like Travis, I had found a group of cats, and fed them till we moved countries and I was forced to leave them behind. Though this broke my heart, I know i made a big change in their lives, and Travis feels the same way. I think the author really captured Travis' emotions. He incorporated Travis' fears, his pain, his joy, and his anger and transitioned them smoothly, so that they almost ran alongside each other. I loved the ending of this book, it was heartwarming and a perfect way to put the story to rest. I will have to read the next book.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves cats (or animals), who wants an easy book to read, and who wants a happy ending.

[Sheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Travis Keating is in a funk. He and his father just moved from their home in St. Johns to a tiny village on the coast of Newfoundland, and he misses his friends. He is the target of the school bully, and all the other kids are afraid to befriend him. And his mother has died. His father is a doctor, and should have been able to save her, but didn't.

They say the best way to quit feeling sorry for yourself is to find someone else who needs your help. Travis does. He disobeys his father and goes out to Gully Cove, where a dilapidated pier holds several old fishing shacks. Everyone says there are ghosts there, but Travis pokes around and finds a colony of cats. They are starving, winter is coming, and one looks like she is about to have kittens!

This is a delightful tale for preteens and adults. It gives a believable look at a lonely boy's feelings, and shows his internal struggles between doing what he thinks is right and doing what others approve of.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story. The character, Travis Keating is a new kid who is very lonely. He is lucky he has social skills to deal with the loneliness and eventually make friends and improve other's lives including his own. He is inspiring. I especially like how Jill MacLean gave him the power to see the school bully, Hud, in a different light. Not something 12 year olds usually have the power to do. Awesome is the power of the author. Anyone reading this book would be inspired by the devotion Travis gives to these feral cats and the ultimate power of love and truth in the fight for understanding of others and oneself.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had to put this book down while Honey was sick. And it took me a long time to be able to pick it back up, after she passed. I'll say again that The Nine Lives of Travis Keating reminds me a lot of Louis Sachar's Holes, where children must deal with harsh realities. I would recommend reading this book with your child (depending on their sensitivity level). Nine Lives addresses lying, bullying, poverty, abuse, death, and animal cruelty. Very well written.

[Angela Murat · Rating 5 out of 5]

How is this book not well-known like it should be?

Anyway. I read this back in 7th grade, after reading the Warrior cats series (which by the way is FABULOUS). I remember enjoying it very much, the entire story line was really inspiring to me. It made me want to become a better person, in a way. Being as caring and gentle as the protagonist was to stray animals.

Did anyone catch the title? Super creative. The nine cats he takes cares of, like if they are his nine lives to look out for.

Although I don't remember everything, I can say that I really enjoyed its entirety.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

After Travis' mother dies from cancer, he blames his father who is a doctor for not being able to save her. A year later he and his dad move to a small community in the province (Newfoundland) for them to make a change. Travis is lonely and finds that secretly caring for feral cats is helping him feel better. Travis begins to make friends, but the bully at school causes him grief and harm that is escalating. A sudden turn of events makes Travis evaluate the things he was taught by his parents, and he has to talk to someone he trusts.

This is a good story for middle grade and up. Realistic.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fabulous book, and so unlike the usual things that I like to read. I spent all day today looking forward to finishing it, and just did about half an hour ago. Now I can't wait for the sequel to come in at the library...

What I will recommend most about this book is how thoroughly sucked in I was. I was honestly gasping at some parts, like, how much worse can things possibly get for poor Travis?

This is such a well-written, wonderful book. I just loved it.

[Shawna Spinks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so good! It's a great fit for my classroom library. It will be well suited to the kids who are bullied, shy, new to the area, misfits, or well rounded and just plain feeling like an insecure teenager. I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the Present Tense of Prinny Murphy, a character who was introduced in this book but who has her own story to tell. Bravo Jill MacLean!

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Alan who reminded me of the name of this book via bookchats. All of you in STS Leaders group by Hannah can see the questions and chats I've started, please answer them! :) Anyway I think people who like animal books and fiction type books SHOULD READ THIS. Its not like warriors as far as I know... But its really gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored Travis. One of my favorite scenes in the book is when Travis is trying to convince Prinny's dad about her birthday present. I love how people respond to Travis, and I love the growth and development of his character. I am excited to read Prinny's story next.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

A YA fiction book that I chose for it's cover because I like cats. It was about a twelve year old boy who rescued some cats as a way to deal with the challenges in his life he was facing. I thought it came together very nicely in the end and had a happy ending, as YA books should.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I originally bought this book because the boy in the story has the same name as my son and a few other common factors that fit into my life. It was a quick read and the story was touching. I really did enjoy it. :)

[Imogen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even though it is about a grade 5/6 grade novel, it is heartwarming, caring, and loved. I learned that no matter where you are, you should always be loved and never give up helping a friend.

[Knight · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a tremendous novel! I voted for it in the Silver Birch because I love cats and it had amazing twists! But, it could get boring in some parts.

[Ecila · Rating 4 out of 5]

ONE OF THE SILVER BIRCH BOOKS!
S.A.D CUZ I LOVE KITTINS!

[Christina]

YA

[Rivkah · Rating 5 out of 5]

No This. No that. Rules rules rules! Travis's life if full of rules. And a bully. And cats. Starving cats. He always wanted a dog. Not half-starving cats!

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good portrayal of rural life-travis is the new kid in town and saves 6 cats, 1 girl and a hockey team.

[C-chan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best sort of book is the kind you read and honestly forget that it's not designed for your age range because you're so engrossed in the story. This was that kind of book.

[Holly Branigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading this book because I was forced to for my school's Red Maple program and I fell in love, still one of my favourite books to this day <3 :)