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The Incredible Cat Caper
Jessie, her new friends Herman and Carlos, and her cat Simba try to trap a burglar who has been breaking into every condominium in her parents' new building.
- GenresFiction
136 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 1985
23 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Roos
34 books5 followersSon of Audrey Kelley Roos [1912-1982] & William Roos [1911-1987].
Born in New York, Stephen Roos grew up in New Canaan, Connecticut. He attended Loomis School and graduated from Yale University. He lives in New York City and Litchfield County, Connecticut.
Soon after he graduated from Yale, Stephen Roos landed a job in the marketing department at Harper & Row (now HarperCollins) in New York. He eventually became an editor and worked on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction—only to find that after a dozen years in the field, he wanted to be an author.
His first book, My Horrible Secret, was published by Delacorte in 1983. Today, he has two dozen books for children and young adults to his credit. He is most recently a contributor to James Howe’s highly acclaimed 2003 anthology, Thirteen (Atheneum).
Mr. Roos’s success is reflected in the reviews his books have received. About his book, Recycling George (Simon & Schuster, 2002), Booklist said, “his characters are quirky and real, his language spare but rueful and true.” School Library Journal described his book The Gypsies Never Came (Simon & Schuster, 2001) as “a novel written in a lean and propulsive style that draws readers in.”
In accepting the Charlie May Simon Medallion from Hillary Rodham Clinton for My Horrible Secret, Stephen Roos said, “I like the demands that young readers make on me—the clarity, the honesty, the ‘being real’ that they continually expect of me. They make my work a challenge; they keep my life vital.”
Born in New York, Stephen Roos grew up in New Canaan, Connecticut. He attended Loomis School and graduated from Yale University. He lives in New York City and Litchfield County, Connecticut.
Soon after he graduated from Yale, Stephen Roos landed a job in the marketing department at Harper & Row (now HarperCollins) in New York. He eventually became an editor and worked on a wide variety of fiction and nonfiction—only to find that after a dozen years in the field, he wanted to be an author.
His first book, My Horrible Secret, was published by Delacorte in 1983. Today, he has two dozen books for children and young adults to his credit. He is most recently a contributor to James Howe’s highly acclaimed 2003 anthology, Thirteen (Atheneum).
Mr. Roos’s success is reflected in the reviews his books have received. About his book, Recycling George (Simon & Schuster, 2002), Booklist said, “his characters are quirky and real, his language spare but rueful and true.” School Library Journal described his book The Gypsies Never Came (Simon & Schuster, 2001) as “a novel written in a lean and propulsive style that draws readers in.”
In accepting the Charlie May Simon Medallion from Hillary Rodham Clinton for My Horrible Secret, Stephen Roos said, “I like the demands that young readers make on me—the clarity, the honesty, the ‘being real’ that they continually expect of me. They make my work a challenge; they keep my life vital.”
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
January 8, 2026
My mom bought me a copy of this book when I was 11 years old. Looking at the cover was like going back in time. I enjoyed reading it and remembering the story and getting that flashback of being a child reading it back then. It's a cute, simple mystery for younger kids with a satisfying ending.
May 26, 2016
3.5 stars
It's been a long time since I last read The Incredible Cat Caper, and I have to say that I probably liked it more back in the day. This is not surprising since it is intended for children, but I must admit that I still enjoyed revisiting it. It's a fun and cute little book about Jessie, a girl who sneaks her cat, Simba, along to her new home in Florida rather than leave her beloved pet behind. Since her mother and stepfather's new apartment building doesn't allow pets, Jessie tries hard to keep anyone from finding out about Simba. Things become even more tricky for Jessie and Simba when combined with a string of burglaries in the apartment building.
There is little actual mystery for the reader, since we find out in the beginning who is behind the crimes. The mystery actually revolves around Jessie and her new friends, Carlos and Herman, trying to solve the crimes. The story is fairly straightforward and the protagonists are all likable. Oddly, Herman was actually my favorite character. He is sort of a quirky, but still believable, character who always wears sunglasses and has a somehow odd but endearing way of saying things.
The Incredible Cat Caper is a pleasant and light read overall, and will probably be enjoyed by children and young-at-heart cat lovers. And before I forget, I must also give credit to Katherine Coville for her adorable illustrations!
It's been a long time since I last read The Incredible Cat Caper, and I have to say that I probably liked it more back in the day. This is not surprising since it is intended for children, but I must admit that I still enjoyed revisiting it. It's a fun and cute little book about Jessie, a girl who sneaks her cat, Simba, along to her new home in Florida rather than leave her beloved pet behind. Since her mother and stepfather's new apartment building doesn't allow pets, Jessie tries hard to keep anyone from finding out about Simba. Things become even more tricky for Jessie and Simba when combined with a string of burglaries in the apartment building.
There is little actual mystery for the reader, since we find out in the beginning who is behind the crimes. The mystery actually revolves around Jessie and her new friends, Carlos and Herman, trying to solve the crimes. The story is fairly straightforward and the protagonists are all likable. Oddly, Herman was actually my favorite character. He is sort of a quirky, but still believable, character who always wears sunglasses and has a somehow odd but endearing way of saying things.
The Incredible Cat Caper is a pleasant and light read overall, and will probably be enjoyed by children and young-at-heart cat lovers. And before I forget, I must also give credit to Katherine Coville for her adorable illustrations!
October 27, 2013
My favorite part was when people were aloud to bring animals into the hotel. The worst part was when the only way for Jessie to have her pet cat Simba with her in the hotel was to sneak simba and hide Simba. The best character was Jessie because she was the main character and she was nice. There was no worst Character. Auryn 10 years old
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews