Cat Running

by Zilpha Keatley Snyder

When 11-year-old Cat Kinsey builds a secret hideout to escape her unhappy home life, she gets to know a poor family who has come to California after losing their Texas home to the dust storms of the 1930s. "Appealing and informative". --School Library Journal, starred.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Historical, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Fiction, Juvenile

176 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

Zilpha Keatley Snyder was an American author of books for children and young adults. Three of Snyder's works were named Newbery Honor books: The Egypt Game, The Headless Cupid and The Witches of Worm. She was most famous for writing adventure stories and fantasies.

Reviews

[Leeann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very quick read but well worth the time. I enjoyed the setting, taking place during the depression, and the characters. I have read and enjoyed Snyder’s other children’s books and did this one too.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the Goodwill, not really knowing what it was about other than running, which I have an interest in. Surprisingly, it was about the Dust Bowl era, my current topic of particular interest! Therefore, I may have liked it more than I would have otherwise. But all in all, it was a very good story, with a nice moral without being preachy about it, or overdoing it. At first I thought the story sounded too much like The Bridge to Terabithia (written 20 years earlier), but was pleased that the author was able to write a similar story without seeming as if she were just copying. Very realistic characters, a lot of personality was given to them with very little descriptions, more with actions and words. Enjoyed this book a great deal.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cat was pretty unlikable. She had a bad attitude and was always mad about something. She sounded like such a baby the way she thought her mom was an “awful scaredy-cat liar” for not asking her dad if Cat could wear pants for the race. Her dad thought women shouldn’t wear men’s clothes so Cat had to wear dresses and would be the only girl not wearing pants.

It was confusing how she didn’t refer to her step-siblings by their relationship to her. She called them by their names and for a while I had no idea who they were until she later said they were her father’s kids. Ellen and Cliff. Both out of school and worked at their dad’s furniture store.

The synopsis on the back of the book was shaping up to be majorly misleading. Cat didn’t even try any more after the first time to get her dad to let her wear pants. Then, she found that grotto in the woods by the creek and it was all about that instead. It was odd how she immediately wanted to move all of her valuables into the cave right away.

None of the kids had teased her about being too scared to beat Zane. I was like where did the publishers get this summary??

The day of the race came and I thought her family would surprise her by coming, but not one of them did. Her mom stayed home not feeling well and everyone else worked. Cat really did skip the race and Zane won his grade and then the Grand Finale with the boys and girls winners.

Before we even knew his name, he told Cat she was purty fast for a girl but he could whup her easy. She looked mockingly at his bare feet and said “Sure you could.”


It was a nice moment when Hank was accusing her of being too scared to race Zane and Cat said he was just mad that she’d beat him last year, that a girl was faster. He drew back his fist like he was going to hit her and all of a sudden a ball flew at him and then Zane was knocking into him, saying he’d been trying to catch the ball. Obviously he’d thrown it to stop Hank from hitting Cat, and Janet confirmed it.

I understood why Cat was mad that Sammy was in her cottage. She’d found it and set it all up, but she was so mean and heartless to scare the girl and make her cry, and threaten to call the sheriff on them all that they were stealing. The girl just wanted to play with the doll. She wasn’t hurting anything.

Cat had thought of her old dresses but it took her a while to finally give one to Sammy. She also brought food which was nice since Zane’s family was so poor. Zane was the older brother and he didn’t want his family taking any handouts from people. They lived in the poor “Oakie” part of town, the people hit hard by the dust bowl and the depression, moved here from Texas after they lost their farm. They all went around barefoot in old, raggedy clothes.

After she gave Sammy a toy to take home, Zane treated Cat poorly, mad about it. He goaded her about racing him and made fun of seeing her underpants on the high bar with the other boys. The class played musical chairs once and they both went for the same chair and she ended up sitting up in his lap.

During dodgeball Hank threw the ball hard at her and she dodged but ran into Zane as he was jumping in front of the ball. She fell and skinned her knees and blamed him. And there he was saving her.

Zane and his family were going to move away. The work with the crops was done and there was no more work to be found. All the other Oakies had left. Cat was mad and wanted to find a way for them to stay. She asked her dad to hire Mr. Perkins and he turned it down. Cat was sure he wasn’t doing it because she’d asked.

Cliff revealed later that the reason her dad wouldn’t hire him is because the store has been on the verge of bankruptcy. That’s why Cat couldn’t get the new clothes or horse she wanted, not because her dad didn’t care about her. Their dad had told them he wanted Cat to have a carefree childhood without worrying about the bankruptcy.

Sammy got even sicker after she went to the cave in the rain and a doctor was needed but the family car didn’t work. Cat felt guilty that if she’d given the doll to Sammy earlier, this never would have happened.

It was cute how along the way they both looked at each other at the same time and made it a race. Zane ran faster but at one point he gave out and started getting sick. He told Cat to keep going and he’d come after.

It was annoying how Cat just lost it and had to be carried to bed. But it was cute how she realized Zane had ran faster.

She woke up the next morning and learned that Sammy was alive because of her and Zane. Cat said someone had to go and tell the family that Sammy was alive. They all just looked at her and she said “Well, if nobody else is going to do it I’m going to go right out that door this minute and go do it myself.” Cliff laughed and she started to get mad until she realized what she looked like: nightgown, barefoot, with hands on her hips. She said “Here I go,” and her dad grabbed her and smiled, saying Cliff would go.

Cliff got their car working and the family was moving on ahead and would come back for Sammy and their mom once she was better. Cat thought it was dumb for them to move to a town they didn’t know anything about and she wanted to see Zane to tell him that.

Zane came the morning after to her house and was grinning at her. Cat asked what he was staring at and he said not a gol-durned thing. I didn’t like his speech but I was so glad he came to see her before he left.
He gave her a handkerchief his mom had made for her. Sammy had Zane write a letter to Cat asking her to come see her at the clinic.
Zane and Cat both started talking at once after they were silent for a bit. She said it was dumb to go to a town they didn’t know anybody. He said it was better than nothing. He apologized for knocking her dad’s store. She said it’s almost bankrupt and he didn’t tease, was solemn.

They looked at each other and smiled. Zane said he was going to come back someday. “I’m comin’ back because I like…” He looked at her and then away. Then he said he liked the town.

He started to leave and then came back, saying she won the race they had. She made it to the finish line. She said no, you’re faster. He said for the short haul maybe. He shook her hand and told her to keep running. Cat went to her window and caught a last glimpse of him and said keep running too.

The ending was so unfinished. I wanted information about what happened to them, when the depression ended and when Zane came back. Her mom didn’t find out about the bankruptcy. It was all so sudden.

[Don Heiman · Rating 5 out of 5]

In 1994 Bantam Doubleday Dell Books for Young Readers published Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s book “Cat Running.” Zilpha Snyder has received many awards including the Newberry Honor Books award and the American Library Association Notable Books for Children award. The “Cat Running” book is about fifth grader Catherine (Cat) Kinsey who receives the Grand Finale award for winning her school district’s annual Play Day foot race competition. After winning the race, Cat is challenged to compete a year later against Zane Perkins who is a new male student at Cat’s Brownwood Academy school in Northern California. Catherine (Cat) Kinsey quickly develops a relationship with Zane and his five year old sister Samantha (Sammy). Cat’s relationship with “Sammy” is very special. The book describes how Cat and Zane save the life of Sammy who was infected by a pneumonia virus. It also portrays how Cat’s family, Brownwood religious leadership, the school district’s Medical community, and Brownwood business leaders banded together to help the Perkins family overcome the economic disasters of the Great Depression and to overcome their struggle to feed and care for their three children. The novel also describes how the Brownwood community uses core principles of love, generosity, and compassion to help their citizens overcome death and economic disasters during the 1930s Great Depression. The book is inspiring and a wonderful reading experience. (P)

[Shanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Set in Northern California during the Great Depression. Cat is the only child of her father's second marriage, several years younger than his other two now-adult children. The father is overbearing, the mother is a weak people-pleaser. Cat is feisty but generally well-behaved. The older siblings see her as an inconvenient add-on at best. Cat spends a lot of her time on her own. Cat is the fastest kid at her school, but hates that her father won't allow her to wear pants, as the other girls are starting to do. Cat finds a cool hide-out, but discovers it is being visited by some children from the nearby "Okie" camp of poor migrant workers. Cat at first is outraged, but eventually her heart warms to the five-year-old. This is a sweet, funny, enjoyable story.

[Jill · Rating 3 out of 5]

During my time at NIU, I used this book in a unit that I planned..... I never read it, I just pretended. With the guilt hanging over my head even now, I decided to tackle this bad boy.

It was a pretty good book. My major complaint is that it was verrrrry slow-moving, especially for such a short book. There was a lot of background information about Cat's family, which I felt was pretty boring.

However, it did bring up a lot of good things that could definitely be useful in a classroom. For example, it was intended to be a book about the Dust Bowl and the "Okies" that came to California trying to find work. Already having read The Grapes of Wrath, it was just a review for me. What struck me was how easily this book could be used to talk about race relations in the United States - namely, people's reaction towards Latinos in our country. Being prejudiced against them, calling them dirty and lazy, and referring to all Latinos as Mexican (although many Spanish-speaking people come from other countries) - all of those things happened to the "Okies" as well. Even though the main "Okie" family came from Texas, no one cared - just like my dad..... "How's your Mexican friend?" "She is not Mexican, she is Puerto Rican." "Whatever, same thing." Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh... okay, I'm getting off-topic...

Anyway, a fine book. I'd use parts of it in a classroom but probably not the whole thing.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is my other favorite historical fiction find this year besides Jip. Z. K. Snyder is a prolific author who is famous for books like The Egypt Game. Cat Running may be less well known, but I loved it. Cat is a girl growing up in Northern CA during the depression. She is the fastest runner in her class, but her gruff, old fashioned father insists that she always wear a dress even when racing, which Cat resents. But soon she becomes caught up in things which matter much more than her dress. Some "Okies" come to town, refugees from the Dust Bowl just trying to survive. Cat has not experienced much kindness or compassion in her family, and at first she is harsh in her judgment of the newcomers. As she gets to know them however, her perspective changes. At a crisis point, she and a friend will run a race upon which someone's life depends. I enjoyed the setting which I could well imagine since my mother grew up roaming hills and exploring canyons in Northern CA. Cat's tenacity regarding the things she cares about reminds me of my mom. I also appreciated the history lesson. Most of all, I savored the way Cat matures and learns about love, compassion, and what truly matters. And so we learn with her through some intense and touching experiences. I also liked the hopeful ending. This is a real quality story which I highly recommend.

[Miss Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

gr 4-7 138pgs


1930s California. 11 year old Catherine "Cat" doesn't like her stepsiblings or her stepfather or the way her mother never takes her side. The one thing Cat does like is running and exploring in the woods near her house. Cat has always been the fastest runner in her school, but when a new family of "Okies", Dust Bowl "refugees", show up at school, the oldest boy Zane is a runner too and just might be faster than her. When Sammy, another member of Zane's family, discovers Cat's secret cave, Cat is furious. It seems this family is taking away the few special things she has. Cat is determined not to like them.

Great story focusing on some of the reactions that Dust Bowl "refugees" faced when they were forced to leave their homes.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about two families during the Depression. Cat's family is the well-to-do, leaders-of-the-town Kinsey family who live in a mansion--but who have fallen on hard times because of the Depression. Zane's family is from Texas. They lost everything is the "dust bowl" and now are known as "Okies," itinerant workers who go from camp to camp picking produce in California. They live in squalor and no "respecting" person will have anything to do with them. But Cat discovers they are people just like her. It's a good book not only about a terrible time in our history but also about prejudice and brotherly love.

[Dominique · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book several times when I was younger and only had memories of how magical and wonderful the story was. I have been looking for this book for almost 10 years and I finally found it. As I was reading this book all I could think was that I don't really understand the feelings that I remembered from when I read it before. But at the end is when the full force of magic came to me. I found it interesting rereading it now at the age of 20 and a student of human development and recognizing all the aspects of childhood and emerging adolescence.This book it a good read for all ages and I recommend it to everyone.

[Soobie has fog in her brain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quando l'ho letto per la prima volta, avrò avuto undici o dodici anni al massimo. Nonostante fossi cresciuta a pane a autori americani, non avevo la minima idea di cosa succedesse realmente al di là dell'oceano. Non avevo idea di cosa fossero gli Okies.

Poi qualche anno fa guardai "Furore" di John Ford. Sì, lo so è anche un libro, ma John Ford mi ha già assestato un bel pugno sullo stomaco e non ho nessuno voglia di affrontare anche Steinbeck.

Comunque. Dopo aver visto "Furore" anche questo libro ha cambiato prospettiva. È forse uno dei miei Gaia preferiti.

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well-written historical fiction with an appealing protagonist. The setting as well as Cat's personality reminded me of my mother's stories of her childhood in Northern California. Although the reader sees the moral dilemma coming early on, Snyder handles it sensitively and realistically. I wish she'd write a sequel! The only book I've read previously by ZKS is The Egypt Game (excellent); can anyone recommend other titles?

[Josephine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Snyder seems to have undergone a sea change in her writing from her earlier books, which had an element of magic...and that's what I liked about her writing, at least as a child. So the fact that I'm rating this one as a two-star shouldn't turn others off from reading it. Though there is some validity to others' comments that it may serve more as a Lesson Book to fit into a teacher's lesson plan about Depression-era California.

[Sally Trabulsi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found a list of 35 Kids Books You May Have Forgotten About on Shelf Awareness. On it was one called The Egypt Game by Zilpha K. Snyder. Didn't find that in the library yesterday, but found this one, read it in the afternoon and liked it a lot. I'll be doing some more books from that list, as there are many I haven't read. Fun to look back into this genre of Kid Lit.

[Tami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book the kids and I listened to. It takes place during the depression and lets you experience some of the hardships of that time while still being overall uplifting.

[Amanda]

This was one of my favorite books when I was growing up and I plan on going back and re reading it along with a few of my other childhood favorites!

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good kids book, but not as powerful to me as some of Snyder's earlier books.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, not my favorite but it did hold my attention.

[Cws]

JAR5-Sny

[Happycat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is great for an early reader, it is short, but very captivating with themes young kids relate to.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

The lady was right. It was a wonderful book. Think BRIDGE TO TERABITHIA.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Una storia forte, di una situazione per noi inaccettabile ma che per l'epoca non era così assurda. Fa riflettere.

Un bel libro.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's not the greatest book about running I've ever read...

[Emily Samuels · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting book. I liked the reference of her braid flapping her back. A great book...