The Underneath
by Kathi Appelt
311 pages

"There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned on the side of the road."

This cat's story unfortunately begins in a steamy land of rivers, alligators and quicksand between Louisiana and Texas.  The lonely baying of a hound draws her through the forest to a shack inhabited by his owner, a violent and cruel man.  The gentle hound quickly hides the cat underneath the porch, and with the animals' unusual friendship begins a story rich in description and suspense.  While there are some hard scenes of cruelty to animals, the loyal friendship between the animals in the story is unparalleled.

 

 If you enjoy suspenseful animal stories, (and can cope with lots of alligators and snakes!), The Underneath is for you.

Grade 6