Little Cat's Luck by Marion Dane Bauer, illustated by Jennifer A. Bell, 224pp, RL 3

Little Cat's Luck by Marion Dane Bauer, with marvelous illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell , is a gem of a book, and not just because it's a verse novel . I have long loved the genre of the verse novel, both for the precise beauty of the language and the ability to tell a complex story in a compact format. Recently, I have also discovered that verse novels are an ideal format for the students at the school where I am the librarian, the majority of whom are English language learners who are reading below grade level. Verse novels allow them to access a longer, more challenging book that looks less intimidating because there are fewer words on the page. With Little Cat's Luck , readers are in for an exciting, suspenseful emotional story about cooperation, kindness and learning to accept each other. Patches is a little calico cat with a happy, cozy life, yet, she is searching for a "special place to be her very own." A loose screen and a falling leaf lead t