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Gail Gauthier   www.gailgauthier.com
A Girl, a Boy and a Monster Cat

 

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My Important Thoughts About The Book:

A Girl, a Boy and a Monster CatAbout three years ago my husband bought a Venus flytrap in a little plastic cup for his niece for her fifth birthday. I’ve never had a plant in a plastic cup do anything but die. This one, however, grew into something that looked as if it belonged in a classic Star Trek episode. I had been interested in writing a book for younger children for a while because a few teachers at elementary schools I had visited told me they wished I had a book for their first and second graders. But I hadn’t been able to think of anything to write about. Then I was handed this idea for a story about a plant that grew and grew.

I struggled for quite some time to write a book about a girl and her plant. My picture book manuscript didn’t work. A couple of chapter books didn’t work. The story evolved from being a girl and her plant, to a girl playing with her plant, to a girl using her plant for fantasy play, to a girl who likes fantasy play.

In fact, the Venus flytrap doesn’t even appear in A Girl, a Boy, and a Monster Cat. (The cat shows up in every draft, though.) The book ended up being a series of short stories, similar to two of my earlier books, My Life Among the Aliens and Club Earth.

Click on the image to the left to learn more about The Hannah and Brandon Stories
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The Critics' Important Thoughts About The Book:

The Horn Book: "Take one boy stuck at a neighbor's house, mix in one girl with an overactive imagination, add one vicious Chihuahua, and you have a perfect recipe for havoc…The unlikely friendship between Brandon and Hannah develops naturally, and before long, Brandon doesn't even miss his tube time-and neither will readers."

School Library Journal: "The outrageous situations, quirky characters, and black-and-white cartoon illustrations are certain to appeal to children who are looking for an easy chapter book that is pure fun."

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books: "More than anything, Gauthier's novel is conceptually inspiring, and it may motivate more than one reader to click off that remote and head into the endless possibilities of imaginative play. Cepeda's cartoonish illustrations offer additional high spirits, catching the two kids in the middle of many a good adventure."

Read What The Blogs Have To Say:

A Chair, a Fireplace, and a Tea Cozy

Jen Robinson's Book Page

Other Stuff:

Selected for the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District Horned Toad Tale List (grades 3-5) for the 2009-2010 school year.

Named to the 2008 Kansas National Education Association's Reading Circle of recommended books for intermediate students (3rd - 5th grade).

Named a Junior Library Guild Selection.

Home ] My Life Among The Aliens ] Club Earth ] A Year With Butch And Spike ] The Hero of Ticonderoga ] Saving the Planet & Stuff ] Happy Kid! ] [ A Girl, a Boy and a Monster Cat ] A Girl, a Boy and Three Robbers ]

 

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February 7, 2015