Cats and Books and Libraries and Books and Cats

Library cards from Mississippi public libraries

The month of September marks the celebration of two of my favorite things. It's both Library Card Sign-up Month and Happy Cat Month.














For all my fellow library-loving ailurophiles, here are some of my all-time favorite cat books found at the Mississippi Library Commission:

Jean Craighead George nails cat behavior for the younger set in How to Talk to Your Cat. Your cat still won't be able to talk back, but you'll have much better insight as to what your fuzzy feline is thinking.

What is it about certain animal books that always makes me tear up? Two Bobbies by Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery is a tale of true friendship between a dog named Bobbi and a cat named Bob during and after Hurricane Katrina. Their survival story is a completely satisfying read for young and old.

Gary Soto's Chato's Kitchen features a trip to the barrio. The mouthwatering descriptions of food and the vibrant pictures will pull you in, but you and your kids will be captivated by the adventures of Chato the cat. Will he be able to lure his new mice neighbors to his home for a feast where they feature as the main course?

The Sophisticated Cat is a cat-lovers smorgasbord, with offerings of cat poetry and cat stories both new and old. Want to know what Faulkner had to say about cats? How about Balzac? This is definitely the book for you.

My Cat Spit McGee is Willie Morris' memoir of the first cat he ever loved, and what a wonderful tribute it is. Fall in love for the first time all over again.

Vicki Myron's spirited tale of library cat Dewey is enough to enchant the most stout-hearted ailurophobe. Dewey is also, in my reckoning, the perfect book for Happy Cat Month and Library Card Sign-up Month--it's the best of both worlds.

I invite you to drop by the Mississippi Library Commission or your local public library to pick up your own library card... and a book about your favorite cat!