THE SIGN OF THE CAT

With echoes of Peter Pan and the Warriors series, Lynne Jonell tells an epic tale of bravery, adventure, and self-discovery as Duncan learns to embrace his true identity.

Duncan is a perfectly average boy growing up in a fishing village. The problem is that his mother encourages him to be perfectly average: she praises him for getting mediocre grades and encourages him to avoid extra attention. His one special talent is the ability to talk to cats—but Duncan longs more than anything for academic success. He chafes at his mother’s rules as much as he chafes against wearing the hat she forces him to wear to cover up his distinctive red hair. When Duncan rebels and succeeds on a standardized test, however, people start taking notice of this boy. And it turns out that some of those people may not have the best intentions. Lynne Jonell is the author of the novels Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat, Emmy and the Home for Troubled Girls, Emmy and the Rats in the Belfry, and The Secret of Zoom, as well as several critically acclaimed picture books. Her books have been named Junior Library Guild Selections and a Smithsonian Notable Book, among numerous other honors. She teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center and lives with her family in Plymouth, Minnesota.