Caterpillar Summer

I bought this book because my daughter’s 4th grade class was reading it and I like to read along with them. I ended up loving this book, just like my daughter! It is well written and has a lot of great symbols. A good parent-child read and discuss book.

Cat is a character I fell in love with from page one. Her determination to keep her impulsive little brother, Chicken, safe … and happy … and entertained … and out of her hard-working, single mother’s hair … is both admirable and bittersweet (she misses out on so many kid things!). When a last-minute change of plans sends Cat and Chicken to stay with grandparents they’ve never met for three weeks of summer vacation, Cat is worried about how Chicken will cope. But as the days go by, Cat makes friends, enters a fishing contest, and learns that she and Chicken are separate people who can function apart.This funny, at times heartbreaking (have tissues handy!), and ultimately uplifting story explores the many varied and complex relationships that make up families, and hits home the important message that people aren’t fully good or completely bad, we’re all somewhere in-between.As a former 5th and 6th grade teacher, I highly recommend Caterpillar Summer for both an addition to classroom libraries, and a great read aloud.

Within two pages of reading this book, I stopped, and bought the other four novels written by Gillian McDunn. Her characterization, storyline, and descriptions of places and things are amazing! For me, this particular story had many plots that came together perfectly in the end.

My thirteen-year-old daughter took a break from reading Agatha Christie mysteries (her current craze) to read Caterpillar Summer, and she loved it. She said she loved how McDunn really seemed to "get" what it's like to be young, without making it seem little kiddish, and she loved how real Cat is, with her full range of emotions. I loved it just as much as she did and found myself wanting to underline many lines that were so insightful and/or written in a surprising, funny, original way. Reading it made me yearn for an island to take my family to, where my kids can explore and have adventures, and maybe meet a Cat to be friends with. I hated to put the book down when I finished it!Luckily, my eleven-year-old son and I are reading it together at bedtime now, so I get to hang out with Cat and Chicken some more! And reading it aloud is so fun because I get to enjoy the excellent writing even more when my son and I take turns reading it to each other. This is a great book for all ages and interests, and I can't wait to read more books by McDunn!

I really liked Cat and Chicken and watching them grow during the summer. I liked the depths to this book and I liked how fun parts of the story are. And I loved the illustrations.

An older sister with special needs brother has a great summer. Cat, a rising sixth grader, spend a lot of time taking care of her younger brother, who is on the autism spectrum. Her widowed mother has to work long hours, so it's up to Cat to do a lot of babysitting and parenting. When she and her brother unexpectedly find themselves staying with their grandparents for a few weeks, she discovers she can have fun too. She learns to fish, makes a friend, and spends a fair amount of time dealing with a bully...who may have some good qualities, too. We see that Cat has good instincts as she becomes acquainted with her mostly-silent grandpa. You meet her relatives and they start to support her, and then you'll get caught up her quests to win the local fishing contest and find out why her mom doesn't get along with her grandpa, and you won't be able to put the book down. Too many good things start to happen. This book is also helpful for those with family members on the autism spectrum; while every child is different, the story has a lot of ideas on how to make life easier for those on the milder end of the spectrum.

What a wonderful way to step into a child’s world, through the insightful mind of little Cat. I loved the way she grew to realize she was being leaned on too much by her Mom and that adults are not always the smartest people in the room. Gillian paints beautiful images of the scenes, I loved it.

Caterpillar Summer is a favorite with our family already!This heartwarming book is sure to be a classic. I immediately relate to the strong and independent Cat, and the adorable and challenging Chicken. I love the complex dynamics of an older sibling trying to do all she can to make sure Chicken is safe, but still--she's just a kid herself--and who is she in all of this? The dynamics shift even more when everything that is expected for the summer suddenly shifts, and more family adventures enter into the mix.The setting swept me away, and the way the characters interact within the gorgeous environment is very much a part of what makes this book so special.Emotional and authentic--dealing with difficult questions of identity, loss, sibling relationships, and independence, with moments or beautiful clarity and love, CATERPILLAR SUMMER is the perfect book for Middle-graders who like to get immersed in a story with characters they will always remember!

A very unique book and excellent for its target audience. While adults would find it enjoyable and understand the deeper meanings better, they might find the plot not very engaging.