Leonard (My Life as a Cat) by Carlie Sorosiak

Leonard (My Life as a Cat) by Carlie Sorosiak. Walker Books, 9781536207705, 2020 (first U.S. edition 2021)

Format: Hardcover, 244 pages

Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4

Genre:  Science Fiction

What did you like about the book? Life in the hive is pretty chill with not much to worry about except your upcoming trip to Earth.  Leonard is an entity that consists of energy, no form, yet he is excited about going to earth after 300 years and to be human.  He has practiced his jokes, where he will work, and after one month how he will return to the hive and his planet.  However, as with all well laid plans, there are sure to be a hiccup or two as he discovers that he does not land in Yellowstone, his original destination, but in Turtle Beach, South Carolina.  It gets worse; he ends up not a human, but a cat in a tree during a tropical storm.  This is where he meets Olive, the little human who gives him his name, Leonard, and slowly teaches him about what it is really like to be human.  He realizes he is mortal on this world and that he needs to figure out how to get to Yellowstone or face the rest of his existence stranded on Earth.  After so many decades preparing to be human, how does one act as a cat?  Sorosiak, using humor and creativity, allows us to follow along as Leonard gets acclimated to his feline existence.  Readers will chuckle at his missteps as well as his discoveries.  Main characters are well developed and will keep readers turning pages to see what Leonard is up to next.  Sure to be a hit with cat lovers and fans of a good laugh.

Anything you didn’t like about it?  The plot is simple and easy to follow.  Readers will be able to predict some of Leonard’s cat faux pas yet they will elicit a giggle. 

To whom would you recommend this book? Readers in grades 3 and up who enjoy humorous stories about aliens, cats, and friendship will enjoy this text.  

Who should buy this book? This would be a good purchase for lower intermediate schools or public libraries that cannot get enough humorous Science Fiction with cats.  

Where would you shelve it? Science Fiction 

Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles?  I feel that this title would reside near the top of a “to read” pile.

Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Elena Schuck, Nathaniel H. Wixon School Library, Dennis, Massachusetts

Date of review: May 27, 2021