Carbonel: The King of the Cats

This is an old-fashioned book in many ways, yet my very modern 11 year old just loved it -- I bought it sight unseen, and when I got it I was a little afraid that he might find it too young for him, but he absolutely adored it. The vocabulary does not talk down to children, and there are a lot of British words, and some that describe things most modern kids have never seen (a coal skuttle, for instance), so it was challenging enough to keep his attention. The heroine, Rosemary, has a sidekick named John, which I think also helped keep his attention -- like many boys, he likes to read about other boys in preference to girls. Th author brings the story to life slowly and magestically; it is very well written. A good read-aloud, too.

This was a favorite book from my childhood. I just ordered it for my own daughter, who just loves cats. (We have three.) Even though she's 15, she still loved reading "Carbonel: The King of Cats." I'm so pleased that it's back in print! Some children's books are so good that you don't have to be young to enjoy them. This is one.

This book was one of my favorites growing up. It is an excellent tale of a magic cat and a witch's hat, broom, and cauldron, which 2 children bring together to restore Carbonel's rightful place as King of the Cats. Animal lovers will enjoy this book very much.

My dad, a teacher at a local polytech, would often bring home castoffs from the school's library in case I found something in them I'd enjoy. Amongst my pile of discovered treasures were illustrated paperbacks of The Wizard of Oz series, an SE Hinton that I found fascinating because it was so 'grown up' for me, and a water-damaged hardcover copy of Carbonel: The King of Cats (which had one page in it bound upside-down). Because of all the travelling our family did, I've long since lost my childhood collection of books, but I will never forget the Summer evenings I spent imagining myself in the the far away land of Tottenham Grove - arguing with conceited black cats, eating cucumber sandwhiches for lunch, and muttering short but eloquent spells to asuage the bruised ego of a flying broom. I admired Rosemary's take-charge, independent spirit, blushed at the hint of possible romance between her and John, and for a while, I checked every black cat I encountered for evidence of royalty. After all these years, I'm excited to know that Carbonel is still in print because I can't wait to introduce this King of Cats to my own children. Very much a predecessor to Harry Potter, I know this story has enough thrills, suspense, fun and, yes, magic to keep even the most sophisticated young readers thoroughly entertained.

My 4th grade teacher read this to us. She made us put our heads on our desk while she read to us, we all felt we were much too old for this book but were instantly drawn in and couldn't wait till she got to the end. I loved this book as a child, and as a parent, and now a grandparent. If your younger child loves Harry Potter, this is a great book, especially for a girl. It has a strong female protagonist and just enough humor, as well as mystery and magic, to keep everyone interested.