Scout the School Cat

  Misty the Scared Kitten

  Shadow the Lonely Cat

  Ruby the Runaway Kitten

  Star the Little Farm Cat

  Frost and Snowdrop the Stray Kittens

  Sooty the Birthday Cat

  Scout the School Cat

  Bobby the Show-Off Cat

  Chapter 1

  “Ready to go, Kitty?” asked Grandma.

  “Ready!” replied Kitty Kimura, picking up her bag and taking a deep breath. “First day of school, here I come!”

  “Let me take a photo of you before we set off. Smile!” said Grandma, snapping a picture on her phone. “I promised your parents I would send them one. They’re going to be so proud of you!”

  Kitty and Grandma left their house and walked down the street together, holding hands. Kitty’s mom and dad were in Japan this week, looking for new things to sell in their special Japanese shop. Kitty missed them, but she was glad Grandma was taking her to school today. As they reached the gates, Kitty held Grandma’s hand a little tighter, and stared at the ground.

  “What’s wrong, Kitty? I thought you were excited for your first day,” said Grandma, looking worried.

  “I am. But . . . well, it’s just that I’m not going to be in the same class as Jenny and Evie,” she explained. “They’re my best friends in the whole world! What if I don’t see them anymore? And what if I don’t make any new friends this year?”

  “Oh, Kitty-cat. Don’t worry,” said Grandma gently, giving her a hug. “You will still see Jenny and Evie all the time. And you’ll make lots of new friends, I promise. All you have to do is be yourself. Show your new class what makes Kitty Kimura special!” Her brown eyes twinkled, and she tapped the pretty necklace that Kitty was wearing. On the silver charm was a picture of a cat, along with some tiny words. “Although, maybe don’t show them everything . . .”

  Kitty couldn’t help smiling. There was something very special about Kitty, but it was a big secret. When she said the magical words on her necklace, she turned into a cat! She could twitch her whiskers, swish her tail, and run along the tops of fences on her four padded paws. She could even talk to other cats.

  Grandma was the only other person in the world who knew the secret, because she shared the same amazing gift. No one else could ever find out, though, not even Mom and Dad, or the magic would be broken.

  Kitty stepped through the gates and looked at the school playground, with the school building ahead of her. It looked bigger than she’d remembered it.

  “There you are!”

  Kitty heard footsteps behind her, and turned around. “Jenny! Evie!” she cried, waving as her best friends ran over.

  “We’ve been looking all over for you!” said Jenny, giving her a big hug. “We thought, seeing as we’re not in the same class as you this year . . .”

  “We should all walk into school together!” finished Evie, grinning.

  “We know you’ll make lots of friends in your new class,” Jenny said, “but the three of us are still going to hang out, right?”

  “Definitely!” replied Kitty, beaming at her friends.

  “You see?” whispered Grandma, kissing Kitty on her forehead. “You’ll do great, Kitty.”

  The bell rang, and everyone started running toward the school building, shouting goodbye to their parents and grandparents. As Kitty passed a row of rosebushes on the edge of the playground, a movement caught her eye. She paused, seeing a pair of bright blue eyes and a small black nose. It was a tiny kitten, hiding behind the leaves. The kitten’s coat was covered in black and brown splotches. Kitty knew that meant she was a tortoiseshell—because her markings looked a little bit like the shell of a tortoise. She wore a pretty blue collar to match her eyes.

  What’s a kitten doing all alone in the school playground? wondered Kitty.

  She took a step toward the rosebushes, but the kitten gave a nervous squeal and darted away. Kitty was about to follow, but Evie was calling her.

  “Kitty! Come on! If we’re late on our first day, we’ll get in trouble!”

  Kitty knew she was right, so together they ran inside and found their new classrooms. Kitty was relieved to see that hers was right next door to Jenny and Evie’s.

  “Good luck!” called Jenny and Evie, waving as they walked inside.

  Kitty suddenly felt nervous again. She peeped inside her own classroom, and saw rows of brightly colored desks and chairs, a cozy reading area with shelves full of books, and lots of animal posters decorating the walls. It definitely looked fun.

  “Come inside! I’m Ms. Babbitt,” said a woman with a kind smile, spotting Kitty at the door. She had very short blond hair and dangly silver earrings. “Welcome to my class! Why don’t you take this seat right here?”

  Kitty put her school bag under her new desk and waved shyly at the girl sitting next to her. “Er, hi,” she said. “I’m Kitty.”

  “My name’s Mia,” replied the girl, smiling. She had curly black hair, lots of freckles, and glasses with bright orange frames. “Oh, I love your necklace! Is that a cat? Cats are my favorite animal!”

  “Mine too!” replied Kitty, reaching for her necklace. She wished she could tell Mia all about her magic secret, because she was sure Mia would want to be friends with her then. But she knew that wasn’t allowed. Just be yourself, she thought, remembering Grandma’s advice. “I don’t have my own cat, though,” she explained. “Do you?”

  “Yes! I’ll show you a picture,” said Mia excitedly. She opened her pencil case and pulled out a photograph. “That’s me, that’s my little brother Nico, and that’s our cat. Isn’t he gorgeous?”

  Kitty managed not to gasp out loud. She knew this cat! It was Tiger. He was the leader of the Cat Council, a group of cats who met whenever any cat in town had a problem or needed help.

  She remembered Tiger telling her about his owner. “She’s the sweetest little girl in the world!” he had purred. “She always makes sure I have lots of treats, and she brushes my fur really gently, so that I don’t get knots or tangles. And she’s always ready to play, the second she gets home from school. I’m one lucky cat!”

  Kitty realized that all this time, Tiger had been talking about Mia—and now, Mia and Kitty were sitting together at school! Now I’m the lucky one, she thought happily. She could already tell that she and Mia were going to be friends. After all, they had something very important in common. Cats!

  At the front of the classroom, Ms. Babbitt clapped her hands together. “Hello, everyone!” she called. “Now that you’ve all found your seats, I want to make a special announcement. I know some of you might be feeling a little nervous about starting this new school year. That’s very normal, so don’t worry. This week, we’re going to spend lots of time getting to know each other.”

  Kitty and Mia glanced at one another and grinned.

  “Starting school can be even harder when it’s your very first time,” Ms. Babbitt continued. “Do any of you remember starting in kindergarten?”

  Around the classroom, lots of heads nodded. “It was really scary,” called a boy with curly black hair.

  Ms. Babbitt smiled. “Right! Well, we have a brand-new kindergarten class starting at school today, and I’d like some volunteers to help them settle in. You will each be paired with a buddy from the kindergarten class. A few times a week, you’ll meet up with your buddy and talk to them about starting school. You’ll be someone they can talk to if they have any worries or questions.”

  It sounds a little bit like Cat Council, but for children instead of cats! thought Kitty, hiding a smile. She raised her hand. “I’d like to help,” she said.

  “So would I!” added Mia.

  “Excellent,” said Ms. Babbitt, as several more hands went i
nto the air. “You’ll all meet your kindergarten buddies soon!”

  When the final bell rang that afternoon, Kitty and Mia walked outside together. A big group of people were waiting at the gates, waving. “There’s my dad,” Mia said, pointing at a tall man with curly hair just like hers. “I’d better go. Tiger will be missing me. I always give him a huge hug as soon as I get home. See you tomorrow, Kitty!”

  “Bye!” called Kitty, waving as Mia rushed off. She spotted Grandma and ran over.

  “Kitty! How was your first day?” Grandma asked, opening her arms for a hug.

  “It was great!” exclaimed Kitty. “I like my teacher a lot. And I’m sitting next to a really nice girl. She loves cats too!”

  “That’s wonderful, Kitty-cat,” replied Grandma, smiling. “I’m proud of you.”

  Kitty skipped all the way home. She had made it through her first day of school and she had made a new friend—she couldn’t wait to go back tomorrow!

  chapter 2

  On Friday afternoon, Ms. Babbitt announced it was time for the volunteers to meet their kindergarten buddies. She led Kitty, Mia, and the other students down the hall. A friendly-looking man popped his head out from one of the doorways just as they reached it.

  “Hi, everyone!” he said. “I’m Mr. Rolland. Come inside.”

  Everyone went into the classroom, which was very noisy. Kitty giggled as Mia nudged her and whispered, “They don’t look like they need much help settling in, do they?” Mia was right—the kindergartners looked excited, shouting and laughing and bouncing on their chairs.

  “Let’s see,” said Mr. Rolland, picking up a piece of paper. “Mia? Your buddy is Charlotte, sitting over there.”

  A tiny kindergartner with long braids and a bunny T-shirt stood up so quickly, she almost knocked over her chair. “Woops, careful!” laughed Mia.

  Mr. Rolland read out the names of Kitty’s classmates, and one by one, they went to sit with their buddies. Soon the room was full of chatter and laughter. Finally, Mr. Rolland reached the end of his list. “So you must be Kitty,” he said, smiling at her. “Your buddy is Lila. Lila’s sitting in the far corner, by the window.”

  Kitty looked where Mr. Rolland was pointing, expecting to see another excited face. Instead, she saw a little girl sitting by herself, staring sadly out of the window. Her arms were wrapped around her legs, and her chin rested on her knees.

  Mr. Rolland bent down to whisper to Kitty. “Lila might need some extra help from you,” he explained quietly. “She’s finding it a bit tougher than the other children in my class to settle in.”

  Suddenly, Kitty felt really nervous. Lila looked like she didn’t want to talk to anyone! Mr. Rolland went on, “When I asked Ms. Babbitt who she thought would be the best buddy for Lila, she said your name right away.”

  “Really?” asked Kitty, surprised.

  “Really! Ms. Babbitt thinks you’re one of the friendliest, most helpful kids in her class.”

  Kitty walked over to Lila, feeling a little bit more confident. “Hello, Lila, I’m Kitty,” she said, in a gentle voice. “I’ve just started in Ms. Babbitt’s class, and I’m your new buddy.”

  Lila didn’t even look up. Kitty decided to keep trying. “Do you like school so far?” she asked.

  Lila shook her head.

  “Why not?” asked Kitty. “Mr. Rolland seems really nice.”

  Lila glanced at her. “He is nice,” she admitted in a small, sad voice. “But I don’t have any friends here. I don’t have anyone to talk to or to play with.”

  “Well, I’m your friend now!” Kitty told her. “And you can talk to me or play with me whenever you like. And I bet lots of your classmates would like to be friends with you.”

  “I already have a best friend,” Lila explained, looking gloomily at the floor. “But she’s not here. And it feels really strange without her.”

  “Oh!” said Kitty. “That’s exactly what happened to me this year, Lila! My two best friends are in a different class from me, too. So I know how you feel. But just because you’re not in the same class doesn’t mean you can’t still be best friends, you know?”

  But Lila didn’t look very sure. And the more Kitty tried to chat to her buddy about her problem, the quieter Lila became.

  Finally, Mr. Rolland clapped his hands. “It’s almost home time. Class, let’s all say a big thank you to our new friends for visiting us today,” he called.

  Kitty thought Lila looked sadder than ever when she murmured a small “thank you.”

  “Don’t worry. I promise it will get better,” she told the little girl. “You’ll see.”

  Mia couldn’t wait to tell Kitty all about her own buddy. “Charlotte is really funny!” she said as they walked back to their classroom together. “She loves rabbits and soccer. What was your buddy like?”

  Kitty sighed and explained her conversation with Lila.

  “Poor Lila!” said Mia, frowning. “What are you going to do?”

  Kitty shook her head. “I don’t know, but I’ve got to help her. Maybe I’ll ask my grandma what she thinks. She’s good at helping people.”

  Once Kitty and Mia had collected their backpacks, they went into the playground to wait for Grandma and Mia’s dad. Jenny and Evie were waiting for their parents too. “Hi, Kitty!” they called.

  “Hi!” replied Kitty, smiling. “Mia, these are my best friends, Jenny and Evie. And this is Mia—we sit next to each other in class.”

  “You and Kitty are soooo lucky. Everyone says Ms. Babbitt is the nicest teacher,” Evie said to Mia. “Ms. Cortez is funny, but she’s given us so much homework already.”

  Jenny nodded and pulled a face. “And I just wanted to spend the weekend playing with Misty!” she groaned. “I’ve missed her so much all week!”

  “Misty is Jenny’s cat,” Kitty explained to Mia.

  “I love cats!” said Mia excitedly. “I have a cat too.”

  “Ooh, we all love cats!” said Evie. “What’s yours called?”

  “Tiger. He’s a big tabby tomcat,” said Mia.

  “I have two cats, Coco and Ruby. Ruby’s just a kitten, and she’s so, so cute,” Evie said. “Hey, why don’t you come over to my house tomorrow, and then you can meet them both, Mia? Jenny and Kitty are already coming over to hang out.”

  “Oh!” Mia blushed, but looked very pleased. “I’d love to. But I need to ask my dad. Hold on!”

  Kitty watched as Mia rushed over to her dad, who had just arrived at the school gates. They spoke for a moment, then Mia turned round and nodded eagerly. “Dad says it’s okay!” she called.

  Kitty had a warm, happy feeling in her tummy. At the start of the week, she had been so worried that she wouldn’t have any friends at school. Now, the four of them were going to spend tomorrow together!

  This first week at school had almost been perfect—apart from Lila. Kitty thought again about the little girl, and her problem. She misses her best friend, Kitty remembered. Next time I see her, I’ll tell her that just because you make a new friend, it doesn’t mean you have to lose your old ones!

  When Grandma arrived to collect Kitty, she was still thinking about Lila. “You look lost in thought!” chuckled Grandma, bending down to give her a hug.

  Grandma listened, looking very thoughtful, as Kitty told her all about Lila.

  “I really want to help her!” she finished.

  “You will,” Grandma told her. “You always do, Kitty. Just think about how many cats you have helped.”

  Grandma was right. Since Kitty had discovered her special gift, she had found lots of ways to help the cats in town. In fact, the Cat Council had decided to give Kitty a very important job: she was the Guardian of the Cat Council. That meant she used all her human knowledge to try to solve the most tricky cat problems.

  That gave Kitty an idea. Lila had a human problem—so maybe Kitty could use her cat knowledge to solve it? She just didn’t know how yet . . .

  As Grandma and Kitty left the school playground
, Kitty was still deep in thought—until something caught her eye. She gasped and pointed to a nearby oak tree. At the bottom of the trunk, a small triangle had been scratched into the bark.

  “Grandma, the symbol!” she said. “Someone wants to call a meeting of the Cat Council!”

  Chapter 3

  After dinner that night, Kitty helped Grandma wash the dishes. They couldn’t leave for the Cat Council meeting until it was dark, since people might notice all the cats in town heading to their meeting place. Kitty fidgeted impatiently until, finally, Grandma nodded. “It’s time!” she said.

  Kitty felt a shiver of excitement run through her. She stood next to Grandma, and they both touched the silver cat necklaces they wore. Grandma’s was just like Kitty’s. “Let’s say the words together,” Grandma said. “Ready?”

  “Ready!”

  “Human hands to kitten paws,

  Human fingers, kitten claws.”

  Kitty closed her eyes and waited for the magic to begin. First, she felt the tiniest tingle in her nose. It spread to her ears, then her neck, and through her shoulders and arms to her fingertips. It was like being filled up with shooting sparkles!

  When the tingling sensation began to fade, she opened her eyes. Where Grandma had stood a moment ago, there was now a black cat with white markings—markings that looked just like the white streak in Grandma’s black hair. Because this was Grandma—in her cat form!

  And when Kitty looked down, she saw two small, furry black paws. Then she heard a happy rumbling sound. It was coming from deep inside her own throat. Kitty was purring because she, too, had turned into a cat!

  “Come on!” meowed Grandma. She sprang onto the kitchen table, landing lightly on her paws before bounding up to the windowsill and out of the open kitchen window.

  Kitty followed, enjoying the feeling of the air whooshing through her fur and whiskers. No matter how many times she turned into a cat, she never got used to how fast she could run, or how high she could jump. The world always felt bigger and more full of things to explore. She could squeeze through the tiniest gap in a garden fence and trot along the top of the highest walls without ever losing her balance. Flicking back her ears, she could even hear the tiny insects crunching through leaves and spiders spinning their delicate webs.