The Great Escape by Natalie Haynes (Simon & Schuster)

Summary:

Twelve-year-old girl is working with dad cleaning windows in a lab, vegetarian and also anti-vivisection, hates the lab, likes all animals the same (i.e., doesn't care if it's a rat or a cat, etc.). Helps a cat escape, guy who runs the lab is painted as an awful misanthrope, etc. She gets all the other cats out--nice reflections on cat-ness, very funny in a lot of parts, and a lot of fun. It's a book for young teenagers, I think, but it's really a lot of fun and funny, even for older readers . The author is a veg. a.r. person and the book is stellar. It's pro-vegetarian and anti-vivisection and a really good time. The author, Natalie Haynes, is a London-based stand up comedian and also had a Web site just for the book.

A.R. Content: Excellent

It paints animals as thinking, feeling, beings with emotions; it's pro-veg and anti-viv on ethical grounds.

Presentation: Excellent

It's a page turner--very well written. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Buy it.

Bruce Friedrich

Vice President, International Grassroots Campaigns

International animal-smuggling, illicit computer-hacking, break-neck chases and a fast-talking cat. Just your ordinary school holidays...

It's the summer holidays and Millie's bored stiff. Every week, she has to clean windows with her dad at a nearby laboratory. But she's sure something weird is going on inside...

Then one day, a cat comes hurtling through the lobby towards her... and asks her for help. And Max needs a lot of help. He's trying to escape, he wants to know who kidnapped him and why - who on earth would want to make cats that can talk? And he needs Millie to help him rescue the friends he's left behind, before it's too late...

"A first-rate read on all levels, not just for children, but adults too, and a salutary warning to cats everywhere to mind their Ps and Qs."
- Michael Bond

"Funny, fresh and feline - this is a strange, sinister, shimmering story which will appeal to cats of all ages."
- Julie Burchill

More fun stuff

New! Natalie will be appearing at Birmingham Central Library as part of the Young Readers Birmingham Season on 22 May 2008.

You can download [.m4a, 6.9 MB] an audio clip of Dan Mersh reading chapters 1-3 of The Great Escape...

... read the first chapter for yourself...

... and you can watch a video of Natalie talking about The Great Escape below.