SuitabookSammy Keyes and the psycho Kitty Queen
Wendelin Van Draanen
- Reading
- Before reading, mention that the story includes missing and dead cats and tense warnings. Afterwards, discuss Sammy’s choices, the effects of secrecy, and whether the ending feels resolved.
- Themes
- Searching for a missing cat: Sammy searches for Dorito and discovers three dead cats in dumpsters around town. The book?s stance on this remains unclear.
- Hostility and intimidation: Heather is Sammy’s arch enemy; El Gato warns her away; and Miss Kitty blames her when one dead cat is identified. The story places Sammy amid antagonistic relationships, though it is unclear whether these conflicts are challenged, resolved or reinforced.
- Truth about age and family trust: Sammy’s mother reveals that she lied about Sammy’s age, meaning Sammy is thirteen rather than nearly fourteen and began school early. The revelation disrupts Sammy’s expectations and may invite reflection on honesty and parental decision-making, but its treatment is not shown.
- Worth knowing
- Consider whether the reader is comfortable with dead animals, a threatening warning, blame from an unsettling cat owner, and a parent’s deception about the protagonist’s age.