Orr, Wendy. Missing! A Cat Called Buster.

Orr, Wendy.  Missing! A Cat Called Buster. (Rainbow Street Shelter)     Henry Holt/Macmillan Children's Pub Group, 2011.  117p.  $15.99.  ISBN 978-0-8050-8932-5    elem  VG-BNe      Cat Story  

     When the pet you have loved dies, can your heart find room for a new pet?  In this, the second title in the Rainbow Street Shelter series, Josh finds the answer to that question.  Josh and his family are dealing with the death of their pet rabbit.  At about the same time a neighborhood cat goes missing.  Much of the story is told through the eyes of Buster, the large marmalade cat.  When Buster’s owner falls and can’t get up, Buster stays with him until he can call for help.  When the ambulance takes his owner away, Buster panics and runs away.  He works his way home but hides from everyone.  Josh feels so bad for Buster that he keeps searching for him.  Josh finally rescues Buster and finds that Buster has chosen him to be his new owner, rather than the other way around. 
Every pet owner will love this story.  It deals with the death of a pet and the feeling that you never want to hurt this much again.  It also deals with a scared animal in panic mode. Students will empathize with both the human and animal characters.  It touches on the work of an animal-rescue shelter.  It also addresses the attachment between pet and owner.
     The suspense builds and is pleasantly resolved.  Sometimes the reader can predict the action, but there are unexpected twists.  An altogether enjoyable read for upper-elementary-grade students.         

     The Rainbow Street Shelter series will soon have three titles about animals who may be lost, or have never had a home, but all of whom need someone to love.  The titles are Lost! A Dog Named Bear, Missing! A Cat Called Buster, and soon to be published, Wanted! A Guinea Pig Called Henry.  

Joan Theal