The Summer Cat Caper

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

She may be a vegetarian, but 14-year-old Ingrid Lundstrom is no
shrinking violet. A confirmed animal-rights activist, she wears T-shirts
that say “Meat Stinks” and “Extinction Is Forever.” She stands
up to her prank-playing brothers by taking their favorite toys hostage
and threatening to flush them down the toilet. Ingrid normally does not
take any guff from anyone, but when she learns about a man who is
locking up stray cats in a hot, airless shed, even she has to pause
before she makes her next move. Ingrid knows that if she waits for the
local humane society to get involved, the cats might die from
dehydration. But if Ingrid follows her instincts and rescues the cats
herself, she may be caught and charged with breaking and entering. She
now has to make a choice between her principles and her personal
well-being.

Like her protagonist, Anita Utas is a self-confessed vegetarian and
rescuer of stray cats. Her well-written story incorporates these
elements without being shrill or one-sided. She writes with humor and
originality. Her characters are fully realized. The plot takes an
interesting turn when the original crisis ends in mid-book and a new,
romantic one takes over. Recommended.