POCKET BEAR by Katherine Applegate

  Katherine Applegate’s POCKET BEAR is, like so many of her others, a middle grade novel with depth. Her narrator is a self-assured cat named Zephyrina, nicknamed fondly Kleptocat, by a young Ukrainian girl and her mother who tenderly nurse back to well-being the stuffed animals that this cat drags in, even as they recover from the wartime death of their husband/father. Little do they know the liveliness factor of the toys once they bed down, all led by Pocket, a small bear made in WWI, and best friend of Zephryina. The theme of death and war are balanced by the comic antics of Zephryina in response to the well-drawn villain in the story. Find a link to the book in the purchase button below.