All around Marnie, things are disappearing.Her father, a schizophrenic writer, has gone missing.The cats in the neighbourhood, her own Mr. Knuckles included, have vanished. Have they been kidnapped? Or has something scared them away?Marnie could really do with some help from those she loves, but her best friend has her own problems and her sister Jess, seems to be unravelling. What's more worrying is that she's starting to feel a presence - a hot breath on her cheek, a wisp of mane - and it is getting more noticeable daily. Is she imagining things, or has someone - or some thing - come to help her?An utterly original and hugely imaginative debut, Advice for Strays is a novel about love, loss, family and a very unusual friendship.

"Finally, a book that deals with stray cats; a how-to guide to trapping and dealing with a stray cat. As a pet owner, animal lover and director of a humane organization that deals with stray cats every day, this book gives us one more tool to offer to people who want to help the thousands of strays that wander our streets. Bravo!" Joseph J. Sprague, Jr., Executive Director, Tree House Animal Foundation "Tamara Kreuz cares about the plight of stray and feral cats and gives practical ways to help them. Individuals and shelters can benefit from this book. If those who find stray animals can themselves set about to help by finding homes for domestic strays, or by creating safe havens for feral cats, this will make life a lot easier for shelter personnel, who are all too often overburdened by the number of animals they receive. We highly recommend The Stray Cat Handbook." Louise Holton and Becky Robinson, Co-founders, Alley Cat Allies: The National Feral Cat Network "This is a must read for those considering animal rescue work. The information and suggestions provided are first rate and are based on actual experiences." Linda A. Heller, Division Manager, Orange County Animal Services (Florida) A Howell Cat Book of Distinction

Could life as a foster kid lead to unexpected benefits? A teenager’s link to animals gives way to human connection in a smart, incisive new novel. (Age 14 and up) Sixteen-year-old Ted O’Connor’s parents just died in a fiery car crash, and now he’s stuck with a set of semi-psycho foster parents, two foster brothers -- Astin, the cocky gearhead, and C.W., the sometimes gangsta -- and an inner-city high school full of delinquents. He’s having pretty much the worst year of his miserable life. Or so he thinks. Is it possible that becoming an orphan is not the worst thing that could have happened to him? Drawing on his trademark wit and sharp insight, master novelist Ron Koertge takes the lead with this smart, surprising story about a boy learning to run with a new pack.

A step-by-step guide to saving stray pets, keeping your household clean, and not becoming a pet hoarder.

A girl struggling to fit in. A homeless kitten. An unexpected job offer in an unfamiliar country that changes everything. CJ had a long history of escaping places and people she wasn't fond of. But for the sake of a silver tabby, she decided to stay in Japan for a while. This decision helped her open up her heart and mind, revisit her way of thinking, and reconnect with her estranged family. Let this heartwarming memoir take you to the land of cats and cherry trees as you read about CJ's adventures - from the craziness of the naked men festival, the experience of forest bathing and the significance of finding a life purpose or ikigai, to the temples of Takayama, and wonders of Cat Island - you'll see what a homeless kitten found outside a temple in Japan taught her about an old culture and new beginnings

Sometimes, life becomes unleashed... Sixteen-year-old Iris Moody has a problem controlling her temper—but then, she has a lot to be angry about. Dead mother. Workaholic father. Dumped by her boyfriend. Failing English. When a note in Iris’s journal is mistaken as a threat against her English teacher, she finds herself in trouble not only with school authorities but with the law. In addition to summer school, dog-phobic Iris is sentenced to an entire summer of community service, rehabilitating troubled dogs. Iris believes she is nothing like Roman, the three-legged pit bull who is struggling to overcome his own dark past, not to mention the other humans in the program. But when Roman’s life is on the line, Iris learns that counting on the help of others may be the only way to save him. With sparkling prose and delightful humor, Jennifer Caloyeras’s novel beautifully portrays the human-animal bond.