Bad Kitty Takes the Test
By Darienne Stewart,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Sympathetic, sly send-up of testing is both smart and funny.
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What's the Story?
In BAD KITTY TAKES THE TEST, Kitty has gotten notice that her cat license has been revoked following an awkward altercation involving some birds and a fall from a tree, along with some other un-cat-like behavior. Now she must take a class and pass the test to get her license back. The test, surprisingly, is conducted by an irritable chicken who proves to have another agenda. Chatty Kitty is in the class too, along with Uncle Murray, who thought he was getting his driver's license renewed. After hours of test prep, an abrasive chicken with an ulterior motive issues a final challenge that's utterly impossible ... or is it?
Is It Any Good?
Teachers and students will be tickled by Nick Bruel's kind but rebellious take on standardized testing. Respect the test, he advises, and take it seriously, but it's OK to giggle at the silliness of it all. Bad Kitty Takes the Test earns high marks all around: It's a wonderful book for kids who hate tests, kids who might love them too much, and everyone in between.
Bruel is a skilled satirist, and he's clearly no fan of standardized testing: The cat-licensing outfit is SCAM (for Society of Cat Aptitude Management), the prep class mostly involves watching an old video, and even the instructor implies it's a poor use of time. But that's no excuse to cheat or give up, Bruel makes clear. It's a sober message but delivered with the zany glee that makes the Bad Kitty series so much fun.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the silly exam in Bad Kitty Takes the Test. Do you ever feel like tests are unfair?
How do you feel before a big test? How do you prepare for it?
What strategies do you think work best for you when learning something new?
Book Details
- Author: Nick Bruel
- Illustrator: Nick Bruel
- Genre: School
- Topics: Cats, Dogs, and Mice
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
- Publication date: January 3, 2017
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 7 - 10
- Number of pages: 144
- Available on: Nook, Hardback, iBooks
- Last updated: February 26, 2020
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