The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read

Submitted by Ms. Josie!

The Summer Nick Taught His Cats to Read by Curtis Manley and Kate Berube. One summer day, Nick decides to teach his two best buddies, Stevenson and Verne, how to read. There’s just one problem–Stevenson and Verne are cats! They don’t know how to read! Nick, who loves doing everything with his cats, persists with his idea anyway. If he could learn to read, so could his furry friends! Nick plans out a thorough lesson plan starting with the basics of spelling. He first tries to teach his cats words that might appeal to them like “ball,” “food,” and “nap.” The cats continually ignore him. But Nick doesn’t give up! After a few trials, his cat Verne becomes interested in books about fish and is soon reading all by himself. Stevenson, on the other hand, becomes more and more agitated by the idea of reading (*gasp*) and hides from Nick and Verne. Stevenson’s reluctance to read worries Nick. Will he ever be able to share his love of reading with Stevenson? One afternoon, Nick and Verne discover a pile of colorful drawings under the bed–Stevenson has illustrated an entire story about pirates! So Stevenson was interested in reading after all! But instead of using words, he preferred to use pictures to tell a story. Nick and Verne decide to add to Stevenson’s story by writing in words. For the first time, Stevenson seems intrigued by words. The very next day, Stevenson is found with his whiskers in another book about pirates. Through understanding and encouragement, Nick is able to assist both of his cats as they build their individual reading skills. During this process, the cats even discover subjects that enhance their love of reading. This story kindly reminds us that each reader is unique and that building reading skills comes more easily to some than to others. With a bit of patience and persistence, young readers can attain a strong foundation for early literacy skills as well as a lifelong love of reading. See this book listed in our catalog