Mysteriously missing parents, a boy who speaks Cat, an extraordinary floating circus, and a handsome hoodlum villain...get ready for one of the most spectacular adventure stories around! When young Charlie Ashanti returns home one day to find an empty house, he launches immediately into the journey of a lifetime. Sleazy Rafi, a teenage boy who can usually be found lurking around the playground, shows up, claiming that Charlies parents have gone on a trip. Our hero plays dumb and quickly escapes Rafis clutches only to find himself stowed away on the most remarkable ship the Thames River has ever kept afloat. Taking advantage of his astonishing ability to speak the language of cats, Charlie sets in motion a chain of communication from London to Paris via scruffy alley toms, fluffy lap kitties, and even a ferocious lion or two. Along the way, the clever boy manages to stay one step ahead of the rogues pursuing him, but unfortunately always one step behind his parents.!
Written by a mother-daughter team. Interesting, but it didn't capture my 11 y/o daughter's attention as much as I thought it would. Plot is a young boy who can speak "cat" who uses this skill to find his kidnapped parents.
One of my favorites
