Module 8: The Stranger Next Door

Module 8: The Stranger Next Door

Book Summary:

Alex is not very happy in his family's new home. They are one of the first in the new development, there are no others kids around to play with, and the bullies at school torment him because his house is where they used to ride their dirt bikes. It seems that Alex only has one friend and that is his cat, Pete. Unbeknownst to Alex, Pete is brilliant and can understand English even if he can't talk back. Alex is excited when a boy his age moves next door, but the boy wants nothing to do with him. Soon after the new arrival, local street signs are destroyed and arson fires damage local homes. When there are suspects everywhere, it takes teamwork and a little bit of trust for Alex and his new friend to help catch the criminals and try to stay out of harm's way. Pete the Cat acts as both narrator and detective, adding quite a bit of humor to this story.

APA Reference of Book:

Kehret, P. (2002). The stranger next door. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.

Impressions:

This book is a fast paced read and great for readers with short attention spans. There is always something happening and the constant additions to the text from Pete the cat keep things lively and fun. There is a wide variety of subject material in the book and there was more going on with the plot than I ascertained from reading the summary on the book. The evasive young boy who moves in next door is actually trying to deal with being in the Witness Protection Program because his mother is testifying in a major drug trial. I think the author does a good job portraying the mixed feelings and difficulty in adjusting that a boy this age would have with the whole situation. He doesn't just passively accept his life being turned upside down, he is mad about it!

Most of the mystery element in this book revolves around Pete the cat. The reader can see Pete's thoughts and understand his "words" and follows his actions when Pete is not with Alex. Pete turns out to be the main investigator in this book: he watches the different suspects in the neighborhood, finds clues and leads the human investigators to them, and saves Alex when he is trapped in a house fire by alerting the neighbors. It is a lot of fun to watch Pete's brand of mystery-solving where he is literally sniffing out clues and using scents to identify criminals. This is humor, mystery and realistic fiction all bound up into one fast compelling little read.

Professional Review:

KIRKUS REVIEW

Fans of Kehret (Saving Lily, 2001, etc.)—and fans of cats—will appreciate this suspenseful novel about two boys who discover friendship after facing peril. This is thanks in no small part to the author’s resourceful feline, Pete the Cat, who “cowrote” the novel (his contributions to Kehret’s narrative are explained in the amusing prologue and are italicized throughout). Said feline also wrote a juicy role for himself within the storyline so that he figures in the solution to the mystery. Happily for readers, while Pete’s “speech” sounds like plain old meow to his unknowing owners, his writing is perfectly comprehensible as English. Twelve-year-old Alex Kendrill has moved to a new housing development in Seattle with his parents, six-year-old brother, and pet cat. Friendless at school and picked on by some bullies, Alex’s spirits pick up when he learns a new family is moving in next door. Believing he might make a new friend at last, Alex’s hopes are dashed when the boy, Rocky Morris, in fact shuns contact and is evasive about himself and his past. Kehret keeps her story exciting and dangerous. There are vandals afoot, not to mention a mysterious arsonist who attempts to murder Alex in a terrifying episode in which Alex is trapped in a house that the arsonist has set ablaze. Add to this Rocky’s constant fear that his family’s closely guarded secret will be found out: they are in the Witness Protection Program because Rocky’s mom’s testimony before Congress will bring down a major drug kingpin. All these ingredients add up to a satisfying, fast-paced read. Readers will be caught up in the action even as they are amused by Pete’s astute observations and adroit detective work. (Fiction. 10-12)

The Stranger Next Door. (2010). [Review of the book The stranger next door by P. Kehret]. Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved from: http://www.kirkusreviews.com

Library Uses:

Hold a writing contest for upper elementary students. Using this book as an example, challenge them to re-write a favorite book scene from the point of view of a pet.

Add to a suggested reading list of comedic mystery novels for older elementary students.