Hotel Cat Questions
1) Would you give this book a thumbs up, side, or down? Why?
2) Let’s talk about cat speech and human speech. Why do you think that Mrs. Wilkins can understand cat speech so well, some people can understand it sort of, and others don’t at all? Does Mrs. Wilkins speak cat speak or just understand it? How do you think that works? (“Owing to the gap between cat talk and human talk” (p 5))
3) Why does Tom want to work so much? What makes him different than other cats?
4) Do you think Tom thinks that ordering around guest cats is a good idea? How is how he treats room 811 different?
5) For those of you who read last summer’s Jenny book, why are Edward, Checkers, and Jenny more similar to Tom than he realizes?
6) Does Tom want friends? Why hasn’t he had any before?
7) What does “escaped from the bulldozer” (p 76) mean? Think about NYC now. What does this sentence make you think about?
8) Why did Jenny keep silent about being a member of the cat club? Why did Tom keep silent about the tramps being in the basement?
9) Did you guess what the urgent club business would be?
10) Why did Tom like Jack Tar, the Ship’s Cat so much? Anyone want to read Jack Tar’s book?
11) Who is your favorite of the cats? Why?
12) If you were to draw a picture of a moment in this book, what would you draw?
13) Does Tom change by the end of the book?
14) Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?
15) If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask?
2) Let’s talk about cat speech and human speech. Why do you think that Mrs. Wilkins can understand cat speech so well, some people can understand it sort of, and others don’t at all? Does Mrs. Wilkins speak cat speak or just understand it? How do you think that works? (“Owing to the gap between cat talk and human talk” (p 5))
3) Why does Tom want to work so much? What makes him different than other cats?
4) Do you think Tom thinks that ordering around guest cats is a good idea? How is how he treats room 811 different?
5) For those of you who read last summer’s Jenny book, why are Edward, Checkers, and Jenny more similar to Tom than he realizes?
6) Does Tom want friends? Why hasn’t he had any before?
7) What does “escaped from the bulldozer” (p 76) mean? Think about NYC now. What does this sentence make you think about?
8) Why did Jenny keep silent about being a member of the cat club? Why did Tom keep silent about the tramps being in the basement?
9) Did you guess what the urgent club business would be?
10) Why did Tom like Jack Tar, the Ship’s Cat so much? Anyone want to read Jack Tar’s book?
11) Who is your favorite of the cats? Why?
12) If you were to draw a picture of a moment in this book, what would you draw?
13) Does Tom change by the end of the book?
14) Is the ending satisfying? If so, why? If not, why not...and how would you change it?
15) If you could ask the author a question, what would you ask?