Review: Haven: A Small Cat’s Big Adventure by Megan Wagner Lloyd
Quick info:
Book type: Chapter Book
Target Age: 8-12 years old
Recommended Age: 7-10 years old
Plot: After Haven’s human—Ma Millie—falls ill Haven decides it’s up to her to leave their cabin in the woods and ask their neighbor for help. On her way she meets a fox looking for something new who promises to take Haven through a short cut. Haven doesn’t know if she can trust the fox but it turns out there’s something bigger and meaner following their trail.
Review:
I loved this story, it’s so sweet and adorable and would suggest it for elementary students & cat lovers! I feel it is a bit too childish and innocent for a middle schooler but it is still a nice read if they want something light and fluffy. I would suggest reading this together with a younger child as a bedtime story as well, the chapters are short and it is a fast paced story. The only thing to mention is scary imagery revolving around animal injury and death. There’s the obvious circle of life (fox eats some mice & a bobcat talks about hunting) and Haven herself is fearful of dying in the forest and there’s some scary imagery ( “…those jaws could snap closed around a little cat’s neck quite easily”). The cat’s owner dies of old age later in the story which is sad but there’s no graphic imagery of it. The biggest thing is an intense fight scene at the end where Haven ends up with an eye as “…bloodied mess” (you later find out it is injured beyond repair). Additionally, you can infer that a bobcat drowns (he was the antagonist so don’t shed a tear over him). I honestly don’t find them to be things to worry about as most children are aware of things like this.
Opinion:
I highly recommend this book! Haven is such a sweet little cat and it is fun to see the fox warm up to her. Be sure to tell your younger children that real foxes and cats should not be fed donuts as what happens in the book. It’s a good message of trying new things and believing in yourself.
Content:
Mild name calling (a fox says parents her call her a “brat”. A bobcat calls foxes “sneaky & disgusting)
Mild death and animal violence
Excerpts:
Excerpts from books are a glimpse of the content that is found and are not every instance of un-Islamic and/or “iffy” content.
Context:
Haven asks the fox if she has a name by asking what her parents call her. The fox responds with “curious brat”—the name is never mentioned again. It is clear by Haven’s reaction that that word “brat” is an unsavory word.
Context:
Down below is the fight scene previously mentioned. It may be intense for younger children but both protagonists survive so it is seen as a happy ending.
