There is nothing lonelier than a cat who has been loved, at least for a while, and then abandoned* on the side of the road.

    A calico cat, about to have kittens, hears the lonely howl of a chained-up hound* deep in the backwaters of the bayou* on the border between Louisiana and Texas.

    She dares to find him in the forest, and the hound dares to befriend this cat, this creature he is supposed to hate. They are an unlikely pair, about to become an unlikely family.

    Ranger the dog tells the cat to hide underneath the porch, to raise her kittens there because Gar Face, the man living inside the house, will surely use them as alligator* bait* should he find them. But they are safe in the Underneath...as long as they stay in the Underneath.

    Kittens, however, are curious* creatures. And one kitten’s one moment of curiosity sets off* a chain of events that is surprising, remarkable, and enormous* in its meaning.

    Author Kathi Appelt spins a harrowing* yet sweet tale about the power of love — and its opposite, hate — the fragility* of happiness and the importance of making good on your promises.

    Published in 2008, “The Underneath” is a John Newbery Honor book, ALA Notable Children’s Book and was a National Book Award finalist.

    Both Chinese and English books are available.(SD-Agencies)