Da Vinci's Cat

Two unlikely friends--Federico, in sixteenth-century Rome, andBee, in present-day New Jersey--are linked through an amiable cat, Leonardo DaVinci's mysterious wardrobe, and an eerily perfect sketch of Bee. Newbery Honorauthor Catherine Gilbert Murdock's Da Vinci's Cat is a thrilling, time-slip fantasy about rewriting history to save the present. This inventive novelwill engross anyone who loved When You Reach Me and A Wrinkle in Time.

Federico doesn't mind being a political hostage inthe Pope's palace, especially now that he has a cat as a friend. But he mustadmit that a kitten walking into a wardrobe and returning full-grown a momentlater is quite odd. Even stranger is Herbert, apparently an art collector fromthe future, who emerges from the wardrobe the next night. Herbert barters withFederico to get a sketch signed by the famous painter Raphael, but his planstake a dangerous turn when he hurries back to his era, desperate to save adying girl.

Bee never wanted to move to New Jersey. When aneighbor shows Bee a sketch that perfectly resembles her, Bee, freaked out, solidifies her resolve to keep to herself. But then she meets a friendly catand discovers a mysterious cabinet in her neighbor's attic--a cabinet that leadsher to Renaissance Rome. Bee, who has learned about Raphael and Michelangelo inschool, never expected she'd get to meet them and see them paint theirmasterpieces.

This compelling time-slip adventure by NewberyHonor author Catherine Gilbert Murdock is full of action, mystery, history, art, and friendship--and features one unforgettable cat.

Includes an author's note about the art, artists, andhistory that inspired the novel .