Today's Book

I recently The Underneath by Kathi Appelt. A new addition to the children's library, I have seen it showing up on many mock Newbery lists. The book cover shows a hound dog and kittens underneath a porch and the jacket flap leads one to believe that it is a simple animal story. Rest assured, there is nothing simple about this multi-layered fantasy about good and evil, love and hate and all its power.
The story is set in a bayou where an evil man, known as Gar Face, lives with a hound dog. His is a sad story but he is not a sympathetic character. He traps and skins animals and mistreats the old dog. A mother cat, seeking refuge, moves in with the dog under the porch despite the constant threat that she and her kittens will be discovered. The kittens are special and must survive.
There is an old tree, dying in the bayou. At its roots is a jar containing a cotton mouth snake, a selkie thousands of years old. Her story is told alternately with the cat's story in a gripping tale that you can't put down. The past and the present collide in an unforgettable climax that the reader won't soon forget.
Expecting one thing in a book and getting another was not wholly unpleasant. This story grabbed me and held me from beginning to end with a satisfying enough ending which demonstrates while evil and hate are strong, love can conquer all.
This book is suitable for readers at the 4th or 5th grade level and above. If you read it, let me know what you think.