Writing as Activism

In the “Conversation with Deborah Ellis” at the back of the book, the author discusses her history of activism, which began when she was a teenager. Do students feel this book can be considered a form of activism? Visit the Common Core State Standards website to read...

Dateline: Bethlehem

Discuss with students the role of a reporter in communicating the news, and how a reporter’s point of view will affect how any news story is reported. Come together as a class and review the events at the end of The Cat at the Wall as they unfolded, from the home...

What the Cat Did

While she is in the house with Omar and the soldiers, Clare uses her human intelligence to communicate with others and to influence events. As a class, discuss what things she does that are “cat-like” and what things she does that are not. How do people react to these...

More than One Side

One of the major themes of this novel is the difference that an individual’s point of view can make when interpreting events. Like an optical illusion, people looking at the same situation can view it differently. This issue of perspective is present throughout the...

A Fly on the Wall

Why do students think the author chose to tell the story from the point of view of a cat who used to be a girl? Drawing on specifics from the book, discuss the nature of Clare as a narrator. How does a narrator’s point of view influence how events are described? When...