Licorice

A young and frightened kitten is brought starry-eyed into a new household. A boy named Max is trying desperately to get over the loss of his former beloved pet. But ghosts don't always enjoy being forgotten. Sometimes they have to make their presence known.

Both spine-chilling and heartwarming, funny and charming, Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor winning author Kara LaReau has written a story about fitting in, standing out, overcoming fear, and finding a place called home.

In her cage at the Mount Charles Animal Shelter, Kitty has no other choice but to be the captive audience of the opinionated Bunny Van Hopper. But it's better than the woods. Kitty can still remember the rain that came and swept everything... everyone... away. Here, at least she has food and company, even if Bunny's words scare her.

And then Max appears at the shelter. Max has adopted all sorts of pets over the years. Rumor has it that he treats all of his pets with care and kindness. And of all the animals at the shelter, he actually chooses her-a scrawny and scared kitten. Kitty is going to be home at last. But she can't seem to get Bunny's words out of her head as Max takes her away in her carrier...

"You're going to regret this! I just know it!" Bunny Van Hopper cries. And perhaps Bunny is right...

There is a scent lingering in the house on 5 Manderley Lane. The scent rises from every chair leg, every carpet fiber, every throw pillow, even inside the bathtub. Everything smells like Licorice. It is the strongest upstairs in Max's room, almost overpowering. If the smell isn't enough, Duchess, the family's old parrot, won't let Kitty forget that she is a replacement. And soon, Kitty finds herself trapped in the long shadow of the cat that came before her. But is it just a shadow? Or is there something really there on the other side of it...haunting her...

Licorice is a fantastically kid-friendly, light psychological horror for fans of Neil Gaiman and Jonathan Auxier, Kate DiCamillo and Katherine Applegate alike.