Catwings is a children's book

Children's literature

Children's literature is for readers and listeners up to about age twelve; it is often defined in four different ways: books written by children, books written for children, books chosen by children, or books chosen for children. It is often illustrated. The term is used in senses which sometimes...

 written by American author

Author

An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...

 Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula K. Le Guin

Ursula Kroeber Le Guin is an American author. She has written novels, poetry, children's books, essays, and short stories, notably in fantasy and science fiction...

, who is also known for her Earthsea

Earthsea

Earthsea is a fictional realm originally created by Ursula K. Le Guin for her short story "The Word of Unbinding", published in 1964. Earthsea became the setting for a further six books, beginning with A Wizard of Earthsea, first published in 1968, and continuing with The Tombs of Atuan, The...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 novel

Novel

A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....

s and The Left Hand of Darkness (for which she received a Hugo), and illustrated by S. D. Schindler. It is written for children aged 7 to 10. It was followed by three sequels, making up a series known as The Catwings Collection

The Catwings Collection

The Catwings Collection is a children's book series by Ursula K. Le Guin. It is written for children aged 7 to 10. The series follows the adventures of kittens who, for whatever reason, were born with wings.It consists of four books:...

.

Set in the present day, Catwings follows four cats, the wing

Wing

A wing is an appendage with a surface that produces lift for flight or propulsion through the atmosphere, or through another gaseous or liquid fluid...

ed children of Mrs. Jane Tabby. While they were born in the city, Thelma, Roger, James and Harriet are urged by their mother to leave a bad neighborhood that was getting worse. As soon as the kittens are able to fly, they leave the city and their mother who has no wish to leave herself. The book follows the four catwings as they try to make a home in the country where they find life is just as hard as it is in the city. An original favorite by Annesia Cordova and Richie Novak

Reception

Although a children's book, Catwings (as well as its sequel, Catwings Return) was chosen as a "Book to Look For" by author Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card

Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...

 in December 1991.