Books Make the Perfect Gift

Ugly Cat

A MIDDLE-GRADE NOVEL by WENDY HOBDAY HAUGH

Fifth grade is off to a rocky start for Max Camp. After his mom leaves the family and moves cross-country to California, Max is forced to leave their nice house in town and move with his dad to a rundown fixer-upper in the country. Max had a million friends in his old neighborhood. Now, his only neighbor is Mrs. Pitkin: a grouchy old woman who yells at him every chance she gets! 

Max is miserable until a bony, beat-up stray cat wanders into his back yard. Max begins feeding and befriending the sickly animal, determined to adopt him. But Max’s financially-struggling dad is dead set against it. The stray’s health and happiness lie in Max’s hands. It’s up to him to make this adoption happen! But how can he convince his dad to come onboard? 

In this compelling story of resilience and hope, a young boy discovers the power of creative thinking and teamwork in tackling life’s tough challenges.

A frequent contributor to Simply Saratoga, Wendy Hobday Haugh’s stories, articles, and poems for children and adults have appeared in dozens of national and regional publications, including Highlights for Children and Woman’s World. Her first-person stories have appeared in 18 different Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

“Actually, this is my second book for middle-grade readers,” she says with a smile, “but since my first book was about dogs (SLED DOGS, co-authored by Brigid Casey, 1982), I thought it only fair that my next book would be about cats. As a freelance writer, I’ve always leaned more toward writing ‘short,’ so I view my two longer works as bookends: one at the start of my career and one many years later—with hundreds of shorter pieces in between.”

UGLY CAT (published by BookLocker, November 2025) is available at BookLocker, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other book sellers; paperback $15.95.

The author fell in love with felines many years ago when her grandmother showed up on her doorstep with a milk crate filled with adorable, blue-eyed Siamese kittens. “I was pretty young at the time, maybe four or five, but I’ve never forgotten the thrill of that day. While raising my own family, we always had two cats in the house. And my three grown sons have all gone on to fill their homes with frisky felines. I can’t imagine a world without our furry, purr-y friends.” 

A former piano teacher, mom to three, and proud grandma to a teen and tween, Wendy Hobday Haugh lives and writes in Northville with her husband and two quirky cats.