Nimbus

By Jan Eldredge

Informational Resources:

Author Information:

Jan Eldredge’s website
http://janeldredge.com/ 

Activities & Resources:

Cats:

Cat facts
https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/cat/352924 

Cool Facts About Cats | Things You Wanna Know

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=pX3V9hoX1eM (2:11)

21 Fun & Vet-Reviewed Facts About Cats For Kids

https://www.catster.com/lifestyle/cat-facts-for-kids/ 

Benefits of cats for children
https://www.americanhumane.org/blog/benefits-of-cats-for-children/ 

Rats:
Rat facts
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/animals/general-animals/facts-about-rats/

Oh Rats! 

https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=7dipg3u47VU (4:50) 

Dreams:
Why do we dream?
https://www.yout-ube.com/watch?v=jYu966AONZI (4:40) 

Facts about dreams
https://sleepforkids.org/html/dreams.html 

Keep a dream journal for a week. 

MakerSpace Activities:

Black cat craft
https://www.firefliesandmudpies.com/paper-bobble-head-black-cat/ 

Using details from the book, use clay or other materials to create a jar like the one the goblin comes out of at the beginning of the book. 

Make cat toys from recycled materials
https://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/resources/how-to-make-homemade-cat-toys/ 

Using information from the book, draw a map of where Nimbus traveled from when she was born until she was reunited with Fletcher. 

Make a nazar amulet with paint and paper, clay, or other materials. 

Discussion Questions:

Do you have a pet? How would you describe your relationship with your pet? 

What predictions do you have based on the cover illustration? 

What superstitions have you heard about black cats? 

How do you interpret the quote by Sir Walter Scott at the beginning of the book? What predictions do you have based on the quote? 

Would you have tried to open the jar Aunt Caroline bought? Why or why not? 

What would you choose for a protection amulet? Why? 

Why did Nimbus have such a difficult time adjusting to living at Agatha’s? 

Would you walk in others’ dreams if you had Nimbus’s dream walking ability? Why or why not?

Fern tells her kittens to “Embrace the adventure that is life” (page 99). What does this mean to you? 

Should Nimbus have tried to walk back to Fletcher? 

Would you have reacted the same way that Agatha did when she found a rat in her house? 

Why was Agatha so patient with Nimbus? 

Why did Nimbus need to get her collar and tag back? 

Could Nimbus have made it back to Fletcher without Rhett? How did Rhett help Nimbus? 

On page 285, the demon says, “It’s delightful how inventive the human mind can be, especially when it comes to frightening itself.” What does that mean? 

How did Aunt Caroline change from the beginning of the book to the end? 

Fletcher and Nimbus refer to The Hobbit several times in the book. How did the author compare the characters in The Hobbit to the characters in Nimbus? Does this make you want to read The Hobbit?

How do you think Agatha felt when she was able to start a new school? 

Why do you think the author chose to use the point of view of animals instead of people? 

Would you consider Nimbus to be unlucky? Why or why not? 

Book Talk Teasers:

Watch the book trailer on the Texas Bluebonnet Award website.

Read the reader’s theater for Nimbus by Jan Eldredge.

Read Alikes: 

Epstein, Adam Jay. The familiars. When an alley cat named Aldwyn passes himself off as a magical companion to Jack, a wizard in training, Aldwyn and his fellow "familiars," a blue jay and tree frog, must save the kingdom after the queen of Vastia kidnaps Jack and two others. (NovelList Plus) 

Lieb, Josh. Ratscalibur. A creative reimagining of the Excalibur legend follows the adventures of a boy who lands at the center of a rodent prophecy after transforming into a rat. (NovelList Plus) 

Durst, Sarah Beth. Catalyst. Twelve-year-old Zoe's rescue kitten quickly becomes a giant, talking cat that Zoe and her friend Harrison must keep hidden, especially since there are rumors of other strange creatures in their town. (NovelList Plus) 

Sorosiak, Carlie. Shadow fox. When young Bee is thought to be destined not only to help find Bee's missing grandmother but also to save Whistlenorth Island from the Night Islanders, it is actually Shadow the fox that has the magic powers of a chosen one, leaving Shadow and Bee to work together to drive the Night Islanders from Whistlenorth for good. (NovelList Plus) 

Nilsson, Summer. The land of the strays. The Land of the Strays, sequel to The Land of the Pines, is a new instant classic about the battle for self-worth and the difference between wants and needs. (NovelList Plus) 

Reviews:

Kirkus Reviews (December 15, 2023)

Through lying by omission, Weatherby earns a scholarship to an elite school, where she’s ready to use her position for the greater good. The Boston School is proud of its sailing team. After Weatherby Walker wins a district regatta, beating Jack Hunt, who comes from one of the Boston School’s favored families, she’s offered a scholarship on the condition that she sail for the school. The only problem is, Weatherby accidentally used illegal sails that offered her an advantage. She decides not to admit her mistake; she’s desperate to attend Boston, her late, estranged father’s alma mater—especially since someone recently anonymously mailed her father’s old school journal to her. This is just the start of the mysteries and revelations to come, including ones that lay bare her family’s history and connections and deceptions by powerful people, all of which threaten ecological disaster. Everyone’s lying about something—and some of the lies are deadly. Last Heir, the Boston School’s elite secret society, seems designed to support corruption, indoctrinating generations of students and making them complicit. The chapters alternate between Weatherby’s and Jack’s perspectives; they’re both sympathetic characters from whom there’s much to learn about friendship and trust. This first entry in a new series sets up a solid premise, with white leads Weatherby and Jack and their somewhat racially diverse schoolmates confronting a powerful system. What happens next is left to be revealed in the sequel. Absorbing intrigue with a cliffhanger ending. (Mystery. 9-13)