The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs

Cylin Busby

Feb 2016 · Sold by Knopf Books for Young Readers

About this ebook

For fans of Katherine Applegate's The One and Only Ivan comes the swashbuckling story of a little cat's adventures on the high seas
 
Captain Natick does not want to take a kitten on board his ship when it sets sail in 1837, but his daughter convinces him that the scrawny yellow cat will bring good luck. Onto the ship the kitten goes, and so begins the adventurous, cliff-hanging, lucky life of Jacob Tibbs. At first, Jacob’s entire world is the ship’s hold, where the sailors heave their heavy loads and long-tailed rats scurry in the darkness. But before long, Jacob’s voyage takes him above deck and onward to adventure. Along the way, Jacob will encounter loss and despair, brave thunderous storms at sea, face down a mutiny, survive on a desert island, and above all, navigate the tricky waters of shipboard life and loyalties.

Praise for The Nine Lives of Jacob Tibbs

"Original, surprisingly intense. . . . A beautiful piece of writing."  --Holly Goldberg Sloan, New York Times-bestselling author of Counting by 7s

"Rarely does a book come along that I finish and think, 'This is going to be a classic.' This is that book." --Jo Knowles, author of See You at Harry's

"Emotional resonance and chockablock seafaring adventures combined with coming-of-age themes takes this over the top. . . An outstanding choice for fans of middle grade nautical adventure and animal narrator novels." --School Library Journal, starred review

"With engrossing action and great character description and development, Busby has created a story that will enthrall fans of animal fantasy. Kelley's full-page drawings add to this well-crafted tale, which many readers may come to treasure." --Booklist, starred review

"In addition to giving Jacob an engaging narrative voice, Busby fills the novel with nautical lore and lingo, making Jacob's journey one to savor." --Publishers Weekly

"An absorbing historical coming-of-age adventure supported by deeper themes of grief, despair, and determination."  --Kirkus Reviews

Ratings and reviews

This is a really suspenseful story that is full of great characters and swashbuckling fun and adventure !

About the author

CYLIN BUSBY is the author of several fiction and nonfiction books for young readers. Her memoir, The Year We Disappeared—co-written with her father, John Busby—was a Wall Street Journal bestseller, a Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year, and a Cybils Award winner. While living on a farm in Tennessee, Cylin’s family kept more than twenty cats in the barn, whose job it was to keep the livestock feed free of vermin. The cat in this book is based on one of those cats—Graybeard—who was born a feeble, sickly runt and went on to become a great mouser. Cylin lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their son. Learn more about Cylin at cylinbusby.com.