Book excerpt: Before Tara meets Ash-ting, an adorable gray kitten, her life at both home and school is dreadful; she doesn’t know how to make friends or how to talk to her dad about things that are bothering her. But soon Ash-ting enters her life and turns everything around, for Ash-ting is more than just a handsome pet—she can talk! She helps Tara navigate social situations at school and provides encouragement and guidance in many ways. The first in a new children’s series, this is a heartwarming story about a girl and her talking cat.