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Granny the Pag by Nina Bawden

Summary

Granny the Pag rides a Harley-Davidson. She lives with nine cats and four dogs, and because she's a retired psychiatrist she has some strange visitors. But Cat loves living with her anyway. Then Cat's TV star parents decide that she would be better off with them--and for the first time Cat is really fighting for her life.

184 pages, 5th grade and up

Summary

Warning! Some of the questions contain key elements of the plot. Do not read if you don't want to know what happens!

  1. Even grandmothers can be victims of stereotyping. What are some of the many ways that Cat's grandmother is different from what we think of as a stereotypical grandmother?
  2. What do you think of Cat's parents?
  3. Where you worried when Willy and his friends attacked Cat? Why do you think the blind man moved to the end of the train?
  4. In what ways does Granny defend Cat?
  5. What is Cat's experience like staying with her parents?
  6. Do you think she should move to London to be with them? Or do you support her right to choose who to live with?
  7. Is Cat lucky to have a Pag? What kind of effect does Granny have on Cat?
  8. Is Cat able to stand up

    for herself by the end of the novel?
  9. What is Granny willing to give up at the end of the novel in order to take care of Cat? Do you think this is an important sign? Of what?
  10. Granny the Pag is set in Great Britain. Did you notice anything different about the language the author used? Unusual slang or unfamiliar phrases?
  11. Compare the hardcover and paperback versions. Which one do you like better? Why?
  12. Have you ever lived with a grandparent for an extended period of time? What was your experience like?

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