The Year of the Buttered Cat : A Mostly True Story

A funny and empowering memoir from a girl with a severe form of cerebral palsy, for fans of Wonder and Out of My Mind.

Includes 30 full color photos and a discussion guide, in print for the first time!

When she was just a tiny baby, something terrible happened to Lexi. It left her with an out-of-control body and without a voice. Now, as a precocious, superhero-obsessed thirteen-year-old, Lexi is counting down the final 24 hours to a risky brain surgery that might help her talk or—dare she dream it?—to walk and use her hands.

As surgery grows closer, Lexi finds an urgent, relentless need to share the story of the year in her life she calls The Year of the Buttered Cat. That year, on the verge of shutting out the rest of the world, Lexi began a gutsy and solitary quest to find her "missing" body… and she learns new ways to reach out to the world to save her friendships and uncover the startling truth about what happened to her as a baby.

In the spirit of Wonder by R.J. Palacio and Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper, here is a riveting story that offers empowering messages of friendship, family, and the art of redefining ourselves.

Susan and Lexi Haas are a mother and daughter writing team focusing on disability education and advocacy. Lexi has a rare and severe form of cerebral palsy. While she can’t walk or talk, she was reading by ten months old, has an impressive memory, a keen sense of humor, and an invincible spirit. Recognizing her young daughter’s gift for words, Susan began writing with Lexi to help foster independence and develop communication, but soon learned that Lexi’s fresh perspective needed to be shared with others. In addition to writing together, Susan and Lexi also enjoy presenting to schools and organizations around the world, helping others learn about disability from a first-person narrative. The Year of the Buttered Cat is the duo’s first book. They live in Charlotte, NC. 

* "This moving, inspiring, and laugh-out-loud funny memoir with an intriguing title follows disabled, mostly nonverbal, super-smart Lexi Haas and her family. Readers will cheer Lexi on as she comes to terms with herself and her situation. Highly recommended."—Booklist, starred review

* "This book is an inspiring story filled with love, laughs, and support. Readers may not have known Lexi before reading her story, but they will love her after. An excellent nonfiction pairing where titles like R.J. Palacio's Wonder, Lynda Mullaly Hunt's Fish in a Tree, and Sharon M. Draper's Out of My Mind are popular."—School Library Journal, starred review

"Amusing and compelling."—Kirkus Reviews

"An amazing and beautiful story."—Youth Services Book Review