Books by Joanne De Simone

Splashes of poetry, essays and short fiction, from early teen to done and seen, with some lessons learned in between, recorded in the order of the writers life Joanne writes poetry in the style of a lyricist, liquid and flowing with rhythm; her short stories and essays are thoughtful and provocative as her quill spills emotion from her soul.- Christine Prendergast. Author, Lecturer, Artistic Director at Breaking the Rules, Creative Consultant to all writers at The Sounding Board.

This children's fiction chapter book for ages 9-13 tells the story of a clowder of cats finding ways to live on the streets of Manhattan, New York.Follow the adventures of a colony of cats living on the streets of metropolitan New York City, as they face danger, find love, and reunite with long lost family in the Big Apple. Lauren, a pampered uptown cat, becomes stranded in a snowstorm and is rescued by a tabby named Buster, a seasoned street cat. They fall in love, but tragedy tears them apart Left to fend for herself, Lauren gives birth to three kittens, who are soon forced to survive on their own in Manhattan, after Lauren is captured and whisked away from them. When their sister, Blanche, is taken from them by a kind lady, Sally and Roger make a home for themselves in a secluded west side alley, and invite their new friends, Maxine, Veronica, and Walter, to form a colony, where they all live in harmony. Roaming the streets are the Scratches, a renegade band of antagonistic cats, recognized by their visible "battle scars." Always on the prowl for action, they are joined by a dejected, friendless Buster. By chance, Blanche is reunited with her siblings. When Sally is caught by Animal Control, Roger enlists the aid of their estranged father, Buster, and his scrappy companions, to help the colony cats rescue Sally and to find their mother, Lauren.