Lisa Erixon of Lyleton, Man. is a former teacher and a writer. She recently shared her book, No Ordinary Cats, with two Mary Montgomery Grade 3 classes and she’s scheduled to present the book to the public in Virden library on Feb. 2.
She has loved cats all her life and the book reflects her understanding of these apparently independent felines. No Ordinary Cats views life through the eyes of a number of cats she has known, cats with unique names and distinct personalities.
Erixon’s book was birthed when she was reflecting on the life of her remarkable cat, Chairman Meow. She tells, “No Ordinary Cats sort of wrote itself backward. It was inspired by the death of one of my cats last January. I found I needed to write about his story, not only for him, but for me as well. And after I was done writing about Chairman’s life, I realized that all of the other cats that had owned me had fascinating lives and they deserved a story too.”
No Ordinary Cats is not necessarily a children’s book, yet it holds great appeal for kids and Erixon said she enjoyed her time with the Grade 3s in Colleen Lewis’s and Jill Warkentin’s classrooms. “They’re keen to talk about their pets,” she said.
“I’ve always enjoyed reading aloud to students whether they’re youngsters or Gr. 12 students. This gives me an opportunity to get back into the classroom and talk about things that are really important to me like writing and developing writing skills, as well as cats, of course.”
Her own early attempts to write were influenced by an author from her young days.
“I was writing from about the time I was nine years old. There was a book I read as a child called Harriet the Spy. And in this book, the main character, Harriet, spends a lot of time observing everything that’s around her. It could be her classmates, her parents, other significant adults in her life. And in a little notebook, she jots down all her observations about them. For instance: someone comes to school with a rip in their pants. She sits and surmises, what did they do to have that problem with their apparel. Was there a fight? Did a dog attack them?”
Inspired by Harriet, Erixon went through a stage where she did the same thing. “I was carrying around this little notebook, even at school. I sort of wondered, ‘If I get busted here and my classmates find out that I’m writing about them, am I going to be in trouble?’” she laughs and adds, “Nobody ever really found out. But I found it a great way to look at things under just a slightly different lens.”
The ordinary can become extraordinary with a little imagination thrown in. As a teacher, she says childhood is a great time to start writing. “You never wanted to discourage the kid who wanted to write about a strange planet that had six-legged creatures,” but added, “I found that writing about what you knew, your family, your pets, your hobbies are a great place to start.”
She has visited a number of schools and enjoys presenting her book to Grade 3 level. “I think it works as a read aloud.”
The book opens with Maxx’s story in Chapter One. Maxx is an older cat who finds herself in a new adventure … on a farm. Its happily engaging, but far from sappy. Erixon doesn’t pull any punches in Maxx’s story.
“You have to know your audience. I think farm kids understand that sometimes bad things happen.”
Animal lovers are likely to enjoy No Ordinary Cats. Erixon points out, “I think we all understand what it’s like when an animal trusts you. We all know what it feels like when an animal dies. When you put it down. When you have to make those heart-rending decisions, so I think there’s some universality in the story.”
She even had a friend tell her that the book made her “think a little more about the horses that had been a part of her life. How their personalities are all different and how she’s interacted with them all through her life.”
Erixon feels that rescues such as Virden Pet Network do a great work, helping cats in need and she has partnered with them through donations to the December online auction that VPN held.
She hopes that No Ordinary Cats will help readers to appreciate animals in general and cats in particular.
“That’s what I’m hoping. It’s kind of a bridge between us and the animal population in general.”
Lisa Erixon will be reading from her book in Virden’s library on Feb. 2 where there will be autographed copies for sale. Many businesses such as the Blossom Boutique in Melita and Flower Attic & Gifts in Virden also carry No Ordinary Cats.
ABOUT
Lisa Erixon, is a retired high school English teacher, who, in 2015 received the Distinguished Teacher Award from Brandon University. She has always been interested in writing and has published her stories in Canadian magazines, including Our Canada and More of Our Canada.
A mother of two grown sons, Lisa lives on a farm near Lyleton, Manitoba with her husband and, of course, her cats! Here's her website.
