Whittington

Whittington (2005) is a children’s fiction novel by Alan Armstrong. The novel interweaves three concurrent stories. The novel opens with Whittington, a rough-and-tumble tomcat who has been kicked out of his previous home and seeks a new one in a barn populated by a diverse array of animals. The animals are cared for by Bernie, a farmer who can’t turn away from an animal in need. Whittington recounts the legend of his namesake, Dick Whittington, for his new friends and Bernie’s grandchildren, Ben and Abby. Dick’s story helps Ben find the resolve to confront his challenges of learning to read with dyslexia. The novel’s three plot lines collectively emphasize the value of perseverance, the importance of community support, and the power of stories.

Whittington was named a Newbery Medal Honor Book and an ALA Notable Children’s Book in 2006. Armstrong’s other works include Raleigh’s Page (2007), Looking for Marco Polo (2009), and Race to the Moon (2012). Armstrong’s work often utilizes elements of historical fiction and features adventurous young protagonists who overcome challenges through determination and wit.

This guide uses the 2005 Random House Children’s Books hardcover edition.

Plot Summary

Whittington’s previous owners send him away after their son, the boy to whom Whittington belonged, goes away to a special school to treat his dyslexia. World-weary and lonely, Whittington arrives on Bernie’s farm and bargains his rat-catching skills in exchange for a place in the barn. The rats steal food and eat the chickens’ eggs, disrupting the harmony in the barn.

Abby and Ben, Bernie’s grandchildren, have recently lost their mother. They quickly bond with Whittington and the other animals. Prompted by his friends’ questioning, Whittington explains the meaning behind his name: He named himself after historic figure Dick Whittington, who lived in London during the late 1300s and purportedly attained great riches by loaning out his cat, a prodigious ratcatcher, to a wealthy African king. Whittington claims to be descended from Dick’s cat. Over the course of several months, Whittington recounts Dick’s story to the barn animals and Abby and Ben.

Newly orphaned, eight-year-old Dick travels to London after hearing rumors that the streets are made of gold. He finds a home with Fitzwarren, a cloth merchant who raises Dick as his own. Dick’s pluck and hardworking nature allow him to rise quickly in the ranks of business. One day, he encounters a cat with whom he feels an immediate connection; he purchases her and takes her along when he boards the trade ship the Unicorn, bound for Africa in search of the rare herb Ampacherie and other riches.

Dick’s cat kills several rats for the King of Tripoli, who offers Dick great amounts of treasure in exchange for her. Although Dick’s heart aches to give her up, his cat signals to him that he should make the trade, and Dick returns home a rich man. Dick’s cat eventually returns to him in London and the two make a final voyage together to Persia. The cat falls overboard during the journey, leaving two kittens behind. Dick makes a final fortune trading in Constantinople and Persia and returns to England, where he marries and attains the office of lord mayor. After his death, Dick dedicates his wealth to improving living conditions for the people of London, earning him a folk hero status.

In the present day, Ben struggles at school because of his dyslexia, a condition that means letters on the page appear reversed to him. If his reading does not improve, Ben will have to attend remedial classes, and he fears the social consequences if he does so. Whittington, Abby, and the other animals help Ben practice his reading, but ultimately the school recommends that he attend Reading Recovery over the summer to catch up to his classmates. Ben takes heart from Dick’s story and uses the perseverance Dick models to motivate himself to catch up to his classmates before the summer ends. If he does, he can progress to the next grade instead of repeating the year.

Whittington finds a home among the barn animals, and his story helps them reach a truce with the rats. Whittington becomes a father, and the rats prove their newfound cooperation with the other animals by rescuing one of Whittington’s kittens when it becomes entangled in the wire on a hay bale. After an entire summer of hard work, Ben makes the requisite progress to advance to the next grade. Abby and the animals celebrate Ben’s success. Whittington and his kittens return to his previous home to visit his former owner, and Ben compares his triumph in reading to coming out of the darkness, evoking the profound influence of stories and language.