the cat that went to homecoming

the cat that went to homecoming

interview with Laura Kennedy

http://www.fireandiceya.com/blog/interview-julie-otzelberger-the-cat-that-went-to-homecoming/

Today I’m thrilled to present an interview that author Laura Kennedy (“Double Take”) conducted with Julie Otzelberger in regards to Julie’s February release “The Cat That Went to Homecoming.”

First, a little about the book:

The Cat That Went To Homecoming is the coming of age story of Ellen Jones, an overweight teenage girl from a single family home. She is under constant attack by her peers, bullied because of her weight and her family’s poverty. Through volunteer work with her cat, Hershey, Ellen finds her self esteem and the courage to stand up to her bullies. Along the way, she discovers what true friendship and forgiveness are and tells us how Hershey became The Cat That Went To Homecoming.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Laura: Ellen tells us she’s dreamed of a summer transformation for several summers. Why don’t you think she was ever successful?

Julie: Loneliness can lead to a sedentary lifestyle, and Ellen was lonely for many years. Ellen lives in a suburban neighborhood where most of the residents are upper-middle class families. She is bullied over the fact that her clothes and shoes are not designer brand. Her Mother doesn’t receive child support on a regular basis from her ex husband, and her income alone is not enough to support a healthy diet so she and Ellen eat a lot of high-carb foods like Ramen Noodles and Hamburger Helper. A poor diet can lead to obesity, and unfortunately, Ellen is overweight. Combining her weight with her poverty, Ellen is a perfect target for a bully. After years of being insulted, she built a wall around herself that Hershey helped her break down.

Laura: Do you think that the fact Ellen comes from a low-income, single parent family enough reason for her to have low self esteem? Do you think that a teen with one loving parent can be happy and secure?

Julie: Coming from a low income, single parent home is not the only contributing factor to Ellen’s low self esteem. Teens growing up in single parent homes have every opportunity to be happy and secure as teens in two parent homes do. Their changing hormones, new relationships and new experiences can bring about feelings of insecurity. A parent or parents can only help their child cope with these insecurities if the child communicates with them about the issues. Statistics show that 64% of the victims of bullying never tell their parents that they are being bullied. Ellen happens to be one of those 64 percent.

Laura: What do you think would have happened to Ellen if she hadn’t had Jane in her life? How does Ellen’s cat Hershey help her?

Julie: Jane is the director of a volunteer group of therapy animal teams. It is with Jane’s help that Ellen is able to take the Pet Partners online course and train her cat, Hershey, for work in animal assisted therapy. Jane not only gives Ellen a laptop, she also offers her a summer job to help pay Hershey’s registration fees. Once Hershey’s registration is finalized, Ellen and Hershey become a part of Jane’s team of volunteers.

Ellen could have used the library or found another way to get online to take the Pet Partners course, but since Jane gives Ellen her old laptop, the process is much easier for her. However; without Jane in her life, Ellen may never discover the joy of animal assisted therapy.

Ellen’s work with Hershey creates a relationship with a woman she otherwise would not have gotten to know, and that person will teach Ellen valuable lessons about life.

I like to say that it is BECAUSE of Hershey that Ellen finally goes to homecoming. Ellen’s work with Hershey gives her confidence, and more importantly, a purpose in life.

Laura: What advice would you give to someone who is being bullied?

Julie: TELL SOMEONE! Don’t just take it and let all the insults and abuse pile up on you until you can’t climb out from underneath it. Your parents will not be ashamed of you. Your school guidance counselor is another person with whom you can talk. He or she can direct you to the proper channels to resolve the bullying. Schools are obligated to address bullying and harassment when the behavior violates federal education anti-discrimination laws.

Laura: What would you do if you encountered someone who is bullying someone else? Have you ever bullied someone?

Julie: I would point out the behavior to the offender, asking them how they would feel were the roles reversed. I taught my daughter to be compassionate and respectful of others and made my expectations of her very clear. When I found out she was being bullied, I went to the school personally and spoke to the principle, teachers, and I even called parents to bring their child’s behavior to their attention. One Mother wasn’t so kind on the phone and made me realize why her child was a bully, but one Mother actually made her son write my daughter an apology letter.

I can’t say I haven’t bullied anyone, bulling is everywhere. It’s in the schools, in the home, in the workplace. I’m ashamed to say I have laughed at jokes made at someone else’s expense. But my experiences as a victim have turned me into a “people pleaser” for the most part. I do not go out of my way to hurt anyone’s feelings and I’m always as polite and as careful as possible given the situation. I do not discriminate against race, religion, political beliefs, appearance, or sexual preference. I won’t discuss politics or religion. To me, FAT is the “F” word, and gay means happy.

Laura: Have you ever been bullied and if so, how has if affected you?

Julie: I had a “Darcel” and a “John” in my life, along with others who followed their lead. To this day I have self esteem issues, there’s no denying that. I will never be satisfied with my appearance, but I have found a way to live with that and hopefully I can help someone else combat their bullies.

Judy Blume's Blubber

The book Blubber by Judy Blume has been either praised for its message, or criticized.  Some critics found the use of "the b word' offensive, and some said the book offered no resolution.

As a pre-teen, I read all of Judy Blume's books and loved them.  When I read Blubber, I had hoped all the "mean girls" would read it and see how wrong they were to be so awful to other people.  I did not even notice the few "bad words" used in the book because, lets face it, the use of foul language is an accurate portrayal of life in junior high school.  

When I wrote my book, The Cat That Went To Homecoming, I allowed the antagonist to use "the b word".  My decision was based on two things: the reality of it is that teens DO use foul language and when they start to, the words damn, shit and bitch are usually the first ones used.  Also, having the antagonist talk that way showed the reader just how bad she really was.  

I agree that Blubber really did not offer any solutions for a bullied person.  But again, as a pre-teen, I didn't see it that way.  I wanted others to see how it felt to be the bullied girl.  Looking back, I can see why some critics felt the book offered fuel for bullies-in-the-making.  

I wrote my book to show how it feels to be bullied, and to make the reader sit in the shoes of the victim.  It is my hope that the reader will actually feel like they are Ellen because once a person feels that pain, you would hope they would avoid ever making someone else feel it.

I also wanted to give a solution, to show the victim that you CAN rise above the bullying without stooping to the bullies level.

I don't know if  my decision to use "the B word' will be considered a poor decision in the long run by critics of YA, but i sincerely hope not.  We live in an era where violence on tv and in video games is the norm, and 12 year old girls are having babies.  Certainly one foul word shouldn't make a book a candidate for a book-burning.   

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Cat That Went To Homecoming

by Julie Otzelberger

Giveaway ends March 03, 2014.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Acknowledgement page

This is my final copy of my acknowledgment page.  I cant possibly thank everyone I know and love enough for all the support and love I get.  I am a blessed person.

This book is dedicated to my daughter, Ashley “Peanut” Marie, and to the bullies in her life who helped to shape her into the strong, compassionate woman she is today.

I have to thank the many bullies in my past life for shaping my life as well.  You broke me down, you hurt me, but you made me a better person than you.  Thank you all for showing me that ugliness is not only skin deep and beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Kevin, thank you for always loving me no matter what the scale said or what the size tag on my dress read.  You've always made me feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.

Sharon Hust, Kathy Schultz, and Mom:  thank you for your invaluable editorial help.

I love my sisters with all my heart, my Mother and Father, my Stepmother, my Aunt Marilyn, my Mother–In-law, Stepson, and Brother-in-law.  Thank you all for being in my life.  There are so many more!  I don’t have space to name you all, but you are all special.

Kelly Rea, Nadine Uttke, Kathy Schultz, and Kris Ochocki:  you know why!  XOXO

Lastly, I can’t leave out the loving memory of my Baracuda who is always in my heart.  We would have been a great AAT together.  We will meet again Boodies.

Katy Perry writes anti-bullying letter to fans on Instagram

Katy Perry writes anti-bullying letter to fans on Instagram

Foreward for "The Cat That Went To Homecoming"

Pet Partners® is proud to have played a role in Julie Otzelberger’s coming-of-age novel, The Cat that went to Homecoming.  Written from the perspective of a bullied teenage girl named Ellen, the story describes many positive changes that occur during the summer that Ellen begins her journey toward becoming a Pet Partners therapy animal team with her cat Hershey.

Do you like stories where the ‘good guys’ get revenge on the ‘bad guys’?  If so, this isn’t the book you’re looking for.  The Cat that went to Homecoming is instead a novel where compassion and maturity triumph.  That doesn’t mean the story is dull — actually, quite the opposite is true! 

The Cat that went to Homecoming addresses many serious social issues including family separation, bullying, homophobia, social isolation, and depression.  The compelling story is also about fun, friendship and forgiveness.  The transformations throughout the novel are not always a direct result of Hershey’s affectionate personality, but Ellen does gain self-confidence as she gets involved with Pet Partners.  This strength helps her overcome many other problems in her life.

Pet Partners was established in 1977 as Delta Society by several veterinarians and a psychiatrist who recognized the importance of the human-animal bond.  They proposed and funded initial research that proves the health and emotional benefits of interacting with pets.  Now recognized as a legitimate field of study, Animal-Assisted Therapy continues to be researched and taught within major universities.

As the organization evolved, it launched one of the first visiting animal programs in 1990.  Volunteers team with their calm, affectionate pets to provide comfort, motivation and entertainment to residents of nursing homes, hospitals, schools, and other facilities where animals are not typically allowed.  Major health care organizations now consider Pet Partners to be the gold standard.  We currently register over 11,000 therapy animal teams across North America.  Although the majority of registered therapy animals are dogs and cats, Pet Partners also registers horses, rabbits, birds and other domesticated species. 

Ms. Otzelberger told us that the character of Hershey is based upon her own cat Bear.  She and Bear recently became a registered Pet Partners therapy animal team and are already experiencing what other teams report to us daily; that visiting people in facilities where pets cannot be kept is just as beneficial for the therapy animal handler as it is for the person visited. 

Most high schools now require a certain number of community service hours from students.   If you have a special pet — and if it makes you happy to bring joy to other people — you’ll be interested in reading about the steps Ellen and Hershey take together to become a registered Pet Partners therapy animal team.  Of course, you’ll enjoy a lot of other things about this novel too; the main characters will seem like good friends and you’ll be hoping that Ms. Otzelberger writes another book about Ellen and Hershey soon!

Paula Scott-Ginn

Pet Partners Marketing Coordinator

Bellevue, WA

July 2013