Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Children's Publishing Group and Feiwel & Friends for providing this book, with my honest review below.

Pocket Bear was a surprise in that it’s not just a story about a stuffed bear but rather one about a burgling cat, a mother and daughter, and all the stuffies and toys they care for. Zephyrina, the cat, is our narrator and more than the Toy Story feel of the lost and abandoned stuffies she brings together the magic is in the hope and kindness the story has weaved throughout. This is one of those books that works for both children and adults, and the surprising history it shares is a delightful bonus for both groups.

This first-person-cat narrative of a family that restores lost or abandoned stuffed animals is wonderful. It will make a great read aloud for children who still love their stuffies but are also concerned about our world. It lightly and thoughtfully touches on WW1 (Pocket Bear went) and currents wars as the two humans in the book are refugees from a country being torn apart.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group for this DRC.
#PocketBear #NetGalley

This is another excellent book by Katherine Applegate. It is about one of the first teddy bears made and shipped to the United States.

Zephyrina the cat burglar weaves a clever and heartwarming tale filled with adventure, hope, faith, and friendship. For those who believe in the secret magic of 'stuffies'—their ability to dance when we're not looking and love us unconditionally—this book is an absolute delight!

What an incredible story of hope, love and friendship. The cat who narrated the story is sassy, crazy, and soft hearted (although he’d never admit it). This story not only entertains, but gives the reader a glimpse into the history of war and how war affects everyone involved. Anyone who has ever imagined their favorite toy animal coming to life when people are not around will love the Pocket Bear holding court each night at midnight. Heroes are all around us and yes, some are cats!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for allowing me to read Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate in exchange for my honest review.

Katherine Applegate has done it again! This book is a must-read for anyone who loved *The One and Only Ivan*. The story revolves around a cat named Zephyrina, lost toys, and a girl named Dasha, who is trying to heal from the wounds of war. Dasha creates a home for the lost toys that Zephyrina brings back, which she calls the Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured. Pocket Bear is one of those toys and takes on the role of leader within the group. His story and history date back to World War I, where he witnessed the horrors of war alongside a soldier.

Life in the world of Second Chances goes on until one special toy is rescued by Zephyrina. To learn more about this special toy, read *Pocket Bear* today!

Pocket Bear by Katherine Applegate is such a heartwarming story, It Is narrated by a cat which is always a plus; I usually scan the books before reading them with my kids ( just to make sure the content of the book is appropriate) by my surprise I ended up reading the whole book by myself, I could not put it down I'm 28 years old, The story is sweet and captivating, it deals with some heart topics like war and grief but the author approaches these topics with gentle care making it easy for kids and grownups to digest, I feel like Pocket, Berwon and Zeph will forever hold a special place in my heart.

Pocket Bear is a sweet, timeless story of friendship and finding where you belong, by the one and only Katherine Applegate. She infuses her own compassion and charm into this tale of a burgling cat, a tiny stuffed bear, and a small family with big hearts. Readers will love the feline Zephyrina and her narration, despite her best efforts to be prickly and unattached, as much as they adore tiny Pocket, who has seen a lot in his many years. Picky Vicky serves as both villain and comic relief, and may remind some readers of another dastardly toy seller. As much as I loved Zeph and the toys, though, my heart was stolen by bighearted Dasha, whose kindness and love are the true healing balm to the castoff toys.
For a small book, this one is full of lots of discussion topics and would make a perfect readaloud.

This was a sweet and quick read. The chapters were short, which was very nice and will make for a great read-aloud if a teacher or parent/guardian decides to. Pocket Bear (despite having that title) is narrated by his friend, a cat named Zephyrina. As always with Applegate books, I really enjoyed this one.

Narrated by a cat, this book is a delightful exploration of friendship and second chances, with toys as the main characters. There’s just enough history to provide historical context for Pocket Bear and Berwon without becoming a historical fiction, and enough realism showing life for recent immigrants from war-torn countries without becoming overwhelming. 3rd - 5th graders are going to love it - and more than a few will be inspired to start their own toy hospital or museum.

Thank you NetGalley! This adorable book was a joy to read. Narrated by Zephyrina she is also referred to as kleptocat, Corporal Z and the Robin Hood of felines. She has come to live with Elizaveta and Dasha who operate The Second Chances Home for the Tossed and Treasured. Stuffed toys are cleaned, repaired and offered to new homes that will love and care for them. Pocket aka Sarge is beloved by Dasha and in charge of the magic at night. When a new bear is rescued from the trash by Zephyrina, everyone’s lives will change (human and toy alike). History, love, friendship and dastardly deeds complete a wonderful story. Highly recommend!

Wow, another unforgettable book by Katherine Applegate. Told from a cat’s point-of-view, we find the cat rescuing a toy bear from the garbage behind a restaurant. The cat brings the bear home to join other stuffed animals including Pocket Bear, a mascot bear that helped soldiers during the war, that live there where a mother and daughter, Dasha, fix and prepare them for new homes. After looking at a toy book, Dasha, realizes that the new bear the cat brought home is possibly the first toy bear ever made. When an antique toy collector finds this out, she has a plan to get the bear. The cat finds out and wants to save the bear whom Dasha named Berwon. Will the cat be able to rescue Berwon?
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the eARC of this book. All opinions are my own.

Katherine Applegate has a history of challenging my preconceived notions on what a good book should contain. First she did it with The One and Only Ivan. Now with Pocket Bear. I used to think that I only liked emotional books, and I had the idea that a book could only be emotional enough if the main characters were human. Well, alas!

Somehow Katherine Applegate made me care about what happened to an old stuffed bear. And believe me, that's not easy to do. Pocket Bear is about a mother and daughter (and cat!) who find, refurbish, and rehome stuffed animals and toys. It is all told from the perspective of the cat, Zephyrina, and includes plenty of trash-digging, mud-rolling, and dog-fighting. It's hilarious and is one of the cutest and coziest things I've read in a long time. From what I can tell, it also includes a lot of historical information about real stuffed bears, and it made me interested in doing more research on my own.

One of the things I appreciate most about Katherine Applegate's writing is her amazing descriptions. She makes me feel so much more than a lot of children's and middle-grade writers out there and transports the reader straight into the story. I also actually really enjoy the short chapters, which make it hard to stop reading. It's fast-paced and so much fun. Love, love, love this book. I don't think I have any real complaints about it.

I will recommend this book to anyone. I would say "anyone who likes books about stuffed bears," but I wouldn't exactly put myself in that category and hey, here we are!

Thanks to NetGalley for the digital ARC.