Scratch! Paperback – January 1, 1605

This is a great read. It's shows the best and worst of humanity as rats, cats, a ferret, the Hound of the Hill, and birds come together to settle with their common enemy "by tooth and claw". The masterfully written tale brought tears and laughter; it was full of suspense. The story has many lessons: if we overlook our differences and come together as a community, we can achieve great things, all creatures great and small are important. I highly recommend Scratch. It's one of the best books I've come across in a long time!

This book is such an adventurous and unique opportunity to journey into the world of animal characters where I found myself bonding with each and every one of them. I felt that I was journeying beside them through every challenge they had to overcome and I was silently cheering them on in all their endeavors. I was taken to such an emotional level that I had to wipe the tears from my eyes to continue reading. This book contains humor, drama, and a sense of belonging as each character has to learn to work together to overcome something bigger than you can imagine. I highly recommend this book to anyone who appreciates a good story and a chance to participate in a world of fantasy that becomes all too real.....

I knew nikki checker growing up as the local gymnastics instructor and was thrilled to hear he was a writer! kudos...the book was an entirely unique concept for me and i thoroughly enjoyed it!! part 2?

Nick Checker has made me a convert! Voracious reader that I am, I always steered away from fantasy novels, insisting that they just were not my "thing." But his unique brand of storytelling drew me in immediately, and I found myself having trouble putting this book down. Every writer knows that the key to good storytelling lies in the characterization, and he has painted some very colorful ones in Scratch. Anyone who could make you fall in love with a large ugly rat, is quite the master! Perhaps one of the reasons Scratch resonated with me so much is that I am an animal lover and the proud pet owner of two charming cats myself. And one thing that comes through in this novel is that Nick Checker loves creatures of all kinds (even rats!) and advocates for their welfare. And he also very craftily weaves subtle social statements into the fabric of his story, illustrating through the actions of his feral characters how different the world could be everyone practiced open-mindedness. By the climax of this novel, you find yourself cheering for these heroic animal characters as avidly as rooting for movie underdogs like Rudy and Rocky! All in all, an exemplary tale.