Karate Kit and the Were-Coyote

Karate Kit and the Were-Coyote continues the story of Kit Carmichael that author Brigitte Marsden introduced in her previous book, Kit and the Calico Cat. Although Karate Kit is written as a junior fiction book, it is a fast paced novel that can be read with pleasure by young people and adults of all ages. The characters are well developed and fully realized. The spot-on sharpness of the dialogue carries the story from one episode to the next in a way that engages memory long after the last page is turned. Like Anne of Green Gables, Kit is a lively, bright spirited girl that, once a reader comes under her spell, is impossible to forget.

Kit and her family—mum, older sister, baby brother, and a long distance truck driving dad—have recently immigrated from England to the Province New Brunswick in Canada. Kit faces the challenges of adjusting to a somewhat different culture where she is a somewhat unusual person. Her mother is English; her dad Jamaican.

Kit is, above all else, a “live-wire,” eager to make new friends and engage fully with her new school and community, which does not always go smoothly. Kit is a talented and resourceful person who is devoted to her family and a true animal lover.

Ten-year-old Kit has a heart of gold, but somehow mishaps and mayhem are never far away. Even taking karate classes to cure her klutzy side can’t stop her from accidentlly knocking people over!

After a rough start at school as the new kid from England, Kit makes new friends, learns about New Brunswick, and is doing her best to fit in—if only Britney the bully would let her.

As the fun-loving bookworm heads towards the end of grade five, she finds herself facing a bunch of brand-new mysteries.

Does drama camp involve tents?

What will happen to Marmaduke’s half-grown kittens?

Who is the father Lottie the Rottie’s puppies?

What is making those strange howling noises in the woods behind her house?

Will she finally get her chance to be in the school musical?

Could it ever be possible to become friends with Britney?!

When Kit’s friends, family, and favourite animals all need her, how will she decide who to help?

Karate Kit and the Were-Coyote is composed primarily in the fast moving dialogue of fifth grade kids, interspersed with the action of adults and Kit’s reflections on coping with the swirl of school, family life, and cultural and athletic opportunities. It is an upbeat yet realistic story detailing the continuing challenges and cross-cultural adjustments of settling into a small town community in rural New Brunswick and making it a new home. Conflicts occur, but kindness prevails. Karate Kit and the Were-Coyote is a timeless, heart-warming story in an up-to-the-minute setting.

While the character of Kit is fictitious, she has a lot in common with author Brigitte (Bri-gi-tuh) Marsden. They are both bookworms, and they both love animals and spending time out in nature, creative projects, singing and writing. Brigitte has even managed to have a few culinary disasters too!

Like Kit, Brigitte moved to Canada from England—but unlike Kit, she arrived in her new home as an adult. Living in beautiful New Brunswick created opportunities for Brigitte to follow her dream of becoming a writer and a children’s fiction author.

In her first book, Kit and the Calico Cat, ten-year-old Kit Carmichael’s wild adventures begin when she goes from being the cool new kid in school to being targeted by the school bully. Hiding out in the woods leads to mystery, unexpected friendship, and the most terrifying situation Kit has ever faced…

Find out more about Brigitte, her books, and upcoming events at: www.brigittemarsden.com.