Tenth Good Thing About Barney

When the young narrator’s cat, Barney, dies, his mother encourages him to think of ten good things about Barney to tell at his funeral. But the young boy can only think of nine. Later, after helping his father garden, he realizes the tenth good thing about Barney. “Barney is in the ground and he’s helping grow flowers. You know… that’s a pretty nice job for a cat.” Through Judith Viorst’s simple words that eloquently capture a child’s grief and confusion, children can begin to understand the cycle of life.