Carbonel by Barbara Sleigh and V.H. Drummond

Rosemary's plan to clean houses during her summer break and surprise her mother with the money she earns hits a snag when an old lady at the market talks her into buying a second-rate broom and a cat she can't even afford to keep. She learns, however, that appearances can be deceiving.

Very nice book. Reminds me of Mary Stewart's [b:The Little Broomstick 1135281 The Little Broomstick Mary Stewart https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1181271992s/1135281.jpg 1913367]

Carbonel, a witch's cat with the airs of a prince, is saved from a life of servitude by a young girl. The girl, Rosemary, continues to perform more favors for the cat when she enlists the help of John and the two of them endeavor to free Carbonel from his bonds once and for all.

This is a pleasant and old-fashioned book that I quite enjoyed. The young heroes encounter very few problems in the story, but the nostalgic charm is what really makes the book worth reading. I'm not sure any kids today (yikes, I sound old) would like this book, but an old soul would probably find it quite endearing.