Petey Scroggs the neighborhood bully who holds Zippy's cat PeeDink captive in his basement.

Doc Owner of the grocery store who is married to Zippy's teacher whom she dislikes [2] A Girl Named Zippy is Kimmel's first memoir about her childhood growing up in the small Indiana town of Mooreland, IN near New Castle, Indiana.

From her perspective as child, Kimmel describes her beginnings as a seriously ill, speechless, and bald baby who did not speak or grow hair until she was 2 years old.

She earned her nickname from her father because she would "zip" around the house like a famous chimp on TV who could roller skate.

Her various animal adventures include rescuing her cat, PeeDink, from the bully Peter next door, saving a baby pig from the runt pile, and raising her pet chicken, Speckles (later a meal).

[6] Today Show Book Club Selection September 2002 New York Times Bestseller Booksense 76 [7] Qualities of Light Growing Up Sparky in an Innocent World [8] Booklist March 15, 2001 Mary Carroll p. 1351 Book Page April 2001 (Eliza R.L.