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76th out of 90 books
—
1,578 voters
It's Like This, Cat
Dave Mitchell and his father disagree on almost everything: Dave's music, his hair, even what makes a better pet, a dog or a cat. Dave's father thinks that a dog could be very educational. So dave gets Cat.
Paperback, 176 pages
Published
May 8th 1992
by HarperCollins
(first published 1963)
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A 14 yo teenage boy in 1962 (or so) in New York City has mostly different perspectives and concerns than does the 12 yo surburban child who is likely being encouraged to read this now. But my 12 son did like it, in part because he did like learning about that different setting. I enjoyed it too. I'm not quite sure it was Newbery worthy, but it does deserve to stay in print. Maybe a new cover illustration would be good, though.
ETA - Hmm. My son is now almost 16. And he's still not as mature as th...more
ETA - Hmm. My son is now almost 16. And he's still not as mature as th...more
Jan 13, 2008
Wendy
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Laurie, Constance
Shelves:
behind-the-door,
newbery
I resisted reading this book, because I retain a childhood prejudice against books with male narrators, and I still don't really like kids' books about animals. (It's not really THAT much about animals.) But I forced myself to read a chapter, and then another chapter, and then realized I was actually enjoying it!...
It's kind of a strange book for a Newbery winner--it skews quite a bit older than most, for one thing, and it doesn't have a typical structure--although maybe that's what caught the c...more
It's kind of a strange book for a Newbery winner--it skews quite a bit older than most, for one thing, and it doesn't have a typical structure--although maybe that's what caught the c...more
7 likes
·
like
· see review
"My father is always talking about how a dog can be very educational for a boy. This is one reason I got a cat." (p.1) So starts the story of NYC kid and resident wise guy Dave Mitchell. It's 1963 and Dave is just hanging around the neighborhood, negotiating friendships and trying to stay out of trouble.
But trouble seems to find him. First comes the big tom cat that Dave gets from the local cat lady. "Aunt Kate" takes in all kinds of cats, and some of the kids make fun of her, but Dave likes to...more
But trouble seems to find him. First comes the big tom cat that Dave gets from the local cat lady. "Aunt Kate" takes in all kinds of cats, and some of the kids make fun of her, but Dave likes to...more
Like finding twenty bucks in a pair of pants, I was elated when I came across a free copy of “It’s Like This Cat, by Emily Neville. It is one of those elemental books from my childhood, which had kind of recessed in my memory.
I read this novel when I was in 5th or 6th grade and I was very much aware that its themes were more mature and real-world than the sports books that made up most of my reading. This book really helped turn me into a more discerning reader, and even at that early age, I cou...more
I read this novel when I was in 5th or 6th grade and I was very much aware that its themes were more mature and real-world than the sports books that made up most of my reading. This book really helped turn me into a more discerning reader, and even at that early age, I cou...more
First recent read: I can see why this book confused me as a child...a New
York apartment setting (do people live in apartments? why don't they have a house?)...an eighteen
year old boy who is homeless (where are the boy's parents?)...young teenagers who wander
around a big city (isn't that dangerous?)...a girl whose mother is a beatnik (what in the world is that?)
This world was totally outside of my experiences as a ten year old girl in small town Texas.
Second recent read: Dave and his dad fight...more
York apartment setting (do people live in apartments? why don't they have a house?)...an eighteen
year old boy who is homeless (where are the boy's parents?)...young teenagers who wander
around a big city (isn't that dangerous?)...a girl whose mother is a beatnik (what in the world is that?)
This world was totally outside of my experiences as a ten year old girl in small town Texas.
Second recent read: Dave and his dad fight...more
I really enjoyed this 1964 Newbery winner, though I don't think I would actually recommend it to students. Dave Mitchell, a teen growing up in New York, adopts a scrappy tomcat despite his overbearing father's objections. The cat has a few adventures and leads Dave to meet Tom, a young man facing his own family challenges. Dave also tromps through New York, visiting Coney Island, traveling downtown to help a girl, and visiting parks throughout the city. Kate, an eccentric cat-loving neighbor, ti...more
Apr 01, 2012
Darlene
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Darlene by:
Cheryl in CC NV
The actual book was sitting on my bookshelf as a kid. I imagine I picked it up because of the word CAT in the title, and that it was a Scholastic book special. Some things for me never change. I bet I tried to read it but couldn't relate to the story at all. I was raised in Southern California. In my family you could only ride your bike around the block. The range of independence this boy has at 14 seems incredible. His female friend seems to have just as much freedom. Even the cat has more free...more
Sep 18, 2010
Jill
rated it
1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
wouldn't recommend it
Shelves:
newbery-medal
1964 Newbery Winner.
I can't understand the high number of positive reviews for this book. Well, one of the other reviewers summed it up pretty well: "I'm sure that one of the reasons I like this book is because I like cats so much. Another reason that I like it is because I like to read and learn about the 50's and early 60's." Boom. I'm not crazy about cats, and I wasn't crazy about this book! It's not much more than a walking tour of New York City. A Wrinkle in Time, probably the best young a...more
I can't understand the high number of positive reviews for this book. Well, one of the other reviewers summed it up pretty well: "I'm sure that one of the reasons I like this book is because I like cats so much. Another reason that I like it is because I like to read and learn about the 50's and early 60's." Boom. I'm not crazy about cats, and I wasn't crazy about this book! It's not much more than a walking tour of New York City. A Wrinkle in Time, probably the best young a...more
Given that at one point I was consciously trying to read all the Newbery award winning books and that I have always considered prominent feline presences in literature a draw, I'm really not sure how I missed reading It's Like This, Cat until now, but's an omission I happy to have rectified.
Neville doesn't compromise the authenticity of her teenage narrator's voice an iota, but she nonetheless conveys more than he is explicitly aware of about the social structures he lives in (and which threaten...more
Neville doesn't compromise the authenticity of her teenage narrator's voice an iota, but she nonetheless conveys more than he is explicitly aware of about the social structures he lives in (and which threaten...more
I've just found this website and I'm just beginning to think back to all the books I've read over my life when I thought to myself, "What WAS the first novel you ever read?" It was this book. My oldest sister has always been a bookworm but as an adolescent I was not. More to the point, I lacked the patience to read anything more than a short story. My sister got me this book and asked that I try to read it. I agreed and found myself slowly, steadily making my way through the story. Sadly, I have...more
I really enjoyed this story! Fascinating to discover a book in first person/present tense that was written (very well, I might add)fifty years ago.
The difference between the NYC of the early '60's and present day was rather stark, and it saddened me. Not that life was ideal back then--not by any means--but kids were a whole lot safer on the city streets. The slowly developing friendship portrayed between Dave and Mary was innocent and respectful, and Dave's interactions with his parents, Aunt K...more
The difference between the NYC of the early '60's and present day was rather stark, and it saddened me. Not that life was ideal back then--not by any means--but kids were a whole lot safer on the city streets. The slowly developing friendship portrayed between Dave and Mary was innocent and respectful, and Dave's interactions with his parents, Aunt K...more
What a world! The setting gave me the distinctive feeling that I was glimpsing the world as it was in the 1960. The colloquial language, the scenic, classy backdrop of New York, and the adventure particular to life were enrapturing. It was like this boy narrator was really alive, and I got to live with him just for one moment of his life. Most books today seem as if tltheir narrator's life begins when the story does - sure it existed before but flashbacks are signifigcant enough to tell that sto...more
Dave Mitchell & his father yell at each other a lot, & whenever the fighting starts, Dave's mother gets an asthma attack. That's when Dave storms out of the house. Then Dave meets Tom, a strange boy who helps him rescue Cat. It isn't long before Cat introduces Dave to Mary, a wonderful girl from Coney Island. Slowly Dave comes to see the complexities in people's lives & to understand himself and his family a little better.
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What I li...more
Winner of the 1964 Newbery Medal.
It took me twice as long to read this book as it should have. I really had to fight my way through it. Definitely not a favorite, and one I will probably not read again. I'm sure that the relationship between the main character, Dave, and the weird, college-age guy, Tom, was what won over the Newbery Award judges, but it seemed rather predictable to me. Perhaps in 1964, the idea of such a mismatched friendship was bold and exciting enough to win. But in today's...more
It took me twice as long to read this book as it should have. I really had to fight my way through it. Definitely not a favorite, and one I will probably not read again. I'm sure that the relationship between the main character, Dave, and the weird, college-age guy, Tom, was what won over the Newbery Award judges, but it seemed rather predictable to me. Perhaps in 1964, the idea of such a mismatched friendship was bold and exciting enough to win. But in today's...more
Though It's Like This, Cat took place at an earlier time (with appropriately dated lingo and ideas), its appeals are very much similar to current tween coming-of-age novels. Dave Mitchell deals with his parents, friends, girls, and growing up not unlike kids do today. While the story may seem a little naive to today's teen (unlike so many YA novels today, there are no eating disorders, drugs, murder, or vampires), young Dave's adventures with Cat the cat carry all the trappings of teenage angst...more
While weeding my collection, I've came across this title before, intending to read it. I finally did. It's a rather old fashioned story of a fourteen year old boy, Davey, and his life and relationships in New York City in the early 1960's. The cat, that he names Cat, he adopted from Kate, the elderly neighbor catlady, who takes in strays. I had to laugh when Davey spends money earned on a Belafonte record and a teen girl he meets rather read Gone with the Wind than Anna Karenina. Compared to con...more
I listened to this story as a LibriVox recording. They are books now in the public domain, and can be recorded for everyone's benefit. It was a fun young adult's book.
The most interesting part is that my friend Betsie Bush read it to me! It was odd at first getting used to my friend's voice in the car reading me a story. And yet, I couldn't talk to her! Eventually, I got into the story and was able to enjoy the story she told.
This book was originally published in 1963. The prices were very int...more
The most interesting part is that my friend Betsie Bush read it to me! It was odd at first getting used to my friend's voice in the car reading me a story. And yet, I couldn't talk to her! Eventually, I got into the story and was able to enjoy the story she told.
This book was originally published in 1963. The prices were very int...more
This was the Newbery award winner in 1964 because it was so fresh and new but today it reads like historical fiction. For today's kids, the vocabulary would be difficult (mostly the usage). Our kids would have no idea why the characters have to communicate via postcards, even though they live in the same city. Some of the themes still stand up (misunderstood kids and parents, friendship and loyalty) but it was hard for me to understand parts of the storyline and I have some background knowledge...more
This book feels like a younger, more innocent version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower, but it isn't. Not quite.
Dave Mitchell takes in a stray cat, partially to alleviate the number of cats belonging to his neighbor Kate. He inadvertently assists on a heist and then later befriends the teen thief, who turns out to not be such a bad apple. The twists and turns of his summer with his friends (new, old, and surprise ones) are light and enjoyable from where I sit, and the setting of NYC provides a...more
Dave Mitchell takes in a stray cat, partially to alleviate the number of cats belonging to his neighbor Kate. He inadvertently assists on a heist and then later befriends the teen thief, who turns out to not be such a bad apple. The twists and turns of his summer with his friends (new, old, and surprise ones) are light and enjoyable from where I sit, and the setting of NYC provides a...more
Many years I used to own It's Like This, Cat by Emily Neville. Then I gave my copy to my younger brother. Yet I have never forgotten it. When I recently saw it at a library book sale, I immediately grabbed a copy. Upon rereading it, I was surprised at how undramatic the story and how average the main character is compared to many of today's books. Yet I still love the book.
The main character is fourteen-year-old Dave. His life is peopled with his parents, an eccentric cat lady neighbor named Kat...more
The main character is fourteen-year-old Dave. His life is peopled with his parents, an eccentric cat lady neighbor named Kat...more
I listened to the librivox.org recording of this (it's public domain in the USA, surprisingly).
This book won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1964.
This was quite a good book. It seems to be mostly one of those slice of life sorts of books. It doesn't really seem to end normally, either—it just stops after a good while (or that was my first-listen impression).
It's mostly about a kid, friends he makes, his experiences with them and his family, and his experienc...more
This book won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1964.
This was quite a good book. It seems to be mostly one of those slice of life sorts of books. It doesn't really seem to end normally, either—it just stops after a good while (or that was my first-listen impression).
It's mostly about a kid, friends he makes, his experiences with them and his family, and his experienc...more
What was it about this book that made me avoid it when I was 9 or 10 years old? Was I afraid that the presence of an animal's name in the title (truly, the cat is named "Cat") meant a certain death for said animal by the end of the book? Did I shy away from it because it had a boy narrator? I so wish I could put this in the hands of 10-year-old me, because I'm pretty sure it would have been one of her / my favorite books ever. I enjoyed it very much when I read it (in one sitting) last weekend,...more
I read this for my Goodreads Newbury book club. I liked the book okay, nothing earthshaking, pretty innocent, a bit dated. I don't think it has stood the test of time well, but I learned that it was groundbreaking material when it was published in 1964(?). It paved the way for other gritty, realism teen lit such as The Outsiders. So I guess it could fit the Newbury criteria of "a notable contribution to children's literature." I thought it was about good people trying to do the right thing which...more
A simple story of a boy's experiences during his 14th year, including his struggles with his father, his first interest in a girl, his new friends and old, and his pet cat. At first I thought it a little dated but as I grew accustomed to the dialogue I enjoyed the early sixties flavor. And I loved the New York City setting. There's a false and tragic note at one point in the story, and the ending seems abrupt, but these are balanced by an enjoyable narrator and the glimpses of NYC through his ey...more
I thought this book was fairly boring, and the plot had little conflict (which drives me crazy!) The only things I found fairly interesting were the details that gave away the fact this book was written in the 60s. 14 year old kids hopping on subways to traipse around New York by themselves, existence of records and record players, eating at a restaurant costing less than $1.00, and phone numbers in the form of COney 7-1218. I'm hoping the other Newbery winners are better than this.
Feb 08, 2009
Toby
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
12 year old and up
Early reader -- Chapter book
When I started this book I was sure I would not like it. Wrong again. This is a great story. Some reviewers say they would love to put this into a ten year olds hands to read. I would say more 12-13. Such a great perspective on how self centered we are when we are young.
Also, great example of when you leave your own yard you find out that you grass is often greener that you originally thought. FUN, GREAT, read.
When I started this book I was sure I would not like it. Wrong again. This is a great story. Some reviewers say they would love to put this into a ten year olds hands to read. I would say more 12-13. Such a great perspective on how self centered we are when we are young.
Also, great example of when you leave your own yard you find out that you grass is often greener that you originally thought. FUN, GREAT, read.
Aug 12, 2012
Kristine
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
juvenile,
newbury-winner-honor
I didn't enjoy this Newbery Winning book (for 1964) whose main character is a 14 year old boy Dave who lives in New York City (in a contemporary setting -- contemporary for an early 1960s publication date) with a father and mother and a tomcat named Cat.
That doesn't mean this book doesn't have merits; I myself just didn't connect to this story. Perhaps a young male reader, a cat lover, or a reader much more urban than I will connect.
That doesn't mean this book doesn't have merits; I myself just didn't connect to this story. Perhaps a young male reader, a cat lover, or a reader much more urban than I will connect.
Davey is a fourteen year old boy who just wants his father to leave him alone and let him be who Davey wants to be. He live in a New York City apartment, with his asthmatic mother and controlling father and Cat, a ginger-colored tomcat given him by his friend Aunt Kate. The novel follows Davey and Cat’s adventures through New York City as growing, strong-willed boys – both having problems with bullies, with girls, and with discovering themselves.
An insightful look at how people interact and misjudge each other. Looking through another's eyes can change ones opinion, even about ones father. Meeting Tom Ransom, while rescuing Cat, changes Dave's life. Tom is a daredevil who pushes all boundaries but he also comes to admit admiring Dave's father. Dave is shocked to find someone he looks up to could find anything worth admiring in his short tempered, opinionated father.
Holy smokes, this book is dated! It's a nostalgic, but not cloying story of a 14 year old boy, his parents, neighbors, and friends. The cat is basically a prop to get the story going. For modern kids it will sound like historical fiction - record players? Harry Belafonte? Beatniks? People who think that spaying/neutering their pets is cruel? But it's a quick read and older elementary age readers should enjoy it.
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| What's The Name o...: A Boy and Cat Friendship Story [s] | 4 | 25 | Jun 28, 2012 04:05pm |
Emily Cheney Neville, an American author of children's books, was born in Manchester, Connecticut in 1919 and graduated from Bryn Mawr College in 1940.
In 1963, she wrote her first book, "It's Like This, Cat", which was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1964.
More about Emily Cheney Neville...
In 1963, she wrote her first book, "It's Like This, Cat", which was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1964.
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Mar 28, 2012 08:45pm