J.T.

by Jane Wagner

J. T. begins to change when he discovers there is more satisfaction in caring for an injured cat than in listening to a stolen transistor radio. Illustrated with black and white photographs.

Genres: Young Adult, Fiction, Animals, Realistic Fiction, Read For School, Childrens

63 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Jane Wagner is an American writer, director and producer. Wagner is best known as Lily Tomlin's comedy writer, collaborator and life partner.

She is the author of The Search For Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe, The Incredible Shrinking Woman and other Tomlin vehicles.

Reviews

[Terence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm fudging things a bit here since I've never read the whole book -- it's too painful.

Some background: When I was in second grade, our teachers showed a film called "J.T." It's about a black kid growing up in an inner-city ghetto who befriends a stray cat. As this was not a comedy, you can guess what ensues.

The images and the storyline so affected me that 30 years later I'm still afraid to read the final chapters of the book, and I certainly don't want to see the movie again. A friend & co-worker turned out to be the only other person I've met who's seen the movie (outside of my 2nd-grade classmates) and she gifted me the book for Christmas one year.

[xo Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

I saw this movie in 1976 when I was in elementary school. I remember being so moved by the movie, cried like a baby in class because of what happened to the cat and then cried again at the end for joy. I found the book a year ago and have now just read it with my 10 year old. She loves it and oddly enough we own a cat that looks exactly like JTs cat! I wonder if it was a subconscious choice I made when I rescued this cat from the SPCA.

[Kate acevedo · Rating 5 out of 5]

i think that it is a book that kids would enjoy because it's about a boy that helps a cat that a leg is broken and at the end he gets a cat of its own and take cares of it like if it was family.

[Monique · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another childhood tearjerker for me. Featuring a kid, a homeless cat, and neighborhood bullies. Which - in a rather simplistic way - highlights hope and renewal when everything seems lost.

[Jey The Moose · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a short little book it is surprisingly full of life lessons that J.T had to learn. It is a little slice of J.T's life at a time when he experienced a lot of personal growth.
I cried and smiled while reading this book.

[Nader Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

An emotional tale for cat lover just like me and lesson in empathy for young hearts.
i still feel sad and crying even after i finished the book....
#VERDICT: (8/10)

[jacky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finally! I have been trying to figure out the title of this book for years! I know that I was assigned to read it in elementary school back in the late 80's, but reading the reviews of others, I didn't think I had finished it. I remember clearly the main character buying tuna and putting it on his mom's tab at the store. I remember the purple color on the cover and that the cat was black and white as shown on the cover. This HAS to be the book! Thank you Elizabeth Bird for posting a picture of this cover in your blog!

As soon as I read the blog post that mentioned it, I took it out of through interlibrary loan and read it in an hour while Natalie played. I had to stop a couple times because I started crying and didn't want to confuse Natalie. Really a sweet story of the pivotal moment in a child's life where he must choose which path to follow. Too bad the pictures make it a little dated.

[Alaina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing.
I read this back in 8th grade, I know it's pretty late but I had good reason to! We had independent reading and I remember I'd forgotten to bring my book with me. We had about 10 minutes left in the period, so I figured I could just take anything.

I picked this book basically because it had a cat on the cover. Yep.
I flipped through it a little, looked at the large print and abundance of pictures- and I laughed. I had no idea that this book would get me all emotional.

I was very surprised. This 3rd grade level book had me crying like one of the annoying babies in a movie theater. Right in the middle of class, I didn't care. It was one of those few books that could get me so emotional I'd just break down.

I recommend it to anyone with a heart, haha.

[Stephanne Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ahhh the healing power of animals. A touching story of a boy from a broken home. A mother trying her best to make ends meet in a neighborhood with bullies and good hearted shop keepers. I don't believe this is a story that can happen now, at least not in the same way. I wish that it could though. It feels like a time when people looked at you for who you are or could be instead of just the surface appearances or what you seem to be on Facebook.

A fast cute read, but not one I would go out of my way to read.

[Lisa Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story about a boy living in Harlem...entangled in the daily stresses some city children go through. J.T. is undected...misunderstood and ultimately misjudged. I love this redemptive story.

[Elsa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked that they talked differently. I also liked that it's about a boy & a cat. I liked that it had a lot of drama in the story. In the book, there are real pictures from the movie, which you can find on YouTube.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sad cat book, great sad cat book.

[Diane]

Major thanks go out to Lee Anne's sister Jamie for helping finally find this book! Librarians ROCK! : )

[Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a book that will stick with you, I'll give it that.

[Carissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in 4th grade and even though the title slipped my mind, the gist of the book never did. What a great children's book! (And for those wondering, I don't have an ebook copy.)

[Trinity]

it was a very good book i love how much emotion there is and how they show it!!!!!!

[Kt]

i thought it was a cute storie that had a touching ending

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this with my class every year at Christmas time and still cry.

[Holly Armitage · Rating 5 out of 5]

just loved this book as a child! I still have my original paperback.

[Tylia moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book is great i can kinda relate to it

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading J.T. by Jane Wagner, with pictures by Gordon Parks Jr. published in 1969.

This was a very well-written, heartfelt story about a boy named J.T. who is on the verge of becoming a "bad boy" when he steals a transistor radio from a red convertible. His mother is beside herself with worry. On his way to school one day, near Christmas, J.T. finds a cat with one eye that's been badly cut up and on death's door. He is about to walk away, but something stops him and he finds himself trying everything to help the poor creature. J.T. builds the cat a house so that he doesn't freeze and will be protected from the harsh cold weather, he even starts charging cans of tuna at the grocer. When his mother tells J.T. that he can't keep the cat, J.T. does all he can to give the love and understanding he doesn't receive from his family and the father who walked out years ago, all to this cat.

This is a very fast read. I ead it in one sitting. It was first written as a TV movie by Jane Wagner, famous for being a comedy writer and partner/wife of legendary actress/comedian Lily Tomlin, then was adapted as a children's book. The pictures were done by renowned photographer Gordon Parks, Jr. Parks was famous for his photography depicting racial relations, civil rights, and urban life. He took the photographs while on the set of the TV film.

This is a really wonderful story about love, loss, kindness, understanding, and how with a little heart, you can make great changes in your life, but without it being corny. This story was not at all corny or cheesy. A great Christmastime read. Glad I happened to come across it. J.T. by Jane Wagner, with pictures by Gordon Parks, Jr. I'll definitely have to check out the 1969 TV film that goes along with it. Incidentally, Wagner won a Peabody Award for writing that script. Peabody Award is given for the most enlightening, and invigorating contribution to television. My rating - 5/5

[Branik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this book for Christmas from my grandmother in the late 1970s, maybe as late as 1980. I thought the title was actually "J.T. Cat" because of the little cat drawing by the initials, and because I was a stupid kid. As I recall, and I could be wrong, there was no mention in my edition about there being a film adaption of this story, or that this was the book adaption of a film, and I was enough of a nerd to scour the copyright page, but I figured one must exist since there wasn't many Dell Yearling books with photos on the cover.

The main thing I remember about the book was that J.T. cared for a little cat which he kept in either a vacant lot where people dumped junk they didn't want anymore, or an actual junkyard; and as I recall, J.T. made a little house for the cat in an old broken down oven.

There was some bullies, and spoiler alert...eh, let's just say I remember crying my eyes out at the ending.

The entire film (TV movie..?) is on YouTube, and because of what I remember about the ending, this is one adaptation I'm not interested in seeing. Great book, though — if it can move this cold, cold heart to tears!

...Or the cold, cold heart I had when I was about ten, I suppose.

[Printable Tire]

I found this in a free library outside the Curious George home in Waterville Valley a few years ago. Never heard of it before. It's a gritty existential tell-it-like-it-is kid story as only the 60's and 70's could produce. I can't imagine this type of story published in this exact sort of way anymore. The kids stuff I've seen around now likes to polish the edges, pretty-positive the world or present itself as pure fantasy. Either the movie or the book impressed Lili Tomlin so much she wanted to work with the author, and the rest is history.

If this book doesn't make you cry, you must really hate cats, or lonely little kids.

[Kier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I gave this one 5/5 stars. I went into it not knowing what to expect. It’s one of our books from the book room at school and some of my students are reading it for the social issues book club unit. I liked it. The story made me cry and I think there are multiple elements that students will be able to relate to.

[Linda Schodowsky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know this was actually a book. Over 50 years ago I watched it on TV as a kid and it made me cry. It was so touching and moving. I was maybe nine years old at the time when it first came out. I think they would play it around Christmas of every year. And sure enough when I would watch it I would end up crying at the end.

[Lucia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this story before bedtime to complete my reading goal... was NOT expecting to cry! But the story could be REAL and fortunately it ends well. Now I'll be recommending to everyone I know the way I recommend the movie Hachi 🥹.

[Lili · Rating 1 out of 5]

Totally sad and horrible

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yeah...it's a cute little sad thing.

[Aubrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this book in elementary school and crying my little eyes out. An emotional tale and lesson in empathy for young hearts.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book when I was a kid.