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It's Like This, Cat
My father is always talking about how a dog can be very educational for a boy. This is one reason I got a cat.
Dave Mitchell and his father yell at each other a lot, and 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 and to understand himself and his family a little better.
"A rare reading experience... The author knows the language of a New York boy in the same sense that Mark Twain knew the talk of a Mississippi River one." -The Kirkus Reviews
"Superb novel." -New York Times
Dave Mitchell and his father yell at each other a lot, and 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 and to understand himself and his family a little better.
"A rare reading experience... The author knows the language of a New York boy in the same sense that Mark Twain knew the talk of a Mississippi River one." -The Kirkus Reviews
"Superb novel." -New York Times
180 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1963
145 people are currently reading
4131 people want to read
About the author
Emily Cheney Neville
17 books14 followers 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.
In 1963, she wrote her first book, "It's Like This, Cat", which was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1964.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 552 reviews
January 13, 2008
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 committee's eye. It strikes me as being really Sixties.
If you love New York books, well, here you go... this is one of the New Yorkiest of New York books I've read.
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 committee's eye. It strikes me as being really Sixties.
If you love New York books, well, here you go... this is one of the New Yorkiest of New York books I've read.
December 16, 2020
Emily Neville’s 1964, Newbery prize-winning novel has the flavour of an indie movie, one that leans towards mumblecore, slice-of-life realism presented in informal, conversational tones. It’s narrated by Dave, a 14-year-old New York schoolboy. He lives in an apartment with his loud-mouthed lawyer father and timid mother, collects Harry Belafonte records, and has a close bond with local eccentric Kate who lives for her collection of stray cats. Dave brings one home and their relationship opens up new friendships and a first girlfriend Mary. Instead of a plot Neville takes her readers on a tour of 1960s' New York, its fish markets, Jewish and Italian neighbourhoods and beyond. She has an oddly unsentimental, direct approach to her material, including the death of a pet, unreliable fathers, and a character who joins the army rather than wait for the draft – what’s unspoken, and makes Neville’s choice particularly jarring, is the fact that their likely destination would've been Vietnam. A curiosity as a children’s book but it has a certain, offbeat charm and it's fascinating for its representation of a culture and a lost New York. The text's supported by a number of striking, black-and-white illustrations by Czech illustrator Emil Weiss, who took up residence in the U.S. after his time as a refugee from WW2 Europe.
July 5, 2023
My family is starting to collect people the way Kate collects homeless cats. Of course, Kate and Tom aren't homeless. They're people-less- not part of any family. I think Mom always wanted more people to take care of, so she's glad to have them. (PG 146)
Newbery Award Winner- YA- 1963
A coming-of-age story in Manhattan's 1960s. The competition must've lacked that year. Yikes. It was corny, cute but definitely not amazing or thought provoking enough to win. But this is just my opinion. Very quick read. There is a tomcat in it but it's not about the cat but it kind of is.
I did like that it was a "nuclear" (new word being used here!) family unit. At first the audience is meant to think the Dad is a typical 60s uncaring ass but I really liked him by the end. His mom liked taking care of people and his Dad just wanted the best for him. He just got riled up. Typical scream-y dad.
The novel just gives us adults nostalgia of wanting things to be that simple. When you were a street kid and no one molested or graped you and came home for dinner once the street lights were turned on.
Corny, sweet but I think these modern Xbox, YouTube kids would scoff at it. Shut up and grab the Encyclopedia and turn on the Boombox! They're missing out.
Newbery Award Winner- YA- 1963
A coming-of-age story in Manhattan's 1960s. The competition must've lacked that year. Yikes. It was corny, cute but definitely not amazing or thought provoking enough to win. But this is just my opinion. Very quick read. There is a tomcat in it but it's not about the cat but it kind of is.
I did like that it was a "nuclear" (new word being used here!) family unit. At first the audience is meant to think the Dad is a typical 60s uncaring ass but I really liked him by the end. His mom liked taking care of people and his Dad just wanted the best for him. He just got riled up. Typical scream-y dad.
The novel just gives us adults nostalgia of wanting things to be that simple. When you were a street kid and no one molested or graped you and came home for dinner once the street lights were turned on.
Corny, sweet but I think these modern Xbox, YouTube kids would scoff at it. Shut up and grab the Encyclopedia and turn on the Boombox! They're missing out.
December 30, 2020
Ahoy there me mateys! I recently saw this book somewhere and of course was interested because of the title. Cause cats be awesome. Then I saw that Amazon had it for free. So I downloaded it. Apparently it be the 1964 Newbery winner. Which of course I had forgotten about despite having read the list of Newbery winners a billion times. I also had no idea what it was about. I picked it up yesterday on a whim.
I adored it. It be a coming of age tale about a boy named Dave, growing up in Manhattan in the 1960s. He happens to get a stray cat named Cat who changes his life. While the Cat parts are absolutely lovely, the real story of the book revolves around Dave’s evolving relationships with his family and friends. He roams all over Manhattan living an everyday life. Dave is naïve but endearing and good-hearted.
It is also a slice of life story. The writing style is simplistic in style but does deal with more mature themes like homelessness, parental abandonment, mental illness, chronic illness, and death. Despite the dark themes, the tone is lighter and not depressing. Dave learns and reflects and changes because of what he experiences.
I think this is an excellent example of a children’s classic that people should still read. While it seems simplistic to a reader today, this book was credited with introducing the first-person present tense in children’s books. It was also said to be too realistic. An fantastic article discussing the background of the book says that in the author’s “Newbery acceptance speech, “Out Where the Real People Are,” Emily Neville defended this new genre for teens: “The real world, with its shadings of light and dark, its many-toned colors, is so much more beautiful than the rigid world of good and bad. It is also more confusing. I think the teen-age reader is ready for both.” This book helped usher in a new trend in teen literature that forever changed the landscape of publishing. Arrrr!
I adored it. It be a coming of age tale about a boy named Dave, growing up in Manhattan in the 1960s. He happens to get a stray cat named Cat who changes his life. While the Cat parts are absolutely lovely, the real story of the book revolves around Dave’s evolving relationships with his family and friends. He roams all over Manhattan living an everyday life. Dave is naïve but endearing and good-hearted.
It is also a slice of life story. The writing style is simplistic in style but does deal with more mature themes like homelessness, parental abandonment, mental illness, chronic illness, and death. Despite the dark themes, the tone is lighter and not depressing. Dave learns and reflects and changes because of what he experiences.
I think this is an excellent example of a children’s classic that people should still read. While it seems simplistic to a reader today, this book was credited with introducing the first-person present tense in children’s books. It was also said to be too realistic. An fantastic article discussing the background of the book says that in the author’s “Newbery acceptance speech, “Out Where the Real People Are,” Emily Neville defended this new genre for teens: “The real world, with its shadings of light and dark, its many-toned colors, is so much more beautiful than the rigid world of good and bad. It is also more confusing. I think the teen-age reader is ready for both.” This book helped usher in a new trend in teen literature that forever changed the landscape of publishing. Arrrr!
November 17, 2015
Winner of the 1964 Newbery Medal.
It's not your typical children's story; it has a grown up feel to it. It's set in New York City in the mid 20th century, back when parents let their young kids roam all over, seemingly without worry. It's the story of young Davey and his formerly stray cat named Cat. His tales of urban adventures are actually quite entertaining. And it's a good look back at New York City as it was in the 60's.
It's not your typical children's story; it has a grown up feel to it. It's set in New York City in the mid 20th century, back when parents let their young kids roam all over, seemingly without worry. It's the story of young Davey and his formerly stray cat named Cat. His tales of urban adventures are actually quite entertaining. And it's a good look back at New York City as it was in the 60's.
October 1, 2019
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 could start to evaluate a work and appreciate it for its stylistic choices. The New York City setting was fascinatingly vivid to me; and the protagonist’s first glimmerings of attraction to girls paralleled my own shifting thoughts.
However, that isn’t the only significance that “It’s Like This Cat” has for me. I have always felt that there are certain books that evoke a very specific time and place and I distinctly remember another time that I read it, sometime in the middle school years. I was having a radical mastoidectomy at Johns Hopkins, and was in the hospital for at least a week. One afternoon, a few days after the surgery, we were allowed to go to this little bookroom that they had in the pediatric ward. My roommate was a young black child, maybe seven, who was extremely shy and had few visitors. I remember he took my hand as we shuffled down the hallway and I found a copy of this wonderful book. I re-read it twice over the next couple of days. I know that my Aunt Anna, who came and sat with me quite a few times that week, and I would talk about him, worrying because he had no visitors.
Anyway, that said, I have embedded a link to the book and hope you will read it. I teach ninth grade English, and I am curious if the book still holds up.
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 could start to evaluate a work and appreciate it for its stylistic choices. The New York City setting was fascinatingly vivid to me; and the protagonist’s first glimmerings of attraction to girls paralleled my own shifting thoughts.
However, that isn’t the only significance that “It’s Like This Cat” has for me. I have always felt that there are certain books that evoke a very specific time and place and I distinctly remember another time that I read it, sometime in the middle school years. I was having a radical mastoidectomy at Johns Hopkins, and was in the hospital for at least a week. One afternoon, a few days after the surgery, we were allowed to go to this little bookroom that they had in the pediatric ward. My roommate was a young black child, maybe seven, who was extremely shy and had few visitors. I remember he took my hand as we shuffled down the hallway and I found a copy of this wonderful book. I re-read it twice over the next couple of days. I know that my Aunt Anna, who came and sat with me quite a few times that week, and I would talk about him, worrying because he had no visitors.
Anyway, that said, I have embedded a link to the book and hope you will read it. I teach ninth grade English, and I am curious if the book still holds up.
March 16, 2016
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 all the time and Dave’s mother gets sick. Dave brings home a cat who he appropriately names Cat. Cat helps Dave meet Tom and Mary and binds Dave and his parents into a real family.
I can remember reading this book when I was a young girl. I remember being confused about people who live in apartments (people do that?) and hearing a dad and his son argue all the time (a son is talking back to his dad and surviving?). I remember thinking Tom was an odd duck, a boy who was ignored by his family (does that really happen?) And the lingo the people speak, especially the young people, a dialect and vocabulary so different from my Texas lingo….This book took me right out of my little small-town world.
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 all the time and Dave’s mother gets sick. Dave brings home a cat who he appropriately names Cat. Cat helps Dave meet Tom and Mary and binds Dave and his parents into a real family.
I can remember reading this book when I was a young girl. I remember being confused about people who live in apartments (people do that?) and hearing a dad and his son argue all the time (a son is talking back to his dad and surviving?). I remember thinking Tom was an odd duck, a boy who was ignored by his family (does that really happen?) And the lingo the people speak, especially the young people, a dialect and vocabulary so different from my Texas lingo….This book took me right out of my little small-town world.
June 5, 2007
I first read this book when I was 10 years old and on a train ride from California to New York. Interesting children’s coming of age novel written first person by a 14 year old New York city boy (who becomes attached to a stray cat – hence the title of the book). Accurate descriptions of New York city of the early 1960s. It was unusual for me to enjoy a book with a male protagonist back then, but I loved this book. What I remember most, was how the boy, Dave, would make cold spaghetti sandwiches for breakfast; I’d never heard of such a thing but I then went through a stage of making and enjoying them myself. Wonderful illustrations too.
April 14, 2020
Dave, a 14 year old boy in NYC, brings home a cat. But also, he runs all around the city alone and with friends. Meets a girl, meets a guy just a little older but who is essentially homeless and estranged from his family. Just some adventures in the late 60s, things that I don't think would happen the same way these days. Also, he took $9 with him when he took Cat to get fixed.
Newbery winner, 1964
Newbery winner, 1964
February 5, 2020
Read for Children's Group February 2020.
It reads like historical fiction now. Think of all that roaming about the city this 14 yo boy did. And the girl, Mary, too. And encyclopedias, no internet, no portable phone. Public schools perceived as good enough for a lawyer's son.
But I can see why I didn't care for it when I was young. I certainly didn't understand the friendship with Mary... was she special, or not? ... all I knew about love was like my parents or like in fairy tales, and it never occurred to me that they could be just friends.
I don't know if the episodic nature bothered me then. I like it very much now. Things happen, we have minor adventures, time goes by, something else happens.... life usually doesn't have a dramatic arc and stories don't need to have one either.
A contemporary blurb on the back of my edition from the "Christian Science Monitor" says that the urban setting for this is a refreshing contrast to the more typical "idyllic countryside." It also says the book is for boys. I'm not sure that I agree with that. I think it's more for a certain kind of reader, and that kind of reader is at least as likely to be a girl as a boy.
Anyway, I think it does portray early 1960sNYC well. And it's interesting to see a 14 year-old boy's pov as he realizes that the world isn't all about him. He learns his true r'ship with a friend he took for granted, finds a couple of new friends, learns responsibility, meets a girl and finds out that at least some girls are real people not just annoying flirts, and discovers that there are all sorts of families & he's lucky to have the one he's got.
I am disturbed about the ending
Is it Newbery worthy? Imo, almost. Compared to the honor books, The Loner (I never heard of it) and Rascal (which is apparently too entertaining to be significant, according to most newbery committees' opinions that we've been subject to), yeah, I can see why it got the medal. But I do wonder what else was published that year, and why it wasn't a stronger year.
It reads like historical fiction now. Think of all that roaming about the city this 14 yo boy did. And the girl, Mary, too. And encyclopedias, no internet, no portable phone. Public schools perceived as good enough for a lawyer's son.
But I can see why I didn't care for it when I was young. I certainly didn't understand the friendship with Mary... was she special, or not? ... all I knew about love was like my parents or like in fairy tales, and it never occurred to me that they could be just friends.
I don't know if the episodic nature bothered me then. I like it very much now. Things happen, we have minor adventures, time goes by, something else happens.... life usually doesn't have a dramatic arc and stories don't need to have one either.
A contemporary blurb on the back of my edition from the "Christian Science Monitor" says that the urban setting for this is a refreshing contrast to the more typical "idyllic countryside." It also says the book is for boys. I'm not sure that I agree with that. I think it's more for a certain kind of reader, and that kind of reader is at least as likely to be a girl as a boy.
Anyway, I think it does portray early 1960sNYC well. And it's interesting to see a 14 year-old boy's pov as he realizes that the world isn't all about him. He learns his true r'ship with a friend he took for granted, finds a couple of new friends, learns responsibility, meets a girl and finds out that at least some girls are real people not just annoying flirts, and discovers that there are all sorts of families & he's lucky to have the one he's got.
I am disturbed about the ending
Is it Newbery worthy? Imo, almost. Compared to the honor books, The Loner (I never heard of it) and Rascal (which is apparently too entertaining to be significant, according to most newbery committees' opinions that we've been subject to), yeah, I can see why it got the medal. But I do wonder what else was published that year, and why it wasn't a stronger year.
September 16, 2025
Dave’s father claims dogs can be very educational for a boy, so Dave gets a cat. I like a book that can lay out the tension in the first paragraph. I was pleasantly surprised by this book as I plod through the few remaining Newberys. It is a time-capsule of what it was to be young in NYC in the early 1960s. With the subway at your beck and call you could roam from borough to borough. A trip to Staten Island by Ferry on a windy Columbus Day. Drop in at a Matinee of the first run of West Side Story with a few bucks in your pocket. Take your cat to the Coney Island beach during the off season - meeting the girls and unplanned extra. I enjoyed the narrator’s voice. I found Dave a less jaded Holden Caulfield. There are two side characters, Kate the older ‘cat-lady’ and Tom a dropout delinquent turned pal, who are fleshed out and brought into the orbit of Dave’s family. I can see its strengths in the writing, but I can also see how dated it is, which might be why I enjoyed it so much.
May 14, 2014
Alright Alright Alright... this book is dated. Like 51 years old! But you know what? I really liked it!
It's about a 14 year old boy named David.
If this book was written today... David would be 17 years old, one parent would be out of the picture, and he'd be a misunderstood rich kid.
BAH!!
In this book, David acts like a normal kid, likes to make friends, has a cat because his neighbor is a cat lady and he thought the cat was cool, he likes to listen to records, and he fights with his Dad.
Now, if this was written today.. that means that the cat lady would be his mom or something, the cat wouldn't be a cat but some homeless girl he's hiding in his room, he'd sneak out to go to punk concerts, and the fights with his Dad would be with fists and not words... or maybe he'd have to spend the night in jail.
Have you noticed that today's books have a lot of freaking drama?
That is why this book was such a breath of fresh air to read. Sure, like I said.. it's dated... but we still watch old movies for a reason. They're classic!!
I really liked the idea of Cat. Cat's name is Cat. It was like when my friend named her dog D-O-G. When you say those letter's it sounds like DEoGe. And I was like "What a cool name for a dog! HOw did you come up with it?" And my friend laughs her ass off at me and asks how you spell 'dog'.
Cat isn't the main star of the book like I told you. So, if you think you are going to read a book mainly about a cat... you aren't. But the cat gets everything going.
It's also about New York City life back in the 60s which I found mega interesting. I don't know much about that time because when this book was written my parents were 4 years old.
Anyways... I totes recommend this book to kids 10 years and older. It's a old book so everything is A-Ok. But I will warn you. There is a kinda not so much but you might want to consider it... scene about a kitten who gets stepped on and dies. I was like "OMG!!" but it's real... and only a couple of paragraphs. I don't think it will scar your kid but you're gonna get questions about it. These are things you normally don't want to talk about with kids.
But besides that... it's a great book!
It's about a 14 year old boy named David.
If this book was written today... David would be 17 years old, one parent would be out of the picture, and he'd be a misunderstood rich kid.
BAH!!
In this book, David acts like a normal kid, likes to make friends, has a cat because his neighbor is a cat lady and he thought the cat was cool, he likes to listen to records, and he fights with his Dad.
Now, if this was written today.. that means that the cat lady would be his mom or something, the cat wouldn't be a cat but some homeless girl he's hiding in his room, he'd sneak out to go to punk concerts, and the fights with his Dad would be with fists and not words... or maybe he'd have to spend the night in jail.
Have you noticed that today's books have a lot of freaking drama?
That is why this book was such a breath of fresh air to read. Sure, like I said.. it's dated... but we still watch old movies for a reason. They're classic!!
I really liked the idea of Cat. Cat's name is Cat. It was like when my friend named her dog D-O-G. When you say those letter's it sounds like DEoGe. And I was like "What a cool name for a dog! HOw did you come up with it?" And my friend laughs her ass off at me and asks how you spell 'dog'.
Cat isn't the main star of the book like I told you. So, if you think you are going to read a book mainly about a cat... you aren't. But the cat gets everything going.
It's also about New York City life back in the 60s which I found mega interesting. I don't know much about that time because when this book was written my parents were 4 years old.
Anyways... I totes recommend this book to kids 10 years and older. It's a old book so everything is A-Ok. But I will warn you. There is a kinda not so much but you might want to consider it... scene about a kitten who gets stepped on and dies. I was like "OMG!!" but it's real... and only a couple of paragraphs. I don't think it will scar your kid but you're gonna get questions about it. These are things you normally don't want to talk about with kids.
But besides that... it's a great book!
July 7, 2018
As part of My Big Fat Reading Project, after I have finished reading the top 10 bestsellers of a given year, I go through the award winners. As of 1964 there were only six major awards given in the United States. These days there are scores of them.
It's Like This, Cat won the Newbery Award in 1964, given for the best writing for readers aged 8 to 12. Up until 1963 this award favored historical fiction and some rather dull "improving" type stories. 1963 was a breakout year for the Newbery when Madeleine L'Engle received the award for A Wrinkle in Time.
It's Like This, Cat showed promise that the Newbery's hidebound nature had truly changed, though the main character is a bit older than usual. David Mitchell is 14 and the story is set in contemporary times in New York City.
David has a frail mother who suffers from asthma. His father is a somewhat overbearing stuffed shirt. Son and father argue often, setting off the mother's asthma attacks.
I don't know if the city was safer in the mid-1960s than it is today (probably not) but David roams freely with his friends. He gets around by subway, bus, bicycle and his own two feet. These kids think nothing of walking blocks and miles through the city.
Despite David's difficulties with his dad and kids his age, he has an adult friend. Kate is a crazy cat lady who lives alone and rescues cats. She gives one of these to him, a tomcat who becomes his main companion during the course of the story. What a fine cat he is too!
By the end, David has a best friend, a girlfriend, and a better understanding of his father. The story is reminiscent of Beverly Cleary and full of good writing. The author went on to write four more children's books while raising five kids in New York City.
It's Like This, Cat won the Newbery Award in 1964, given for the best writing for readers aged 8 to 12. Up until 1963 this award favored historical fiction and some rather dull "improving" type stories. 1963 was a breakout year for the Newbery when Madeleine L'Engle received the award for A Wrinkle in Time.
It's Like This, Cat showed promise that the Newbery's hidebound nature had truly changed, though the main character is a bit older than usual. David Mitchell is 14 and the story is set in contemporary times in New York City.
David has a frail mother who suffers from asthma. His father is a somewhat overbearing stuffed shirt. Son and father argue often, setting off the mother's asthma attacks.
I don't know if the city was safer in the mid-1960s than it is today (probably not) but David roams freely with his friends. He gets around by subway, bus, bicycle and his own two feet. These kids think nothing of walking blocks and miles through the city.
Despite David's difficulties with his dad and kids his age, he has an adult friend. Kate is a crazy cat lady who lives alone and rescues cats. She gives one of these to him, a tomcat who becomes his main companion during the course of the story. What a fine cat he is too!
By the end, David has a best friend, a girlfriend, and a better understanding of his father. The story is reminiscent of Beverly Cleary and full of good writing. The author went on to write four more children's books while raising five kids in New York City.
June 13, 2021
It's Like This, Cat, Emily Cheney Neville's Newbery Award-winning novel, begins with a tiff over a Harry Belafonte record. However, as I read it, the soundtrack that kept going through my head was Simon and Garfunkel's "Feelin' Groovy." Like that folkie tune, It's Like This, Cat is a slice of life of early 1960s New York City. It was a time of freedom for teenagers when they could take the subway all over the city without much worry and were a lot less cynical about life. It was also a time when the middle class could still afford to live in Manhattan and Brooklyn and the Wednesday matinee for a popular Broadway show cost less than $3 -- cheap enough that kids could still afford to go. (For comparison, a Wednesday matinee of The Book of Mormon costs $69 for a seat in the nosebleed section.)
In the ensuing 50 years, this 1963 novel has probably lost some of its appeal for its original target audience of young people; however, adults -- particularly those of, ahem, a certain age -- will enjoy the adventures of 14-year-old Dave Mitchell as he navigates his way as a high-school freshman and as a tour of many New York City landmarks during a bygone age. (less)
In the ensuing 50 years, this 1963 novel has probably lost some of its appeal for its original target audience of young people; however, adults -- particularly those of, ahem, a certain age -- will enjoy the adventures of 14-year-old Dave Mitchell as he navigates his way as a high-school freshman and as a tour of many New York City landmarks during a bygone age. (less)
Want to read
July 25, 2019this title is how I start every sentence to my fluff demon when she demands more food in her already full dish
"It's like this, cat, that you got what you got and you ain't getting any more 'til it's gone"
"It's like this, cat, that you got what you got and you ain't getting any more 'til it's gone"
August 20, 2024
Wonderful YA book written in the early 1960's about a boy coming of age in New York at that time, and the wonderful stray cat who changes his life.
August 23, 2018
Yes, it deserved the award. IT'S LIKE THIS, CAT is a kids' novel from the Sixties that still sells well today. A pre-adolescent, inner-city youth gradually steps out of his rut, meeting a health-food "nut" and hooking up with paid modeling. Written entirely from his point of view, very vivid and heartfelt. So much so that IT'S LIKE THIS, CAT earned author Emily Neville the Newberry Award in 1964. Followed by Berries Goodman (1965), in which the celebrated author tackled anti-Semitism in suburbia.
March 12, 2020
Sweet and salty. True to life of growing up around friends and parents. Very little to do with cats, actually. Lots to do with humans.
November 19, 2020
4.5 on the blog.
*Warning a kitten death that was a little bit on the graphic side.
I loved this story! It is one of the older Newbery books which would have been considered a teen title back then, not a Junior (Middle Grade), so in today's tastes would be for 11-13, or maybe a bit younger if reading with a parent.
It reminded me of '60s shows like Leave It To Beaver, and Father Knows Best, but in book form; where there was always life lessons being learned by the kids. I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult because it brought back memories of bike riding, pay phones, landlines, and only having one TV in the house.
The .5 star deduction comes from some of the aimlessly wandering with friends scenes being a bit too long.
I read this as my monthly Newbery Award book and as part of my 2020 A Year of Classics personal reading challenge.
*Warning a kitten death that was a little bit on the graphic side.
I loved this story! It is one of the older Newbery books which would have been considered a teen title back then, not a Junior (Middle Grade), so in today's tastes would be for 11-13, or maybe a bit younger if reading with a parent.
It reminded me of '60s shows like Leave It To Beaver, and Father Knows Best, but in book form; where there was always life lessons being learned by the kids. I thoroughly enjoyed it as an adult because it brought back memories of bike riding, pay phones, landlines, and only having one TV in the house.
The .5 star deduction comes from some of the aimlessly wandering with friends scenes being a bit too long.
I read this as my monthly Newbery Award book and as part of my 2020 A Year of Classics personal reading challenge.
January 5, 2025
My father is always talking about how a dog can be very educational for a boy. This is one reason I got a cat.
Despite the fact that I am a woman in her early twenties who grew up in the woods of New Hampshire, and this book describes a fourteen-year-old boy growing up in New York City in the 1960s, there was something universal in this book that I think anyone could enjoy and appreciate: the description of changes in your perspective as you're growing up.
At the beginning of the book, Dave adopts a cat as a pet. The book isn't really about the cat, but rather the people Cat leads Dave to meet and how they change him as a person. The book reads as a bunch of short stories about Dave taking place over a year or so, but they all connect in that they contribute to who Dave is becoming. He loses a childhood friend, makes a new lifelong one, and gets his first girlfriend. I think the overarching change, though, is his relationship with his father: at the beginning of the book, Dave dislikes his father and doesn't understand him. However, meeting new people and hearing their experiences about their own fathers helps him to appreciate and understand his more. It's not sappy or in-your-face at all, but I appreciated the commentary on allowing others' experiences to expand your horizons and perspectives on your own life, especially as a younger person.
I also just really enjoyed feeling as though I had been transported back to New York City in the 1960s. The culture of the city at that time was displayed well -- it was certainly a lot different back then than it is today, but I think the various people Dave meets and problems he deals with are ones that children today could relate to, as well.
This is an elite children's book. Highly recommend. 4/5 stars.
Despite the fact that I am a woman in her early twenties who grew up in the woods of New Hampshire, and this book describes a fourteen-year-old boy growing up in New York City in the 1960s, there was something universal in this book that I think anyone could enjoy and appreciate: the description of changes in your perspective as you're growing up.
At the beginning of the book, Dave adopts a cat as a pet. The book isn't really about the cat, but rather the people Cat leads Dave to meet and how they change him as a person. The book reads as a bunch of short stories about Dave taking place over a year or so, but they all connect in that they contribute to who Dave is becoming. He loses a childhood friend, makes a new lifelong one, and gets his first girlfriend. I think the overarching change, though, is his relationship with his father: at the beginning of the book, Dave dislikes his father and doesn't understand him. However, meeting new people and hearing their experiences about their own fathers helps him to appreciate and understand his more. It's not sappy or in-your-face at all, but I appreciated the commentary on allowing others' experiences to expand your horizons and perspectives on your own life, especially as a younger person.
I also just really enjoyed feeling as though I had been transported back to New York City in the 1960s. The culture of the city at that time was displayed well -- it was certainly a lot different back then than it is today, but I think the various people Dave meets and problems he deals with are ones that children today could relate to, as well.
This is an elite children's book. Highly recommend. 4/5 stars.
September 11, 2015
It’s like this cat has the best opening line of any Newbery I’ve read so far, even the famous ‘Dark and stormy” line from Wrinkle in Time. “My father is always talking about how a dog can be very educational for a boy. This is one reason I got a cat.” Genius, right? I knew right then that I was going to enjoy this one,and I did. I really related to Dave. I too grew up in a house with an attorney father who liked to argue. Luckily, I had a brother who did most of the arguing back. The tone was irreverent, which was enjoyable, and a little refreshing after the last two overly religious novels.
Content-wise it’s probably the most YA Newbery winner up to this point. There was even one spot, I could see a parent complaining about if I sent it home with a student. (There was a song on one of Dave’s records about the birds and the bees.) Even mentioning the birds and the bees in an elementary novel runs a risk of parent complaint.
Anyways, I liked it.
Content-wise it’s probably the most YA Newbery winner up to this point. There was even one spot, I could see a parent complaining about if I sent it home with a student. (There was a song on one of Dave’s records about the birds and the bees.) Even mentioning the birds and the bees in an elementary novel runs a risk of parent complaint.
Anyways, I liked it.
December 8, 2018
ENGLISH: This is the third time I have read this book. The Cat in the title serves as a catalyst that joins other people together: Dave, the 14-year-old teen-age narrator; his parents; Kate the Cat Lady; Mary, "the first girl I can talk to like a real person;" and Tom, the maladjusted boy without a family and no perspectives, who makes Dave begin to understand his father.
ESPAÑOL: Esta es la tercera vez que leo este libro. El Gato del título es un catalizador que une a otras personas: Dave, el narrador adolescente de 14 años; sus padres; Kate, la señora de los gatos; Mary, "la primera chica con la que puedo hablar como si fuese una persona de verdad"; y Tom, el chico inadaptado sin familia y sin perspectivas, gracias al cual Dave empieza a comprender a su padre.
ESPAÑOL: Esta es la tercera vez que leo este libro. El Gato del título es un catalizador que une a otras personas: Dave, el narrador adolescente de 14 años; sus padres; Kate, la señora de los gatos; Mary, "la primera chica con la que puedo hablar como si fuese una persona de verdad"; y Tom, el chico inadaptado sin familia y sin perspectivas, gracias al cual Dave empieza a comprender a su padre.
April 4, 2014
Continuing my quest to read all Newbery medal and honor books, I pulled this one off my book shelf. A 1964 Newbery Medal winner that frankly leaves me mystified at the process of how and who selects the winners.
This is a story of David who lives in New York City and adopts a cat. On the surface it appears to be a story of an animal that changed the lives of those with whom it contacted. Below the surface, there appears to be many randomly sprinkled subplots of characters and events. It is indeed as fluffy as the cat!
Ugh, I just cannot connect with this book at all. Not recommended.
This is a story of David who lives in New York City and adopts a cat. On the surface it appears to be a story of an animal that changed the lives of those with whom it contacted. Below the surface, there appears to be many randomly sprinkled subplots of characters and events. It is indeed as fluffy as the cat!
Ugh, I just cannot connect with this book at all. Not recommended.
January 17, 2013
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.
January 31, 2020
Pretty bland. Sort of like Dick of 'Dick and Jane' fame narrates his slightly more difficult early teen-age years. Puff morphs into a much tougher Cat.
July 15, 2021
In a shocking turn of events, I have actually read two older Newbery books that I really liked right in a row! (The other being The Quaint and Curious Quest of Johnny Longfoot.)
I really love Catcher in the Rye and the voice of our narrator in this book reminded me a lot of Holden - if Holden was very innocent and raised with kind and loving parents. It was sarcastic and amusing.
There is no big plot in the book, it's mostly just Dave living his everyday life, making some mistakes, making friends, and starting to think about girls. He gets a cat from his neighbor which he names Cat. Cat figures into some of the mishaps.
The part of the story I loved the most was the relationship between Dave and his dad. I loved that his dad was a good guy just trying to connect with his son and how Dave starts to realize that. It was also cute watching Dave get to know Mary.
While it was probably contemporary for it's time it definitely doesn't read that way now. I enjoyed seeing life in the big city through Dave's eyes.
While it's not a book I'll be reading over and over again, I did really enjoy it.
Newbery Medal 1964
I really love Catcher in the Rye and the voice of our narrator in this book reminded me a lot of Holden - if Holden was very innocent and raised with kind and loving parents. It was sarcastic and amusing.
There is no big plot in the book, it's mostly just Dave living his everyday life, making some mistakes, making friends, and starting to think about girls. He gets a cat from his neighbor which he names Cat. Cat figures into some of the mishaps.
The part of the story I loved the most was the relationship between Dave and his dad. I loved that his dad was a good guy just trying to connect with his son and how Dave starts to realize that. It was also cute watching Dave get to know Mary.
While it was probably contemporary for it's time it definitely doesn't read that way now. I enjoyed seeing life in the big city through Dave's eyes.
While it's not a book I'll be reading over and over again, I did really enjoy it.
Newbery Medal 1964
April 15, 2018
The Good: This is a highly realistic coming-of-age story. Dave and his father have a complicated relationship. Both of them are loud, sarcastic, and opinionated. They do things to purposely annoy each other. When Dave’s father tells him to get a dog, he gets a cat. Cat becomes the catalyst (haha, see what I did there?) for big changes in Dave’s life. As he drags Cat around New York City, he reevaluates old friendships and forms new ones. Cat helps him learn that life involves difficult choices, and sometimes you have to forgive and be the bigger person. Even though this is an older book, the themes are universal.
The Bad: OMG, guys, this book badly shows its age. It was first published in the 1960s, and you can tell. I’d be impressed if modern kids know what “beatniks” and “ducktail haircuts” are. I’m slightly shocked that you could get a cat neutered for $3 back then. It cost several hundred to get my dog’s manhood snipped. My vet is a rip off!
I also think this book might be too slow for some modern readers. A lot of the story consists of Dave wandering around New York. If you’re familiar with New York City, it might be fun to see how the landmarks have changed. There is a lot of description of the setting. Since I’ve never been to New York, I got bored with the wandering. I wanted Dave to do something.
The Bottom Line: Not one of my favorite Newbery winners. The themes are relatable, and cats are cute, but Dave’s constant wandering didn’t hold my attention for very long.
If you liked this review, you can see more of them here: Read All The Things!
“My father is always talking about how a dog can be very educational for a boy. This is one reason I got a cat.” – It’s Like This, Cat
The Bad: OMG, guys, this book badly shows its age. It was first published in the 1960s, and you can tell. I’d be impressed if modern kids know what “beatniks” and “ducktail haircuts” are. I’m slightly shocked that you could get a cat neutered for $3 back then. It cost several hundred to get my dog’s manhood snipped. My vet is a rip off!
I also think this book might be too slow for some modern readers. A lot of the story consists of Dave wandering around New York. If you’re familiar with New York City, it might be fun to see how the landmarks have changed. There is a lot of description of the setting. Since I’ve never been to New York, I got bored with the wandering. I wanted Dave to do something.
The Bottom Line: Not one of my favorite Newbery winners. The themes are relatable, and cats are cute, but Dave’s constant wandering didn’t hold my attention for very long.
If you liked this review, you can see more of them here: Read All The Things!
May 17, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved it loved it loved it.
Who can recommend other reads like this?
Who can recommend other reads like this?
April 23, 2020
I remember buying this book through the Scholastic book sales when I was a kid. Our teacher would pass out the order forms and I was allowed to buy a couple every month (thank you mom and dad for nurturing my love of reading). This was one of the selections I loved. Since libraries and bookstores are temporarily closed, a number of sites have posted books to read on-line for free. Imagine my delight to see this old gem listed. And I re-read it through an adult's eyes...
...and it holds up nearly 60 years after its first publication. Dave Mitchell's experiences and growing pains are still relevant as he clashes with his dad (who isn't so bad after all) and finds companionship in Cat. His friendships with Tom and Mary help him learn a few things about life as well.
There are a number of details that make the story either feel dated - or provide a sense of nostalgia, depending on the reader: Dave's dad blows his top when Dave plays his new Harry Belafonte record on the hi-fi, Dave at one point cuts his hair and the barber is proud of him for giving up the "beatnik look." But these details add flavor to the story. The story holds up and was a great gem to find on the internet. The cover above is the same as the book I bought in the mid-60s. I'll have to see if I can hunt down an old copy of it and add it to my top shelf.
...and it holds up nearly 60 years after its first publication. Dave Mitchell's experiences and growing pains are still relevant as he clashes with his dad (who isn't so bad after all) and finds companionship in Cat. His friendships with Tom and Mary help him learn a few things about life as well.
There are a number of details that make the story either feel dated - or provide a sense of nostalgia, depending on the reader: Dave's dad blows his top when Dave plays his new Harry Belafonte record on the hi-fi, Dave at one point cuts his hair and the barber is proud of him for giving up the "beatnik look." But these details add flavor to the story. The story holds up and was a great gem to find on the internet. The cover above is the same as the book I bought in the mid-60s. I'll have to see if I can hunt down an old copy of it and add it to my top shelf.
February 4, 2020
True story:
I read this book on my own and fell in love with the beach scene. He goes months without seeing the girl, then finally the day comes around, the weather's bad, he goes anyway, she's standing there facing the sea with her hair blowing in the wind. It's a great image, and it blinded me to everything else that was wrong in the book.
My wife had a crazy delivery with our first child that resulted in me being out of school for 2 1/2 weeks. I left about two days after starting this as a read aloud. So the sub got stuck reading this random and frustrating book to a group of puzzled 5th graders. They had a lot of questions when I came back.
This book is a bit dated- beatniks and whatnot- but it has other, so much bigger problems.
In the middle of the book, everything comes to a halt so Neville can tell us all about a red lizard. There's a whole chapter about a red lizard in the middle of a book about a kid who's really bad at dating, his jailbird friend, and their pet cat.
Oh, and (spoiler alert) the totally unnecessary kitten squashing near the end. What?
I read this book on my own and fell in love with the beach scene. He goes months without seeing the girl, then finally the day comes around, the weather's bad, he goes anyway, she's standing there facing the sea with her hair blowing in the wind. It's a great image, and it blinded me to everything else that was wrong in the book.
My wife had a crazy delivery with our first child that resulted in me being out of school for 2 1/2 weeks. I left about two days after starting this as a read aloud. So the sub got stuck reading this random and frustrating book to a group of puzzled 5th graders. They had a lot of questions when I came back.
This book is a bit dated- beatniks and whatnot- but it has other, so much bigger problems.
In the middle of the book, everything comes to a halt so Neville can tell us all about a red lizard. There's a whole chapter about a red lizard in the middle of a book about a kid who's really bad at dating, his jailbird friend, and their pet cat.
Oh, and (spoiler alert) the totally unnecessary kitten squashing near the end. What?
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