It's Like This, Cat

IT'S LIKE THIS, CAT, written by Emily Neville and illustrated by Emil Weiss, first published fifty years ago, won the Newberry Medal in 1964. I found this copy - obviously a reissue in hardback - in a bookstore remainder bin, deeply discounted. In an earlier life, back in the 70s, I once taught Children's Lit to elementary education majors, and tried to at least familiarize myself with many of the award-winning books for children. This was not one I remembered, so I thought I'd try it.

While it was a pleasant enough read that moved along at an even pace, I found it to be dated and even "quaint" in both its language and in the way it depicted teenagers. Early praise from reviewers commented on its "touch of the vernacular" and the show more dialogue as being "modern teenage but never phony." HUH? I mean the dialogue here would have been considered stilted and quaint - maybe even 'phony' - even in 1963. Here's a story about a fourteen year-old boy, Dave Mitchell, who is still uncertain of so many things, often at odds with his stodgy attorney father, over things like his cat and music. Well, it's certainly true that teenagers and fathers often clash, but the reasons here seem out of touch and hokey. For example the noisiest Dave's music seems to get is a record by Harry Belafonte. Again, HUH? Where was Elvis, Little Richard, or Chuck Berry in this supposedly typical tale of teen angst? Nary a mention, that's where. And while I'm at it, if the book came out in '63 wasn't it supposed to be set in present-day New York? But it seems more like the fifties than the tumultuous times that marked the sixties. The young protagonist seems, in fact, to be extremely buttoned-down and conventional in his behavior and interests. His friends too, for that matter - an Italian Catholic who leaves for a Catholic high school and a studious Jewish boy who goes to shul. And his first girlfriend, Mary, who is the daughter of a couple of "beatniks," and yet nary a mention of Dylan or Greenwich Village. Young Dave lives, in fact, a very sheltered and careful life in a far away land called Grammercy Park.

I could say more, but here's my summation: this book has not aged well. It seems today, fifty years on, little more than trite, contrived and overly well-mannered. Dave Mitchell reminds me of young Bud, on "Father Knows Best," a show from the fifties, I might add.

And one more thing. The story has no ending. It ends 'in media res.' I mean, wait a minute, where's the conclusion? What happens with Dave and Mary? Does Kate the cat lady come to terms with her sudden windfall? Will Tom and Hilda make things work? Does Mom's asthma get better? Does Dad simply all of a sudden stop being such a jerk? Does Dave's DA grow back in satisfactorily? I mean all these unanswered questions.

What we have here is a sweet little NYC fairy tale from the fifties, but I'm afraid I couldn't really recommend it to kids today. Most of 'em would be bored stiff. And I can't help but wonder whether the kids in 1963 and '64 might have been just as bored. show less

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 show more 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 in which the young man Tom is about to get married and then join the Army... and they all celebrate! I guess they didn't predict Vietnam, but still, I would never encourage my sons to volunteer, or my daughter to risk being a war widow.

Is it Newbery worthy? Imo, almost. Compared to the honor books, [b:The Loner|49261011|The Loner|Ester Wier|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1563042481l/49261011._SX50_SY75_.jpg|706775] (I never heard of it) and [b:Rascal|652511|Rascal|Sterling North|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1448130167l/652511._SY75_.jpg|952408] (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. show less

This is one of those books I come back to if I want some comfort reading. A book that brings back memories of originally reading it. I first read it in my early teens, I think my brother had brought it home from school as a required reading text. I picked it up, at the time I was (and still am) a huge Science Fiction fan but the story gripped and pulled me in. At one point my original copy got lost so I managed to find another copy.
The book won the Newbery Medal for Children’s literature in 1964 and was the authors first book. It is the story of Dave Michell a 14-year-old boy growing up in New York city in the early 1960s. The story explores his relationships with his family and friends (both old and new) after he adopts a stray cat. show more The Cat which he names ‘Cat’ (why not) is a sign of his changing attitudes and independence.
I find that the book perfectly encapsulates that period in the city, well at least what I think it was like. The characters within the text are rounded and well thought out even the secondary ones. Tom who the protagonist meets early in the book has a very interesting back story and the morality often isn’t black or white, with an accessible writing style you immediately get pulled in by the story.
The background of New York is well visualised the description of places such as the Fulton Fish Market and Coney Island really put you in those places at that period of the 1960’s. Throughout the book you can see how Dave’s attitudes and actions are changing as he is maturing.
It’s very hard for me to think of a Negative of this book other than I would love to follow Dave and Cat some more. The question is would this book be suitable for modern Teenagers/Children, to be honest I don’t know as I do not have children of my own. I think it may appeal to a slightly younger age than originally published for, but I cannot see any reason why even now Children and Adults would get something out of this book.
I also must shout out Emil Weiss the Illustrator who’s work in the book is a fantastic representation of the time. If you are going to buy a physical copy of this book, I recommend that you try and pick a second hand one with the original cover. It is however still in print and available on both Kindle and Kobo stores in the U.K. show less

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 show more 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) show less

Dave, a young teen in New York City in the early 1960's, navigates friend troubles, conflict with his father, his first girlfriend, and, of course, pet ownership when he adopts a stray tomcat.

This book evokes era in New York City in a way similar to West Side Story (which is, coincidentally, name-checked in the book). There's some nice character development in this one, as Dave learns to understand his father's point of view -- at least in some cases. It's maybe more of a '50s story than a 60's one (a ducktail haircut and Harry Belafonte records are about the extent of Dave's teenage rebellion), and seems a bit innocent and clean-cut compared to what the same story might have been if it were set 5-10 years later. Still, it's a solid show more story and a fairly quick read. I think I read this one as a child, though my only recollection is of the cover, so maybe I just picked it up and put it down again! I'm not really sure who I'd recommend this book to, honestly. show less

What's interesting about this book is not the amazing plot or exciting adventures (because really, there aren't any). Instead, it's a picture of a boy, just starting high school, who is figuring out his relationship with his father, seeing how different families do things, making new friends, and discovering girls. Set in New York, the city becomes another character, as Dave heads out to Coney Island, or over to the fish market, or down to Brooklyn. It's a lovely look at growing up in a different era (set in the early 60's).

I'm glad my book group chose this one. I hadn't read it since childhood. An interesting tale. Any one familiar with New York will better understand the journeys Dave takes. Not much of a plot line. More a glimpse into a life. I was startled at the ending and had to reread a few pages to make sense of it. Now I want to read some of Beverly Cleary's teen books and see how they compare. I was interested to see inside a boy's head having always been inside a girls!