19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Newbery Award Winner - 1964, May 15, 2006
Emily Neville's Newbery Medal winning book, It's Like This, Cat, explores the life of a young and curious boy from New York City. Dave Mitchell, age fourteen, is an only child who doesn't seem to get along with his father, who is constantly lecturing his choice of music and friends. To make matters worse, Dave's mother has asthma attacks every time the two boys fight. It seems that the only person Dave can confide in is his neighbor, the crazy cat lady, the neighborhood creep. He calls her Aunt Kate. It is Aunt Kate who introduces Dave to his new best friend, Cat, a stray tomcat whom Aunt Kate picked up off the streets. Cat accompanies Dave everywhere, from adventures to Central Park with Dave's buddy Nick to visiting Dave's older acquaintance, Tom, at Coney Island. It is Cat who introduces Dave to his girl crush, Mary, and the suspected criminal, Tom.
Neville uses detailed characterization to tie the story together brilliantly. Each character is convincing, behaving appropriately for his or her age. For example, Dave is unmistakably a city boy, having no problem reading maps of the city, taking the bus to restaurants and coke shops, walking down 42nd street to play ball with the boys, taking a ferry to the zoo in Brooklyn, and riding his bike to visit friends. Dave is also a typical fourteen-year-old boy, craving his independence from his parents, working for money to call his own, seeking daily adventures in the outdoors, and suddenly becoming interested in one of the opposite sex. It is through thoughtful plot and character development that Neville is able to end the story with the reader recognizing what impact that people, and even animals, can have on each other's lives.
Apparent personal values to reading It's Like This, Cat are vicarious experience and universality of experience. The reader is able to see life in the eyes of a fourteen-year-old boy living in New York City; a boy who lives in a time when a Coke is no more than 15 cents; a boy who will do just about anything to save his cat named Cat. Through carefully chosen words printed on paper, the reader is able to experience a different world. However, the reader, whether male or female, whether 14 or 64, or whether having grown up in the city or country, is able to relate to Dave Mitchell in some way. Like Dave, we all experience gaining and losing friendships, having arguments with our parents, and overall, the adventures of growing up. Neville's ability to express the language of a young boy in relation to that of our own is partly why It's Like This, Cat is deserving of the Newbery Medal.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Its Like This, Cat, April 7, 2005
A Kid's Review
This review is from: It's Like This, Cat (Paperback)
Its Like This, Cat By Emily Neville is a Suspenseful story about a boy and his cat admidst the busy 1964, New York background. It all started when Dave Mitchell came home with an orange and black striped tomcat. This book is all about a boy's childhood as he grows up with his pet cat. Dave has adventures all over New York and also some close to his downtown apartment. Dave also does not have the best relationship with his dad either. Fights are always brewing between Dave and his father. So, Dave is almost always away from home to get away from his father.
I gave Its LIke this Cat five stars. I feel it deserved 5 stars because when I read this book I felt like I was in New York in 1964. With Emily Neville's Photographic detail I could easily point a clear, vivid picture in my head. This book also has many humerous spots that makes you want to keep reading. Since this cook was written in 1964 it does not have the most appealing cover. But like they always say "Don't judge a book by it's cover."
Michael
Madison, WI
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful young person's book, September 27, 2000
This was one of the first books I remember choosing, myself, to read when I was about 8 years old. It's a very sweet story, but also has a good amount of serious reality to it. I'm from the suburbs of NYC and I loved cats as a child, so this book was a perfect fit. This book is an excellent way to get kids around that age to develop their love of reading -- and their desire to sometimes choose books over video games and TV. If your child likes this, also try "A Cricket in Times Square".
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
