Author: Emily Neville
Title: It's Like This, Cat
Illustrator: Emil Weiss
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
Subgenre: Drama
Theme: Finding happiness in the smaller things of life.
Primary/Secondary Characters: Dave, his parents, Cat, Kate, Tom, and Mary
Award(s)/Publication Year: Newbery Medal Winner/1963
Publishing Company: Harper and Row Publishers, Inc.
Brief Summary/Book Usage: The main character is Dave Mitchell, a 14-year-old who is growing up in New York City with his parents. His mother is asthmatic, her attacks worsened by the stress she feels when Dave and his father have their frequent heated arguments. Dave's refuge after a fight with his father is with Kate, an elderly neighbor whose apartment is filled with the stray cats she loves. Dave adopts one of the cats, which he names "Cat", and takes it home. Cat brings both joy and adventure into Dave's life. There is never a dull moment when Dave is spending time with he beloved Cat. Cat's presence brings Dave into contact with several new people, including Tom, a troubled college-aged boy, and Mary, his first girlfriend. While this book examines Tom's growing maturity, the book also provides glimpses of several of New York's neighborhoods and attractions, from the Fulton Fish Market to the Bronx Zoo and Coney Island. I would use this book in the classroom when learning about different pets students may have. Also, while learning about different places of the United States, I could use this book to show off the many attractions New York City has to offer.
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