It's Like This Cat

It’s Like This Cat is an award-winning novel written by Emily Neville and published in 1963. The book won the Newbery Medal for excellence in children’s literature just one year after it was published, and remains to this day one of the most loved works of children’s fiction available. It follows the story of a young boy named Dave Mitchell who is only 14, but has constant fights with his father. The fights normally end with Dave storming out of the house as his mother has an asthma attack triggered by the shouting and emotional turmoil. Dave’s cat – which he got simply to do the exact opposite of what his father wanted, which was to get a dog – soon begins to change his life as it leads him to meet a young boy named Tom and a girl named Mary. The two delightful children lead Dave to new realizations about life, and soon help him realize the complexities of his own family’s existence as well. The story is written in simple language, and meant for children who are aware enough to face family related issues, albeit told in a playful and eye-catching fashion. Emily Neville uses her delightful writing style and exceptional skill to lure both adults and children little by little into her captivating and quite realistic world, where genuine solutions can be found even to the most problematic of family troubles. Fun, enjoyable, and also emotionally intense at some level, It’s Like This Cat is not your usual children’s story. Its thought-provoking ideas were well ahead of the era it was written in, but came at an opportune time when the mentality of younger people in America were about to be radically transformed. For anyone who would enjoy a fun, exciting and highly meaningful book that is also full of wisdom, It’s Like This Cat by Emily Neville is a highly recommended peace of children’s literature.