I read this book when I was 10, and still remember the lessons learned from the story of Berries, his mother's jaunt into real estate, his family's response, Sidney's accident, etc. The civil rights movement was in its heyday when I read Berries for the first time. Berries brought the true lessons of the time home in a timeless manner. Berries still lives with me. Its lessons were timely then and it's timely now. I am now buying a copy for my youngest daughter, and I expect for it to become a life-classic for her as it remains for me.

Berries Goodman is a book that I read in my youth and continue to remember well into my adulthood. It is a story about courage and growing up as a minority in a world that is troubled by difference. It is a wonderful book for people of all ages and one that I will have in my library for my children. Don't miss this treasure. You will be happy that you have read it.

It's Like This, Cat
By: Emily Cheney Neville
Reviewed by: RBhatt
Period: P.6

This book is about the life of Dave Mitchell. Some of the characters are Dave, his father, Tom, Aunt Kate, Dave's mom, and of course Cat. As soon as Dave meets Cat his life changes. Cat is a stray cat first. Soon he is loved by everyone. Dave is able to help many people too. The end has a happy ending.
I really liked this book. It was very exciting and enjoyable to read. The thing that hooked me to it was my friend told me about it. He described it as a good book and he was true in that judgement. I really liked Cat. He was just a regular cat with a lot attention. " For a stray cat he's sleek and healthy looking".
Cat is really healthy until he gets into fights. Then he starts coming home beat up and half dead. "He curled up on my bed and didn't move all day". For this to stop Cat had to get surgery. Soon eveything was fine and back to normal. just the way Cat liked it.
My favorite part was when Tom freed Cat. He looked like a robber to Dave but wasn't. He picked the lock of the cage and let Cat out. He was in the cellar because someone had dared him to get something from the cellar . Thinking it was easy he did it. Tom soon became Dave's friend.

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 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".

Neville, Emily. It's Like This, Cat. Illus. Emily Weiss. New York: Harper and Row. 1963. Markman, Lisa Hermine. "Child's Work Is Child's Play: The Value of George MacDonald's Diamond." Children's Literature Association Quarterly. 24.3 (1999)119-129.

Dave is the main character of the book, It's Like This, Cat. He gets a cat from his friend Aunt Kate. He quickly names his new pet "Cat." Throughout the story, Cat helps take a part in Dave's new found relationships with friends and family. Dave and Cat go on new adventures together and meet interesting people. This Newbery Medal winner was really fun to read. The descriptions of the cats are the best that I have seen in a children's book. In, It's Like This, Cat, Neville successfully awakens the reader's visual senses. The description of fine details of cat places the reader inside the book and allows him or her to visualize the vivid images on each page. Neville captures the sleek movements of the cats in this book, from the twitch of the tail to the lazy play of the eyes. For cat lovers, it is a joy to see how these fury friends are captured in their playful and lazy manners. With this description, Neville creates a fascinating world that is easy for the reader to enter. Once inside, the reader is also able to get an up-close view of the special bond between Dave and Cat. Cat soon becomes Dave's best friend and they begin to do everything together. With the visual senses awakened, one can feel that they are seeing inside the story, and capture a deeper meaning than one would have if the images were not so life-like. These life-like images make this novel hard to put down. One thing that I feel that Neville really captures in this book is the real innocence of child's play. In the article, "Child's Work is Child's Play: The Value of George MacDonald's Diamond," Makman states that shortly before the time period that this book was written, "...the idea of an economically worthless but emotionally priceless child emerged. A carefree, labor-free childhood came to be understood as a fundamental right of all children regardless of their social class; simultaneously, childhood became an increasingly popular locus for fantasies about leisure and freedom from adults" (119).

The reader gets a sense of this carefree, labor-free child in Neville's work. She depicts Dave as worry free child who is free to explore the world with his favorite toy of all, his cat. Dave does not have to deal with the struggle of a job but instead has supportive parents and a warm home where he is nurtured and loved. The structure and description take the reader on a great adventure with funny surprises, and a happy ending. I would recommend this book to any age reader who is looking to escape life's troubles and enjoy the adventures of a boy and his cat.

I read this book as a teenager and now I want to share it with my daughter. The book takes on some very serious issues and the chareters are so real. The setting of the book is in my hometown (St.Louis) so I was really able to relate. I read this book over 15yrs ago and the storyline still sticks with me. I'm seeking other books by the author.