First published 1964
Dave Mitchell lives in a house where arguments explode regularly. His father insists that boys should have dogs for their education. His mother suffers asthma attacks when the shouting begins. Dave rebels by adopting a cat instead. When another fight erupts at home, Dave escapes to the streets of his neighborhood. He encounters Tom, an unusual boy who becomes his friend. Together they help rescue Dave's cat from danger. The cat leads Dave to meet Mary, a girl from Coney Island who opens his world in new ways. Through these friendships and adventures around the city, Dave begins to see that other people carry their own burdens and complications. His parents' marriage troubles start to make more sense. His own place in the family becomes clearer. The cat that began as an act of defiance becomes the thread connecting Dave to a larger understanding of himself and the adults around him.
Genres: fiction, american-fiction, 20th-century, coming-of-age, adolescence, family-drama
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: Coney Island, New York
Period: 20th Century
192 pages · Library Binding · HarperCollins