It's Like This, Cat is realistic fiction for young people. Although the contemporary teen-age slang and consumer prices it cites have changed since its publication in 1963, the book still offers readers insights about themselves and the world around them. The story captures the flavor of life in a large city and is written in a humorous, direct style with vocabulary appropriate to its fourteen-year-old storyteller. Dave describes the buildings, playgrounds, and people in his New York neighborhood, the city's public transportation system, and the sights and smells of the ethnic neighborhoods he visits. It's Like This, Cat was a pioneer in the field of young adult literature for its realistic urban setting, and Neville makes effective use of this setting as both a backdrop for and projection of her characters' internal struggles and dreams. Neville shows that her characters learn to draw sustenance from their immediate...