I definitely want to give this book two and a half stars, and was very much on the fence as to whether to round that rating up or down. Socks is a nice story with much to offer. I tend to believe that Beverly Cleary came into her best years of empathetic and insightful writing beginning in the 1970s and then extending through to the 1990s, and during that stretch of time there were few authors more perceptive at making the emotions that real kids experience as accessible and understandable as she could. In Socks, Beverly Cleary has turned her keenly empathetic storytelling abilities to the task of presenting us with a fuller understanding of family life the way that a household cat might see it. The result is something not to be missed. Socks, a kitten given away on a street corner in the opening chapter of this book, has little trouble adjusting to life with his new owners, a young husband-and-wife couple living together in their own house. Figuring out how to get along with these two is a piece of cake for Socks; that is, until the two of them decide to throw him a curveball, in the form of a new baby boy that will be joining them all in the house on a permanent basis, and taking up a lot of the couple's attention. Socks reserves judgement on the small crying creature that his people seem to dote on so endlessly; Charles William might not be a quiet little thing, but at least he doesn't go out of his way to bother Socks very much even as he begins to grow and gain coordination over his infant limbs. Through this season of the family's life, Socks intermittently comes in contact with people who are sympathetic to him, and others who act as if the housecat isn't even there. I think that it often requires only possession of quiet observational powers to easily weed out the friendly from the unfriendly in life, and that's no problem for a cat who sees and remembers the way that Socks does. Socks is basically happy with the way that life is going until Charles Williams's Nana (grandmother) comes to stay for a time. Nana obviously is less than enthusiastic about cats and isn't sure that it's safe to have a creature that can bite and scratch in the constant vicinity of a toddler, and it is her influence with the family that will put Socks's position in the household at its greatest risk. Like most domestic animals, I think that all Socks really expects is for everything to remain the same around his home, for the details of life to never change. I think that people sometimes have the mistaken impression that dogs and cats who live indoors are always greedy to receive more and more of anything they like, but I don't believe that's really the case. If a dog or cat was given eight pieces of meat yesterday and the day before and for a month and a year before that, then they simply think that's how it's supposed to be forever. Give them anything less and they believe that you're shortchanging them, but their discontent has no real outlet because they're not capable of articulating their protest in human language. But if they're getting less, for whatever reason, then they see it as absolutely wrong. Animals just don't have the same comprehension of the constant nature of change that people do, and because of that, we frequently don't see eye to eye with each other. But that's something that's on us, not them, to compensate for whenever possible. When Socks least anticipates it, he finds a surprise kindred spirit, who more than anyone he's met before understands his visceral need to play and have fun. The book concludes with a hopeful look toward the future and what for sure had the potential to grow into a pet-owner relationship for the ages, the type of friendship between a cat and a human that could rival even the best connections in literature between dogs and their masters. Perhaps the greatest friendships of all begin young and develop sturdy roots as they grow up through the years, so the storms of life can never uproot them. I believe that we sort of see the start of something like that as Socks draws to a close. I might not rank this book among Beverly Cleary's top few very best stories, but I think that it at least deserves to go right below that level, maybe in the second tier of her most endearing works. Socks is a short book propelled mostly by the smaller stories that occur within the plot, and several of those smaller stories have enough depth to keep readers thinking after they've turned the final page. In particular, I think that fans of Beverly Cleary's early material, especially Otis Spofford, will have a fun time with Socks.
Socks is a seven week old gray tabby kitten with four white paws. Debbie and George sell him for 50 cents to a young married couple, Bill and Marilyn Bricker, who take him to their shabby house with a weedy lawn. As time goes on, Socks is one happy cat because he gets a lot of attention and all his desires are met—at least until Mr. and Mrs. Bricker bring home their “other pet,” a new baby named Charles William. Suddenly the Brickers have less and less time for Socks who feels left out and seems to start getting into all sorts of trouble. Then Nana visits and is afraid that Socks might scratch and bite the baby. What will happen to Socks? Does he go or stay? And what will Charles William do? I have read several children’s books about horses and dogs, but I have not seen as many about cats. Beverly Cleary is a prolific author of literature for young people who, at almost 99, is still alive as of this writing. I did not like her Newbery Medal winning Dear Mr. Henshaw because it was just too depressing. Her books about Ramona Quimby are all right for girls, and her books about Henry Huggins are not bad for boys. I liked Ellen Tebbits, and I especially enjoyed the books about Ralph Mouse and his little motorcycle. I also liked Socks, which won the William Allen White Children's Book Award. The original, charming illustrations were done by Beatrice Darwin, but many publishers feel compelled to “update” the artwork in some older books to make them more appealing to today’s kids, and newer editions are illustrated by Tracy Dockray. One reader reviewer complained a little about Socks’s “bad behavior” and seemed to suggest that children should read “tales with good pet characters.” I have lived with cats all of my life, and I must say that Cleary depicts with absolute faithfulness the kinds of attitudes and antics which characterizes cats. This same reviewer also noted that “it's dated, as is obvious in the repeated use of ‘Mr. Bricker’ and ‘Mrs. Bricker’ to refer to the man and woman of the house.” I say, good for it! It’s always refreshing to read books portraying traditional practices which have been a part of polite society for years. Besides being just an enjoyable story, concerning which the School Library Journal said, “Hilarious...Both children and adults will roar with laughter at Socks’s antics and cringe at his misdeeds,” it might be useful for children who have experienced the emotional upheaval of having to share their parents with a new baby.
What do You think about Socks (2015)?
Ok.. some embarrassing sentimental reviewing follows. Read at your own peril.My boss, who just got a little tabby kitten for her 6 year old, was looking for books for her to read this summer. So of course, I think immediately of Socks and the summer I was six years old and got my own tabby kitten and read "Socks" sometime immediately after that. Changed my life.. or at least sparked my reading of books. So for all you parents out there...1. Get your kid a tabby kitten (Tabbies are the best- I'm 35 and on my 5th and 6th Tabby cats- I promise you will not be disappointed with it.)2. Get your kid this book.3. Watch your kid turn into a reader. Hope that it doesn't result in a serious animal collecting habit.I forgot about this book until this whole thing with my boss and her daughter's little tabby cat and then it hit me what a big huge influence this book had on me as a small child with an AWESOME tabby cat (a 15 lb male mouser cat named Blueberry Muffin.. what can I say? I was six!)
—Smokinjbc
Socks is a cat who's happy with his human parents until suddenly he has to share their attention with someone else: A tiny human, his parents' new baby. He's not first in their lives anymore! So he begins to act out, though you can see in his actions that he's lonely and feeling passed over (especially when he enjoys the lavish lap of a babysitter). Poor Socks wonders if life will ever go back to normal, but soon enough the baby gets old enough to become a playmate. . . .Kids who have been displaced as the youngest child or are having a hard time adjusting to a new baby might enjoy this book more easily than they'd enjoy an "educational" book about the same subject, because since the protagonist is a cat, they'll be unlikely to feel like the book is talking at them. And any kid who likes cats and might want to try being inside a kitty mind will also enjoy this book.
—Julie Decker
Socks by Beverly Clearly, is such a cute, amazing and emotional book. Socks is a cat who is born into a family without a lot of money and crazy fighting children. He is brought to a store where he is to be sold, when he is accidentally thrown into a mailbox by the children and that changes his life forever. This book has such a powerful way a exemplifying cuteness and emotions into one short story. Socks makes the reader feel how he does as the book is almost written in the point of view as the cat. This is a great read for little kids or anyone who enjoys stories about animals.
—Bailey
