Book Summary
The Cat Ate My Gymsuit is Paula Danzinger's first novel. It tells the story of Marcy Lewis, a ninth grader at Dwight D. Eisenhower Junior High. Marcy's life is not one that she is happy with. She refers to herself as a blimp, has a rough relationship with her father, and does not feel included with the other kids at school. This changes when she gets a new English teacher, Ms. Finney, who changes her views and others views on the world and themselves. Everything seems to be getting better for Marcy until Ms. Finney is fired by the principal. The students in her class band together to support their teacher and learn a lot about themselves, lives, and standing up for what they believe.
APA Reference of Book
Danzinger, P. (1974). The cat ate my gymsuit. New York: Puffin Books.
Impression
I had a lot of mixed feelings on this book. but overall I really enjoyed it. I found Marcy to be unnecessarily angsty and was annoyed by her attitude at the beginning of the book. However, as Marcy began to change and grow more confident, I found her much more likable. I think she would be very relatable for the average middle class child who feels everything in their life is terrible, despite them being very well off. I thought Marcy's parents were caricatures of the angry, stubborn father and the helpless mother. I wished there were more character development for them and possibly a back story given to explain some of their actions. The other characters were likable and I felt they added depth and complexity to the story. Despite this story having some dated aspects (like who even wears a gymsuit anymore!), I would consider it a young adult classic, as there are many themes that will connect to readers for generations to come. My favorite part of this book was that it provided a window into the time it was written. This window was simply into an average person's life. Often times books written in the 1970s provide historical context and situations. While I love historical fiction, I thought that leaving historical events out of this story makes it much more of a classic.
Professional Review
"Gr. 5-8. Published in 1974 and considered a "modern classic," Danziger's novel about overweight teenager Marcy Lewis is an excellent choice for a multicast performance. The story contains lots of dialogue and characters with distinct personalities. Written during an era when calling oneself "Ms." was radical, principals unilaterally suspended students, and adults routinely smoked cigars and cigarettes, the story holds up amazingly well. The shining star in this production is Caitlin Brodnick, who plays Marcy to perfection. She never overplays her role as the bright teenager whose self-image is so low that she refuses to participate in gym class because she doesn't want others to see her in a gym suit. The other youthful actors-Spencer Murphy, who reads the part of Joel Anderson, and Katie Reed, as Nancy Sheridan-are believable as well. Except for Marcy's younger brother, whose babylike speech seems a bit unnatural, all characters come off as credible and authentic, including Marcy's put-upon mother and Ms. Finney, the beloved teacher who is suspended for refusing to say the"Pledge of Allegiance." Piano-music interludes announce chapter changes. Concluding remarks bythe late Danziger, in which she tells how she came to write this debut novel, elevate this sterling 2005 Selected Audiobooks for Young Adults choice. -Sue-Ellen Beauregard"
Beauregard, S. (2005). The cat ate my gymsuit. The Booklist, 101(15), 1400.
Library Uses
I think this would be a good edition to a young adult book club that would be held at either a public library or a lunch book club to be held in a middle or high school library. While it is an older book that might not initially be interesting to young readers, the themes in the book connect across generations and to other young adult novels. It would best to pair this book with a more recent YA book that covers the same themes, but in a different manner.
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