Dave, a New York teen in the early '60s, befriends a college-age thief, is constantly arguing with his father (which sets off his mother's asthma attacks), is friends with the apartment complex's cat lady, isn't interested in easy bimbos, and adopts a tomcat.
I read this because it's a Newbery winner and I'm working my way through them all. It took a few chapters to kind of get into its groove -- the writing is both stiff and spars, which made it feel more dated than it already was by its setting. Once I got used to the style, though, this was a quick and decent read. The time when young non-gang teens were able to roam freely through a big city without their parents calling the cops may be long gone, but it's nice to have a reminder that it once existed.
B-
