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    Socks
    Socks
    Socks
    Audiobook (abridged)1 hour

    Socks

    Written by Beverly Cleary

    Narrated by Neil Patrick Harris

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    ""Both children and adults with roar with laughter.""—School Library Journal

    Newbery Medal-winning author Beverly Cleary charms readers with yet another lovable character—Socks, a jealous cat who must learn to share his owners with their new baby. 

    Socks is one happy cat. He lives the good life with his affectionate owners, Mr. and Mrs. Bricker. Ever since the day they saved him from a life spent in a mailbox drop slot, Socks has been the center of their world. And he always has everything he needs—tasty kitty treats and all the lap room he could want!

    But when a new baby arrives, suddenly the Brickers have less and less time for Socks. Little Charles William is the one getting all the attention. Socks feels left out—and to show it, he starts getting into all sorts of trouble! What will it take to make Socks realize just how much the Brickers care about him?

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateOct 31, 2004
    ISBN9780060790479
    Author

    Beverly Cleary

    Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, ""Where are the books about kids like us?"" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.

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    Reviews for Socks

    4/5

    350 ratings24 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a sweet and well-read book that is highly recommended for cat lovers. It features a wonderful narrator and is funny and cute. While some reviewers had concerns about the treatment of the cat, overall, the book is loved and enjoyed by readers.

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 5/5
      This is a sweet, well read book. I loved it.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Super cute book. Highly recommend for any cat lover. Purrrfect!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Freaking amazing book so funny! I would definitely recommend it!!! ✌️?

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      A very fun and exciting story to listen to in bed, in the car, and on your couch. A good moral and story. For cat and adventure lovers. I hope this was helpful. If it wasn’t, tell me. Put a note in the review. My name is A.
    • 4/5
      Poor little Socks went on a rollercoaster journey but he has a happy ending ?
    • 5/5
      Neil Patrick Harris is a wonderful narrator for this story about a very important cat!
    • 3/5
      I'm wishy-washy on this one. I'm a big fan of Beverly Cleary. I love and recommend many of her books but this one was just rather ho-hum. My 7yo son enjoyed parts of it but wasn't really drawn into the story. He (and I) did enjoy the last chapter, though, it was very funny and we wished the rest of the book had been also. If you want to read Cleary, I would suggest the Ramona, Ralph or Henry books over this one.
    • 5/5
      I don’t I don’t really know about it but it’s OK
    • 5/5
      I loved it I would be just like socks and when I grow up I will do what Beverly clearly I want to write books and be an author and write books like Ramona
      You should read this book if you love cats or baby’s
      Quimby
    • 3/5
      I liked that he had someone to love him but not that his owner’s literally just forgot he was alive! I’m a cat lover and would die to see someone do that to a cat I would recommend it to anyone who likes cats but not on the lvl that you might be sad
    • 4/5
      This was one of my favourite books as a kid. I loved cats, which helped!

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      Hdfhzggg hi d gg hh hb Jj b. V g
    • 2/5
      Sara and I have taken to reading childrens' books before bed when we both have the time. This was, of course, her choice.

      She had apparently read and loved it when she was younger, or has been infected with such an acute case of Toxoplasmosis that even the thought of cats creates feelings of euphoria.

      This is among the only reasons I can see that one would want to reread this book. The plot is...thin. A couple buys a cat and has a baby. The baby distracts the couple from the cat, and the cat doesn't like it. Eventually, he gets used to it. The end. There is no conflict, and no character development. People hove in and out of this cat's life: Babysitter (good!), Mother-in-Law (bad!), but no one changes.

      This book is abysmally dull if you're not a cat-lover.
    • 4/5
      This is the first chapter book I ever read. I remember my 6 year old self adoring it! Great for young readers.
    • 3/5
      Cute story about a cat who finally finds his place and is happy.
    • 3/5
      The book is told from a cat's perspective, which is an unusual one for me to read. However, Beverly Cleary has a gift for writing animal and children characters, and this book is no exception. Socks begins the story as a kitten, stuffed in a box with all his other brothers and sisters as a little girl tries to sell them off at the grocery store. He is her favorite, and she is hoping no one will buy him so she can keep him for herself, but when she sees the kind young couple looking with interest at their cats, she changes her mind. She knows Socks will have a good home with them.

      Thus, Socks begins his life with the Brickers, and at first, everything is ideal. He is pampered. Fresh meat, mountains of affection, and free reign of the house. Imagine the poor kitty's surprise when his idyllic existence begins to change, and he has no idea why. The reader does, though; Mrs. Bricker is pregnant, and soon infant Charles joins the household, much to Socks's dismay. The following chapters chronicle his attempts to adjust to the new life, and his growing loneliness and apathy. When he unwillingly gets in a fight with the mean tomcat Old Taylor, his owners finally begin to notice him again. Even better, in the final chapter of the book, Socks learns that Charles William can be something quite different from a nuisance - he can be a playmate, one that will give Socks even more attention than the Brickers, and all is well in Socks's world once more.

      The author realistically captures a cat's perspective. One of the delights in reading the small book is seeing a human world through a cat's eyes: how Socks interprets the change in his owners, the new baby's intrusion, and his banishment to the garage. We see that the Brickers frequently misunderstand Socks and his misbehavior, which is a plea for attention or what he considers his just allowance. The irony between what the cat thinks and what the humans think creates much of the humor. Also, the story is full of sweetness; it's about a cat and a baby. The book has seven short chapters that are quick to read, a cast of characters that will certainly appeal to children, and a happy ending. Although this book is not as famous as Cleary's Ramona or Mouse series, don't overlook it. The story provides an entertaining read that has an old-fashioned charm.
    • 5/5
      I have a picture of myself holding Socks Clinton, while inside the White House.

      Who doesn't love books about cats? This 8 year old sure did!!
    • 4/5
      Another good story by Beverly Cleary, although not quite as good as her "Ramona" books, in my opinion. The viewpoint is mainly from the main character, a tabby kitten who is dubbed Socks for his white paws. After being adopted by a young married couple, his life is bliss with lots of treats and affection, but then something happens in his life...a squalling and annoying addition is made to the family, and Socks finds himself being neglected.

      If you like Ms. Cleary's books, you should enjoy this one as well.
    • 5/5
      kids love this funny book of life with a baby from a cats view. Funny for those kids who have to deal with having a baby or ones who have a pet and wonders what it thinks all the time!
    • 5/5
      Socks is the adorable story of a cat with four white paws—hence, the name Socks!—who lives with a young married couple, named the Brickers. Socks is spoiled by his family, and gets all of the attention. Until, the Brickers bring home a newborn son. When the attention Socks once got starts going to the baby, Socks feels as though his family does not love him anymore. Socks ends up getting sent to the garage when he misbehaves, which inspires him to go out on a neighborhood adventure. Socks eventually ends up getting in a bad fight with a neighborhood cat and is wounded. Once Socks returns to his family, they realize they had not been paying him very much attention because of the new baby. The story ends quite happily though, because Socks discovers that he now has a new play friend in the baby.
      I would recommend this book for more advanced-readers in the lower elementary grades, and to struggling readers in the upper elementary grades. This book is great for children that have experienced what it is like to have a new baby and to have to begin sharing attention. Animal lovers will also be fond of this story, especially since it is so cutely and cleverly told from the perspective of Socks.
    • 4/5
      I read this book as a child and recently re-read it. It is still a very charming book, even for grown-up kids at heart. Of course, I'm a cat lover, so I love cat books. This sweet story is about a cat who is adopted by a young couple who end up having a baby and how the cat has to deal with playing second fiddle to this new intruder. Nothing shocking or wild, but a good yarn nonetheless. This book is probably well-suited for 7-10 year old children I am guessing, but I'm not a child book expert. You really can't go too wrong with Beverly Cleary now can you?!?
    • 4/5
      So cute and great illustrations!
      This story is about a cat who gets replaced by a baby. Socks gets jealous and runs off. Later in the book, Socks comes to find that he actually enjoys the baby.
      This is true of any pet because they do normally feel replaced. This is also true of older siblings and so they could be able to relate to Socks.
    • 3/5
      This is a book from the point of view of a cat starting from when he is first adopted by his new family. The young couple loves him, but they love their new baby boy more, and Socks finds himself displaced with no love any more. It isn't until the baby takes an interest in him that Socks finds his place again.
    • 4/5
      I marked this one as amazing because it was one of my favorite books to read when i was a kid (but then what do you expect from a cat lover?). I reread it i don't even know how many times I recently found it on one of the bookshelves in my mom's basement and reapprorpiated it for my collection. You have to keep a few things like that (even though i am currently trying to rid myself of all extraneous junk...)