Too bad she's Canadian; this could have been a Newbery.

What a fantastic, light, enjoyable read. New York and New Yorkers seen from a pair of misfit youths.

Loved it! ( )

"Se non fossimo qui a guardarle, le stelle sarebbero ancora belle?"

When Toronto native Kid arrives in New York City with her parents to spend several months looking after a cousin’s dog, she expects to see new and unusual things, but the rumor of a goat living atop their building seems farfetched, even for Manhattan. But a goat is indeed there, and adult author Fleming uses humorous third-person narration to chronicle the animal’s circumstances and the story of how it arrived on the building, switching attention among multiple characters, both human and animal. Several of them have obstacles to overcome—including the goat’s hunger, Kid’s social phobia, her friend Will’s fear of windows, and an older neighbor’s frustration at the physical aftereffects of a stroke—which are dealt with as they search for the goat. Kid’s adjustment to New York City, her time in museums, and the warm and unusual neighbors make for a lively yet tender story. Will’s parents died during 9/11, a revelation handled with sensitivity, and the novel’s underlying theme of people coming together on a shared quest makes for a heartwarming and very New York tale. Ages 9–11. (Mar.)Publishers Weekly

What a fun, quirky, meaningful book! I loved the diverse characters, including the protagonist named "Kid" and a dog named "Cat." The goat of the title is a mystery that Kid is determined to solve along with her new friend, Will. Will helps Kid overcome her shyness and Kid helps Will with his own demons. Fleming reminds readers of 9-11 in a situation appropriate to the age group her book is intended for, with empathy and comfort. I particularly liked how the author treats adult and child characters equally with experiences and problems that matter, from pre-teens (Kid and Will) to 30-something's (Kid's Mom and Dad struggle with their jobs) to middle-aged (neighbor Kenneth's guilt over not doing more with his Dad) to elders (Doris and Jonathan coping with his stroke). Much thoughtfulness and realism in this 155-page novel. ( )

Two kids with issues, one with social anxiety and one with an extremely overprotective grandmother, meet, become friends, resolve (mostly) issues. A goat on the roof is the catalyst for the story. A quirky read from many points of view. The multiple points of view is not seamless and that is the problem. ( )