David lives in New York City with his asthmatic mother and sometimes overbearing lawyer father. He gets Cat from the cat-lady neighbor, meets a girl, a burglar (of sorts, not really), and has fights with his friend. Interesting look at the neighborhoods of New York. A gentle book. Newbery Medal winner in 1963.
Book One in the Wind On Fire trilogy. Twins Bowman and Kestrel, and hanger-on Mumpo try to save their city from the dreaded army of Zars. Among other tasks. Good story, moves right along, and I'm working on volume two now.
Charlie apparently located his father, FINALLY, in book five, which I haven't read yet, as the public library deigns to have it available. This is book six. Asa has disappeared, Charlie gets a hot kettle, finds a sacred sword hilt, and there's a boy who smells like fish.
I didn't read Book Two yet, but in this, Book Three, Charlie STILL hasn't figured out the obvious, that it, who his father is, but he DOES help invisible Ollie find his way back normalcy, and HIS family, so all in all, a good job.
Book seven, and we are not anywhere near finished here. Charlie travels to Badlock several times. The Pet's Cafe is closed down temporarily, and the storm boy is thought to be drowned. And Charlie's parents are off sailing, somewhere.
First in the Children Of The Red King series. Charlie is sent off to the mostly awful Bloor Academy and restores a girl who is memory is clouded. I feel like shouting, "Charlie, the quiet and confused piano teacher is probably your missing father!!!" Charlie hasn't figured it out by the end of book one, maybe he will get a clue, in book two. Hey, it rhymes!