I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth The Trip.: 40th Anniversary Edition

By John Donovan

The 40th anniversary edition of a groundbreaking teen classic

When the grandmother who raised him dies, Davy Ross, a lonely thirteen-year-old boy, must move to Manhattan to live with his estranged mother. Between alcohol-infused lectures about her self-sacrifice and awkward visits with his distant father, Davy’s only comfort is his beloved dachshund Fred. Things start to look up when he and a boy from school become friends. But when their relationship takes an unexpected turn, Davy struggles to understand what happened and what it might mean.

“Shattering… frank… intelligent.”—Horn Book

“This book… should be available wherever young people read.”—New York Times

“Sophisticated… remarkably touching.”
—Time magazine

  New York Times Best of 1969 Book List

 School Library Journal Best of 1969 Book List

This anniversary edition features reflections from Brent Hartinger (Geography Club), Martin Wilson (What They Always Tell Us), and Kathleen T. Horning (Director of the Cooperative Children’s Book Center), with a foreword by Stacey Donovan (Dive).

 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide
• Release date: Sep 8, 2010
• ISBN: 9780738727172

John Donovan

John Donovan was a novelist and a playwright, who also served as the president of the Children's Book Council. I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth the Trip. was originally published in 1969 and reprinted by Dell in 1973.

Reviews for I'll Get There. It Better Be Worth The Trip.

[bembo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's 1969, and thirteen year old Davy Ross must move from his Massachusetts home following the death of his grandmother with who he had been living to join his Mother in Manhattan. Davy's mother and father are divorced, his father has remarried and his mother has taken to the bottle, and young Davy now has to make a new life for himself with a mother whose moods swing from oppressive love to being put upon, and a father he sees only at weekends.Davy is a bright boy, but lonely, although he has no problems making friends, but his closest friend is Fred, his pet dachshund dog given to him by his grandmother. At his new school in Manhattan he makes friends with classmate Douglas Altschuler, but when that friendship goes a little further than they expect, Davy is thrown into confusion.Written in 1969 this was a relatively groundbreaking work of teen fiction with a gay theme, and it still reads well today. Davy tells his own story, and he does so with great humour and honesty. His dog Fred is a major factor in the account, a dog of great character and dearly loved by Davy. It is an involving, moving and positive story. This 2010 edition includes additional comments insightful comments from Brent Hartinger, Martin Wilson and Kathleen T Horning.

[jwhenderson_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this when it was first published in 1971 and rereading it forty years later reminds me why I remembered liking it. The voice of Davy and his love for his dog Fred are memorable and true to life. While I have never been a dog person I can still appreciate the importance of Fred to Davy as an anchor during the tremendous changes that are taking place in his life. In some respects it is amazing that he is able to survive the events in his life beginning with the death of his grandmother and continuing through a move from Boston to New York and the changing relationships that ensue. Well written and believable, this is a novel that is encouraging for its reader no matter what his age.

[jason29171 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Amazing book considering how old it is...