Northern Lights Book Awards
Harvey Comes Home
Winner of the Pre-Teen Fiction Category
Author: Colleen Nelson
Pajama Press
Rare is the middle-school novel that adults would care to read more than once. Harvey Comes Home is the exception to that rule. It’s a book to be devoured, re-read, and savored.
Enduring and evocative, the reader will have a hard time putting it down. So, you might not want to give Harvey Comes Home to your preteen on a school night. Better yet, you may want to set aside a weekend to read it together.
Austin, in a misguided plot to gain friends, finds himself in trouble at school. When the school calls home, they reach Austin’s grandfather. In exchange for not telling Austin’s already-harassed mother about the trouble Austin is having, his grandfather agrees to let him volunteer at Brayside, a retirement home for seniors. Austin’s responsibilities are to help his grandfather with his janitorial duties and to engage with the elderly residents. But after meeting Mr. Pickering, an acrimonious man suffering from memory loss, Austin tries to avoid him at all costs.
When, Austin finds Harvey, a lost West Highland Terrier, he convinces the owner of Brayside to use him as a therapy dog. It turns out that Harvey is just what the doctor ordered. While cuddling Harvey, Mr. Pickering becomes agreeable and is able to recall growing up in the 1930s; sharing how he survived poverty, drought, and dust storms.
But a problem arises when Austin finds out that Harvey’s owner is desperate to find her missing dog. Austin loves Harvey and knows he will never be able to find another dog like him. Besides, Harvey is helping Mr. Pickering and the other residents.
The chapters alternate through telling the story from the perspectives of Harvey, Maggie (Harvey’s owner), and Austin. While such a structure could otherwise be confusing, in Nelson’s hands, it adds clarity and narrative strength to an already-riveting tale.
Page turning, character driven, and interwoven with fascinating history, Harvey Comes Home will survive even the most stringent Kondo purge!
You can view the full list of Northern Lights Book Award winners here http://northerndawnawards.com/2019-northern-lights-book-awards-winners/
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