Harbor Me

by Jacqueline Woodson

Hardcover, 2018

Status

Checked out

Genres

Children's Books

All Topics

Fiction

Publication

Nancy Paulsen Books (2018), 192 pages

Description

"When six students are chosen to participate in a weekly talk with no adults allowed, they discover that when they're together, it's safe to share the hopes and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world"--

User reviews

LibraryThing member Beamis12

I don't often read books targeted for the middle school reader, but this is Woodson and I love how she tackles difficult subject. She does the same here, portraying six eleven and twelve year olds, all a different ethnicity, and from different backgrounds. All six have a harder time academically in

school, for a few it is the language barrier, for another, not being able to be still. They are in an experimental classroom, and have an amazing teacher who sees a need, and fills it the best way. She let's them leave her classroom, making available an empty art room, just so they can talk about whatever they want, without adult involvement. The kids call it ARTT, a room to talk. At first they find this awkward, but eventually we learn their stories, and what herartfelt stories they are.

Woodson show how the many problems so many face, whether it is a parent in prison, the abrupt growing up of s black boy, or a young boy whose father has been taken by ICE, affect these young people. She does it in a way that is easy to relate too, and takes many of our nation's headlines, making them personal. If one can see and get to know someone different than you, ones views change, as these six kids experience this for themselves. I felt for all of them, quite impossible to not.

A fantastic reading and learning experience for middle schoolers, a book that will open the lines of communication, or so I believe. I know just the young lady, a big reader, who will appreciate this book, and she will be receiving it for her tenth birthday.

ARC from Edelweiss.

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LibraryThing member MrsDruffel

I cannot explain how much I loved this book. Kids who come from different walks of life get to know each other and realize they have more in common than different. It is what every teacher wishes to see in their classrooms. Acceptance and understanding. This book would be a PERFECT read aloud for

ages 10 and up. Everyone should read it. I can just imagine the deep classroom discussions this book could lead to.

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LibraryThing member froxgirl

In these overwhelmingly fraught times, a short read written with a light hand and a view to social justice is certainly a balm. Woodson has such a strong sense of how teens act and speak, and teachers know that her characters can be found in every school, on every block, in every home. Here, six

middle school students are given the gift of time to themselves as a group by their brilliant teacher, who finds a vacant classroom for them to gather in before they go home for the day. They are "special" kids, which makes their stories all the more compelling. Via a tape recorder, they learn of their missing puzzle pieces - ADD, learning disabilities, a parent in prison, dead, or deported, or being a minority in the school. Each becomes an integral part of the group as they stretch to fill in their chasms.

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LibraryThing member jmoncton

Six students gather together once a week to talk in the ARTT (A Room To Talk). At first it seems like a boondoggle, but gradually over the school year, the kids open up and details of their lives are revealed. The stories are heartfelt and sometimes tragic. And although the six kids have

dramatically different experiences, a lasting bond grows between all of them. A really beautiful story of community building.

The individual stories are definitely not the vanilla middle-school stories we're so used to. We're not talking about issues like the loss of a pet or missing homework, but major issues that are especially relevant today --from a parent who is detained and deported for being an illegal immigrant to a father who is in jail.

This would be a great parent - child read or middle grade book club selection. Powerful and uplifting.

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LibraryThing member lindamamak

6 young students get to meet up every Friday in the ARTT room ( a room to talk) where they are free to tell their stories and learn about themselves and others.

LibraryThing member Whisper1

One of my favorite authors did it again! Jacqueline Woodson is an incredible writer who touches the heart while dealing with difficult issues. Never one to over dramatize or embellish, her books deal with contemporary issues facing young adults.

Six students who are struggling through major

life-changing issues and are given a room wherein they can discuss and share their stories if they choose to do so. A concept put in place by a wonderful, caring teacher, this room is a safe space for all.

As time progresses, we learn that a father is missing, another father is in jail because of a drunk driving incident wherein the mother of one of the students was killed in the accident. Discussions include racial profiling, deportation, feelings of helplessness, and the need for a solid ground, or perhaps just one person who cares and how that makes a difference.

While I've read most of this award-winning author, I'm never disappointed.

Three and 1/2 Stars

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LibraryThing member HeidiSki

It all starts when six kids have to meet for a weekly chat--by themselves, with no adults to listen in. There, in the room they soon dub the ARTT Room (short for "A Room to Talk"), they discover it's safe to talk about what's bothering them--everything from Esteban's father's deportation and

Haley's father's incarceration to Amari's fears of racial profiling and Ashton's adjustment to his changing family fortunes. When the six are together, they can express the feelings and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. And together, they can grow braver and more ready for the rest of their lives. (Amazon) Elizabeth recommended on presentation.

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LibraryThing member ewyatt

This book explores the deep bond formed between 6 students in a 5/6 grade classroom when their teacher gives them an hour in a special room weekly to talk. Told in flashbacks and with audio recordings, Haley shares her worries about adjusting after her father moves back home from prison and her

uncle leaves. The students have really different backgrounds and the book explores issues of race (why Amari's mom won't let him play with nerf guns), immigration (Esteban's dad is taken and held in a detention center), and has the kids share their stories as they grow closer. While the students are in some type of special program with the small class, their learning differences are not explored.
A powerful (and at times, a bit preachy) read.
The audiobook was well done.

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LibraryThing member YukiNatsuo

A wonderful light read about deep issues such as immigration issues and understanding one another.

LibraryThing member GayWard

Jacqueline Woodson is masterrful at creating round characters and then masterfully revealing their senstivities, talents, fears through their relationships - in this case a group of five very different children bound only by their learning differences at first and bound as friends for life after

sharing their stories weekly each other.

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LibraryThing member Lisa_Francine

Over a school year, classmates from a “special” class bond by telling their personal stories. Woodson allows her characters to delve into many issues: immigration, race, class, privilege, etc. while reminding all of us to “harbor each other. Even strangers. Everyday.”

LibraryThing member KimMeyer

Jacqueline Woodson is a treasure and I would read anything she wrote, in any form, for any age group. I'm surprised that I haven't heard more about this book, because it's focus on kids and diversity and current events is so well done. The audiobook performance is so good too! Don't miss the ending

where she and her son talk about the book.

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LibraryThing member kbranfield

4.5 stars.

Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson is poignant yet heartwarming novel with a cast of diverse characters that are exceptionally well-developed and appealing. Although the target audience is middle-schoolers, I highly recommend this quick but powerful read to readers of all ages.

Narrated by

twelve year old Haley McGrath, she and her five classmates gather together once a week to talk freely to one another without adult supervision. Their conversations are surprisingly deep as they delve into the realities they each face due to their life experiences. Haley is bi-racial and currently being raised by her white uncle and she is apprehensive about the upcoming changes in her life. Her best friend Holly finds it impossible to sit still and she often blurts out her uncensored thoughts. Tiago is the son of Puerto Rican immigrants and he is troubled by the hateful rhetoric he and his mother encounter while conversing in Spanish in public. Amari recounts a recent discussion with his father which highlights the dangers African American's face even during innocent play. Ashton is the only Caucasian in the group which leads his fellow classmates to mistakenly believe this affords him protection from any type of hardship or adversity. Young Esteban is a going through a heartrending experience that no one should ever have to endure.

With frank honesty and surprising insight, Harbor Me touches on relevant social issues through the eyes of these six pre-teens. Through these weekly discussions, Jacqueline Woodson highlights the fact that political and racial issues affect children just as much they do adults. Their stories are captivating and their compassionate and perceptive reactions to one anothers' plights offer hope for the future of our country. I highly recommend this timely novel which features an engrossing and thought-provoking storyline.

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LibraryThing member reader1009

diverse middlegrade realistic fiction. 6 Brooklyn "at-risk" 5th-graders share their backgrounds with each other and become friends--they discuss issues of racism, deportation, their family situations, etc. and learn to support each other. A bit slow to start but a quick read with several

heartbreaking moments, and characters that could easily be kids that you know in real life. Would probably be great for a tween book group discussion.

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LibraryThing member DonnaMarieMerritt

This is a quiet story of six "special" children and a teacher who knew they needed time to talk out their pain. Each has a different background and story; Haley, one of the six, is determined to record their voices so they'll all be remembered. As always, Woodson's words add a layer of lyrical

richness. A beautiful book for our grade 4/5 school library shelves.

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LibraryThing member PagesandPieces

This is a beautifully written book that sensitively handles modern social issues in a way that’s accessible for young readers. With that being said, I wanted to love this book, but I didn't.

Jacqueline Woodson writes well; the words are beautifully crafted. Too beautifully crafted.The children

all fell like "old souls" who express their personal stories in a manner that is way too eloquent for 5th graders. Though the sentiments expressed are wonderful, it doesn't quite sit right. The first thing that really jarred me out of the story was the basic "Breakfast Club" for 5th graders concept. I work in a school system. It's hard to imagine ANY school letting a group of young kids sit for an hour unsupervised in a room. It's even more unlikely considering that it is implied that these children are students with special education needs. It's also hard to imagine that these kids are so calm when discussing such big and important issues. There are a few scenes where the students exchange snarky words and comments, but it was way too subtle. If anyone has interacted with kids who are the same age as these students, we know that their feelings are BIG and they frequently express these feelings in a BIG way. These kids are much more gentle with each other than I've experienced. It's clear they have an exceptional teacher who has taught them thoughtfulness throughout the year, but they're still tweens. It also feels almost like the author is checking off a list of what makes a good and diverse book. African American student- check. Latino student- check. Mixed race student- check. Undocumented student- check. Bullied student- check. Students with disability- check. Kids with different economic backgrounds- check. Social justice topics- check.

Woodson's poetic writing style saves this from being formulaic, but it doesn't make it feel realistic. It felt like the book was more about delivering a heartwarming message than an actual story. The unrealistic things continuously pulled me out of these characters lives and stories, even though I loved the messages that were being delivered when they were sharing what was in their hearts and minds.

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LibraryThing member jennybeast

Right to the heart. Woodson goes right to the heart of the many terrifying and sorrowful things that many of our kids are facing right now, every day, in this frightening and sad country. That she can do that without lecturing, with immediate and compelling characters, with gorgeous language and

poetry for when the moment is heading off the cliffs of sorrow, is a testament to her great power as a writer and her great compassion as a human being. This is a book about pulling together and supporting one another. This is a book about hearing. About seeing the people around us and singing a song together rather than in spite of each other. Beautiful. Hard.

Set in beginning of 6th grade, looking back on 5th. One incarcerated parent, one stolen by immigration, one deceased. The fear of gun violence. Racism. Economic privilege. Bullying. Growing up in 6 voices from many different backgrounds.

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