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Harbor Me
Jacqueline Woodson's first middle-grade novel since National Book Award winner Brown Girl Dreaming celebrates the healing that can occur when a group of students share their stories.
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.
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.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published August 28, 2018
About the author
Jacqueline Woodson
77 books8,904 followersI used to say I’d be a teacher or a lawyer or a hairdresser when I grew up but even as I said these things, I knew what made me happiest was writing.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
I wrote on everything and everywhere. I remember my uncle catching me writing my name in graffiti on the side of a building. (It was not pretty for me when my mother found out.) I wrote on paper bags and my shoes and denim binders. I chalked stories across sidewalks and penciled tiny tales in notebook margins. I loved and still love watching words flower into sentences and sentences blossom into stories.
I also told a lot of stories as a child. Not “Once upon a time” stories but basically, outright lies. I loved lying and getting away with it! There was something about telling the lie-story and seeing your friends’ eyes grow wide with wonder. Of course I got in trouble for lying but I didn’t stop until fifth grade.
That year, I wrote a story and my teacher said “This is really good.” Before that I had written a poem about Martin Luther King that was, I guess, so good no one believed I wrote it. After lots of brouhaha, it was believed finally that I had indeed penned the poem which went on to win me a Scrabble game and local acclaim. So by the time the story rolled around and the words “This is really good” came out of the otherwise down-turned lips of my fifth grade teacher, I was well on my way to understanding that a lie on the page was a whole different animal — one that won you prizes and got surly teachers to smile. A lie on the page meant lots of independent time to create your stories and the freedom to sit hunched over the pages of your notebook without people thinking you were strange.
Lots and lots of books later, I am still surprised when I walk into a bookstore and see my name on a book’s binder. Sometimes, when I’m sitting at my desk for long hours and nothing’s coming to me, I remember my fifth grade teacher, the way her eyes lit up when she said “This is really good.” The way, I — the skinny girl in the back of the classroom who was always getting into trouble for talking or missed homework assignments — sat up a little straighter, folded my hands on the desks, smiled and began to believe in me.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,347 reviews
July 12, 2018
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.
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.
June 29, 2020
Listened to this one on audio from my library and REALLY enjoyed it. I particularly liked the interview section at the end!
July 31, 2020
What a difference a year makes. Last year was a nonfiction reading year for me, and at Thanksgiving I read Jacqueline Woodson’s new novella to jump start my fiction reading in the year ahead. In this year I have primarily been reading fiction to escape the reality that is life in 2020. My reading has taking me to many different times and places, providing me with a necessary respite from the world. Then there are Jacqueline Woodson’s books. Harbor Me is the sixth one of hers that I have read, and I am determined to read all of them because her writing is that good. Harbor Me is the most realistic book I have read in awhile, it also provides the adolescent protagonists with a respite from the crazy world around them, in a safe spot that is only theirs.
Haley Shondell McGrath is twelve years old and about to enter seventh grade along with her best friend Holly. Like most of Woodson’s books, Harbor Me is set in Brooklyn. Seventh grade is Unfamiliar to Haley and Holly because they just completed sixth grade in an untraditional, Montessori-like classroom. Their school believed that if they brought together eight students who learned differently in one classroom with a dedicated teacher, that they were excel in school and transition back to a traditional classroom. The eight students quickly became six: Haley, Holly, Amari, Ashton, Esteban, and Tiago. They came from diverse backgrounds and all needed a safe space so that they could focus on their learning. In Ms. Laverne’s fifth/sixth grade classroom, they learned about the early history of New York, poetry, and all other subjects in a loving, safe environment. The six students still behaved like typical tweens, and Ms. Laverne believed that they needed an even safer place away from adults to talk freely. The students would be able to harbor each other to safety for the last hour of school on Friday in their own room that they dub ARTT - A place to talk.
I have yet to find many contemporary authors who develop characters in as short a time as Jacqueline Woodson. Harbor Me is geared toward a young adult audience but contains characters and issues that are taken straight from the issues plaguing society today. Haley is being raised by her uncle because her father has been in jail for eight years after an accident that killed his wife, Haley’s mother. Haley is now an eleven year beautiful young lady dubbed as Red to her friends, and her uncle has taken on the role of both mother and father to her flawlessly. Haley enjoys literature and other typical adolescent activities but is a defined introvert as she keeps the events that shaped her young life buried deep inside of her. Holly is the yin to Haley’s yang. She talks a mile a minute and can not sit still. The girls have been best friends since first grade and enjoy sleepovers every week while Holly’s mom Kira takes care of Haley’s hair and other motherly roles that her uncle can not provide. Readers can sense that the girls are the type of friends who will be there for each other for the rest of their lives; they will harbor each other through thick and thin.
The girls are joined in their classroom by four boys with distinct life issues and personalities. Esteban’s father has been taken to a detention camp because he is in the United States illegally. The father sends his children poetry and tells them to dream big because they are American and that means gold. The threat of returning to the Dominican Republic is real, and students in the ARTT room become Esteban’s safety net. Amari has been given the talk about how to navigate life safely by his father- no nerf or squirt guns because cops do not see that. Amari does not think it is fair because he is an American, but he wants to do well by his parents so he heeds their warnings. He is a gifted artist and turns to painting to get through turbulent times. We do not know much about Tiago, only that he is Puerto Rican, his family comes from the Bronx, and that he would rather speak Spanish than English, as he does at home. Ashton’s family moved from suburban Connecticut to Brooklyn after his father lost his job and received an offer in the city. Fate had brought the six students together, and throughout the school year they become close friends, listening to the advice of their teacher, harboring each other.
Jacqueline Woodson adeptly weaves together key issues that are plaguing people of all walks of life today. Haley, Holly, Amari, Esteban, Ashton, and Tiago could be real adolescents who have to deal with issues like deportation, police violence, and parents behind bars. Woodson tells these stories in a way that make them accessible to young readers and also to adult readers who might have difficulties with navigating these unprecedented times. When I think of a harbor, I think of immigrants passing the Statue of Liberty on their way to Ellis Island, to becoming Americans. Woodson had this in mind as well, and she has her protagonists engage in weekly rap sessions so that they have a safe spot to harbor their dreams on the way to achieving the dream of becoming successful Americans. The year 2020 might have thrown us a curve ball, but Jacqueline Woodson remains a steady voice in young adult literature. She reminds readers that Americans come from all walks of life and to be respectful of the differences that has made this country what it is. It is refreshing to read her words, and I will gladly take the time to see what she has in store for her readers moving forward.
4+ stars
Haley Shondell McGrath is twelve years old and about to enter seventh grade along with her best friend Holly. Like most of Woodson’s books, Harbor Me is set in Brooklyn. Seventh grade is Unfamiliar to Haley and Holly because they just completed sixth grade in an untraditional, Montessori-like classroom. Their school believed that if they brought together eight students who learned differently in one classroom with a dedicated teacher, that they were excel in school and transition back to a traditional classroom. The eight students quickly became six: Haley, Holly, Amari, Ashton, Esteban, and Tiago. They came from diverse backgrounds and all needed a safe space so that they could focus on their learning. In Ms. Laverne’s fifth/sixth grade classroom, they learned about the early history of New York, poetry, and all other subjects in a loving, safe environment. The six students still behaved like typical tweens, and Ms. Laverne believed that they needed an even safer place away from adults to talk freely. The students would be able to harbor each other to safety for the last hour of school on Friday in their own room that they dub ARTT - A place to talk.
I have yet to find many contemporary authors who develop characters in as short a time as Jacqueline Woodson. Harbor Me is geared toward a young adult audience but contains characters and issues that are taken straight from the issues plaguing society today. Haley is being raised by her uncle because her father has been in jail for eight years after an accident that killed his wife, Haley’s mother. Haley is now an eleven year beautiful young lady dubbed as Red to her friends, and her uncle has taken on the role of both mother and father to her flawlessly. Haley enjoys literature and other typical adolescent activities but is a defined introvert as she keeps the events that shaped her young life buried deep inside of her. Holly is the yin to Haley’s yang. She talks a mile a minute and can not sit still. The girls have been best friends since first grade and enjoy sleepovers every week while Holly’s mom Kira takes care of Haley’s hair and other motherly roles that her uncle can not provide. Readers can sense that the girls are the type of friends who will be there for each other for the rest of their lives; they will harbor each other through thick and thin.
The girls are joined in their classroom by four boys with distinct life issues and personalities. Esteban’s father has been taken to a detention camp because he is in the United States illegally. The father sends his children poetry and tells them to dream big because they are American and that means gold. The threat of returning to the Dominican Republic is real, and students in the ARTT room become Esteban’s safety net. Amari has been given the talk about how to navigate life safely by his father- no nerf or squirt guns because cops do not see that. Amari does not think it is fair because he is an American, but he wants to do well by his parents so he heeds their warnings. He is a gifted artist and turns to painting to get through turbulent times. We do not know much about Tiago, only that he is Puerto Rican, his family comes from the Bronx, and that he would rather speak Spanish than English, as he does at home. Ashton’s family moved from suburban Connecticut to Brooklyn after his father lost his job and received an offer in the city. Fate had brought the six students together, and throughout the school year they become close friends, listening to the advice of their teacher, harboring each other.
Jacqueline Woodson adeptly weaves together key issues that are plaguing people of all walks of life today. Haley, Holly, Amari, Esteban, Ashton, and Tiago could be real adolescents who have to deal with issues like deportation, police violence, and parents behind bars. Woodson tells these stories in a way that make them accessible to young readers and also to adult readers who might have difficulties with navigating these unprecedented times. When I think of a harbor, I think of immigrants passing the Statue of Liberty on their way to Ellis Island, to becoming Americans. Woodson had this in mind as well, and she has her protagonists engage in weekly rap sessions so that they have a safe spot to harbor their dreams on the way to achieving the dream of becoming successful Americans. The year 2020 might have thrown us a curve ball, but Jacqueline Woodson remains a steady voice in young adult literature. She reminds readers that Americans come from all walks of life and to be respectful of the differences that has made this country what it is. It is refreshing to read her words, and I will gladly take the time to see what she has in store for her readers moving forward.
4+ stars
November 2, 2020
I'm convinced that I can never go wrong with Jacqueline Woodson. This is the third books of hers that I have read this year and I'm convinced that I'll read another before the year is over. As expected, Woodson always writes books that provide real life insight to things that affect children/young adults. As an advocate for them in the form of literature, I was not surprised by how much I enjoyed this book and how much Woodson makes readers think about how children/young adults are treated.
Harbor Me focuses on a group of middle grade students who are all going through some pretty tough things and instead of them having to talk to adults who just can't seem to understand, their teachers provides them with an empty room to allow them to communicate with each other. At first, the students seem to have a tough time communicating. As expected there is some degree of awkwardness and assumptions made amongst the students. However, they eventually become comfortable and with the absence of an adult they are truly free to communicate what issues they have been facing. These conversations center around privilege, death of a parent, incarceration, immigration, deportation, classism/wealth, racism, the power struggle between adults and young adults, etc.
I think that I enjoyed this book because it really emphasized the importance of providing kids/teens with spaces where they can be themselves amongst each other...away from the prying ears, eyes, and minds of adults. A lot of times adults can discredit the amount of stress and pressure that kids/teens face in relation to real life issues. It's easy to say that because of age they don't necessarily understand hardship or emotional turmoil. And while they haven't spent as much time on earth as adults, time itself should not invalidate their experiences, emotions, and feelings. It wasn't until I started with this is particular age group that I realized how hefty of a burden some of them carry while still attempting to be the normal, average kid or teen. I think that this book is a great example of why these things are important to recognize. It builds empathy. And it teaches adults to recognize the reality and experiences of both children and teenagers.
As always, I was completely captivated by Woodson's writing and her ability to capture and characterize so many different voices and experiences. I would definitely recommend listening to this on audiobook as it is a full cast production. Also be sure to capture the author's interview where Woodson's son asks her questions about the book.
Harbor Me focuses on a group of middle grade students who are all going through some pretty tough things and instead of them having to talk to adults who just can't seem to understand, their teachers provides them with an empty room to allow them to communicate with each other. At first, the students seem to have a tough time communicating. As expected there is some degree of awkwardness and assumptions made amongst the students. However, they eventually become comfortable and with the absence of an adult they are truly free to communicate what issues they have been facing. These conversations center around privilege, death of a parent, incarceration, immigration, deportation, classism/wealth, racism, the power struggle between adults and young adults, etc.
I think that I enjoyed this book because it really emphasized the importance of providing kids/teens with spaces where they can be themselves amongst each other...away from the prying ears, eyes, and minds of adults. A lot of times adults can discredit the amount of stress and pressure that kids/teens face in relation to real life issues. It's easy to say that because of age they don't necessarily understand hardship or emotional turmoil. And while they haven't spent as much time on earth as adults, time itself should not invalidate their experiences, emotions, and feelings. It wasn't until I started with this is particular age group that I realized how hefty of a burden some of them carry while still attempting to be the normal, average kid or teen. I think that this book is a great example of why these things are important to recognize. It builds empathy. And it teaches adults to recognize the reality and experiences of both children and teenagers.
As always, I was completely captivated by Woodson's writing and her ability to capture and characterize so many different voices and experiences. I would definitely recommend listening to this on audiobook as it is a full cast production. Also be sure to capture the author's interview where Woodson's son asks her questions about the book.
July 9, 2018
For a middle grade novel that is less than 200 pages, this story manages to cram in quite a few serious subjects including race, imprisonment, deportation, and the death of a parent. The ARTT Room (short for "A Room to Talk"), is a place where 6 students in a special learning class get to meet every Friday unsupervised for an hour. They are allowed to talk about whatever is on their minds and throughout the course of the school year they share some of their deepest thoughts and fears.
There was a little bit of a Breakfast Club type vibe going on in terms of a group of kids who by the end of their time together share this bond and really opened themselves up to one another. Some really touching moments in the book. Would definitely recommend if you are looking to support books with diversity that explore important and timely topics.
Thank you to First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.
There was a little bit of a Breakfast Club type vibe going on in terms of a group of kids who by the end of their time together share this bond and really opened themselves up to one another. Some really touching moments in the book. Would definitely recommend if you are looking to support books with diversity that explore important and timely topics.
Thank you to First to Read for the opportunity to read an advance digital copy! I was under no obligation to post a review and all views expressed are my honest opinion.
September 29, 2021
first off, the audiobook narration of harbor me is absolutely marvelous. it's voiced by a robust cast of actual kids (plus one adult, woodson herself). the characters are vibrant and spirited, and i love the way their voices are woven together.
it's about the bond formed between six kids when they are given the opportunity to be open with each other about their lives. they share a classroom after class each friday, just the six of them, and talk about their lives.
i was almost taken aback by these kids, who are so brave and vulnerable and articulate. are most 11-year-olds really this self aware, and this willing to express how they feel about the heavy things they're dealing with??
well, maybe. the kids' maturity stretched my suspension of disbelief, but i'm okay with it. they are otherwise believable characters, and they could act as role models to help young readers learn to practice open communication and empathy. perhaps it's a tad overly didactic, but i love the idea of kids reading this and thinking about how they can harbor their peers by creating warm safe spaces.
there's also a brief interview at the end between woodson and her young son (who is one of the other narrators). i was impressed by both of them! woodson is a wonderful parent, writer, and thinker.
it's about the bond formed between six kids when they are given the opportunity to be open with each other about their lives. they share a classroom after class each friday, just the six of them, and talk about their lives.
i was almost taken aback by these kids, who are so brave and vulnerable and articulate. are most 11-year-olds really this self aware, and this willing to express how they feel about the heavy things they're dealing with??
well, maybe. the kids' maturity stretched my suspension of disbelief, but i'm okay with it. they are otherwise believable characters, and they could act as role models to help young readers learn to practice open communication and empathy. perhaps it's a tad overly didactic, but i love the idea of kids reading this and thinking about how they can harbor their peers by creating warm safe spaces.
there's also a brief interview at the end between woodson and her young son (who is one of the other narrators). i was impressed by both of them! woodson is a wonderful parent, writer, and thinker.
August 2, 2018
Thanks to a Kid Lit Exchange reviewer for sharing her free review copy from #NerdCampMI with us!
.
There are some books that I label "teaching books" and this is most certainly one of them. Of course it's one I want kids to pick up on their own as well, but it's one I want read out loud to every 5th and 6th grade class in the US this school year. It's one that might seem so so familiar to many students, but it's also a story that may need a bit (or a lot) of adult-led discussion to truly get the messages across to students in areas not as familiar with the issues of parent incarceration, deportation, and city life. I'll be honest, this is true of my tiny rural school district in Wisconsin. Kids will (or should!) have lots of questions about the content, and it would be such a rich class discussion novel. Loved the poetry included and the kid-led discussions. An incredibly short/fast read.
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I'd say the sweet spot for this book is 5th and 6th grade, up through middle school if students are willing to read about characters several years younger than them. Fine for 4th grade, but there may be a lot more questions about police brutality the younger the readers are, and depending on the location of the readers.....again with my suggestion for whole class read aloud.
.
There are some books that I label "teaching books" and this is most certainly one of them. Of course it's one I want kids to pick up on their own as well, but it's one I want read out loud to every 5th and 6th grade class in the US this school year. It's one that might seem so so familiar to many students, but it's also a story that may need a bit (or a lot) of adult-led discussion to truly get the messages across to students in areas not as familiar with the issues of parent incarceration, deportation, and city life. I'll be honest, this is true of my tiny rural school district in Wisconsin. Kids will (or should!) have lots of questions about the content, and it would be such a rich class discussion novel. Loved the poetry included and the kid-led discussions. An incredibly short/fast read.
.
I'd say the sweet spot for this book is 5th and 6th grade, up through middle school if students are willing to read about characters several years younger than them. Fine for 4th grade, but there may be a lot more questions about police brutality the younger the readers are, and depending on the location of the readers.....again with my suggestion for whole class read aloud.
Read
April 16, 2023There is a tiny bit of story around the edges with the main character, but the overall plot of the book is: 6 kids sit around in a room and talk (often monologue) about Issues. That is not a story. It might work OK in verse (although a plot would still be a good thing to have), but it’s in prose. And it’s prose that keeps the impressionistic style and psychic distance of poetry, so it winds up being the worst of both worlds. It’s a girl reminiscing about people sitting around a room talking, which is distance upon distance upon distance. I always felt like I was watching them talk, not even experiencing it from inside the room, much less experiencing anything they were talking about.
July 13, 2018
A good book, whether it’s written for a nine-year-old, a nineteen-year-old, or a ninety-year-old can tilt your perspective, if only momentarily. Consider the concept of the “happy ending” and what it’s supposed to resemble. What does a real happy ending actually entail in real life? In children’s books, many times the ending of a given story is happy when day is done. In real life, something happy may happen to a child but where’s the “ending” in all that? As an author, Jacqueline Woodson doesn’t eschew a sense of completion when you get to the end of her books. Kids could spend a long time debating whether some of her endings could be so simplified as to call them “happy” or not. Harbor Me falls into that category. The satisfaction a reader feels upon its completion is intrinsically tied to its writing, but to call this a “happy” book is to diminish it. Shooting for the moon, Ms. Woodson manages to fill this svelte title with a host of different ideas, lessons, and teachable moments. And while I don’t think it knocks it out of the park with every swing, it still manages to be one of the most interesting and well-written books of this or any other year.
It sounds like a social experiment more than anything else. Six kids are removed from their classmates and placed in their own room for a weekly discussion. Their teacher’s rules are clear. “Every Friday . . . the six of you will leave my classroom at two p.m. and come into Room 501. You’ll sit in this circle and you’ll talk. When the bell rings at three, you’re free to go home.” Putting kids in a separate space together can end with either a “Breakfast Club” situation or a Lord of the Flies conundrum. Predictably, at first the kids don’t want to say a word, but when Haley starts bringing in a hand recorder, something cracks open. Esteban is able to talk about his dad, recently taken by the police and sent back to another country. Amari about the restrictions put on black boys in America. Ashton on being one of the few white kids in their Brooklyn school. But it’s Haley herself that has the hardest time talking. About her mom’s death. Her dad’s incarceration. As the room comes together and bonds, people listen to one another and everyone gets and ending. Happy or not.
Now every children’s book that strives to imbue its pages with weight and meaning must contend with a danger that I like to call “the rogue cute”. The rogue cute is that moment where the author’s writing tips from meaningful into faux meaningful. From something that is honestly moving into something that feels like it’s trying too hard. All children’s books novelists contend with this issue to varying degrees of success. Ms. Woodson is no different, and there are times when she is more successful than others. For example, to read this book is to accept that it is, to a certain extent, an idealized situation. Six kids, mostly strangers to one another, are placed in a room where they may argue, disagree, or even tease but who are, in the end, devoid of cruelty. That’s the premise, but fortunately there’s a lot more going on here than just that. As with many children’s books, Ms. Woodson is conveying a message, but where she may seem to be painting with too broad a brush in some places, at other times she’s quite circumspect. For example, many novels for kids stress the need for us to empathize with one another. Woodson actually turns the concept of active listening into a whole book without hitting the reader over the head with the message. Each time a kid in the classroom wants to speak, everyone lets them, with a minimal amount of interruptions or interjections. Equity and diversity trainings often include a portion of the training where people are taught this very skill. Leave it Ms. Woodson to model this behavior for the next generation.
As for the six characters, some are better delineated than others. I found myself thinking that single character points (being bullied, moving, etc.) are rarely proper stand-ins for personality traits. So I do wish just a smidgen more work had gone into showing precisely why this group has bonded as tightly as it has. I understand that much of it has to do with being able to talk honestly in a safe space. I guess I just wish there’d been 215 pages rather than 192, to allow for some more of those connections. That said, Ms. Woodson has somehow managed to write a handsome novel at less than 200 pages. If she stopped and thoroughly examined in depth every character to the same extent that she follows Haley, you’d be looking at a book that was at least twice the length of the one here. And while I wish I’d been able to know more than just one thing about some of these characters, I can’t help but admire the almost Hemingway-esque succinctness of the narrative. After a while, it got me to thinking about how we meet characters in books and how we meet them in real life. When you meet someone new, your brain essentially reduces that person to their most essential parts. This is in large part because we have to find a way to consolidate and organize the information about that person as quickly as possible. Authors, in turn, have to mimic that process on the page AND for a younger readership that’s been reliant on compartmentalization for years. It takes a certain amount of talent to accomplish this. Talent Ms. Woodson has in droves.
When Ms. Woodson does delve deep into a character, the story ends up in some interesting places. Four of the kids in the room are described pretty darn well. Esteban is hard to separate from his own headspace, but I liked how you got glimpses of his life away from the page. “His nails were bitten so deep, there was a ring of pink skin at the top of his fingers. It looked painful.” Haley, meanwhile, was of interest to me because she highlighted something I’ve noticed in my own 7-year-old daughter. For children, memory can be shockingly short. I’ll read a book repeatedly for months when my kid is four only to find she has no memory of it at all at six. Haley is old enough to want more of her own forgotten memories. As she says at one point, “I’d lock every moment of memory inside a room in my brain and hope they’d multiply like cells in our bodies, until I was a grown-up all filled with memories. Maybe that’s what made us free. Maybe it was our memories. The stuff we survived, the good stuff and the bad stuff.” And it’s thoughts like this that push this book out of the ordinary into the distinguished.
In some ways, the author is working a lot of themes into a single novel. She touches on everything from the Lenape, to the reasons why black boys have to get a talk from their dads about why they can’t play with Nerf or water guns in public anymore, to the death of a dog that manages to be heartbreaking in a shockingly short amount of time. Sometimes these elements land with the reader and sometimes they don’t but you cheer on the effort. Plus, you get a lot of really good lines along the way. Lines like, “I think this is what the world is – stories on top of stories, all the way back to the beginning of time.” This sentiment is echoed later when Haley remembers a moment when a familiar painting was taken off the wall, leaving a pale green square behind. This disturbs the girl immeasurably. “… I didn’t want to believe that was all there was. That when one thing went away, just the pale ghost of it remained. I wanted to believe in stories on top of stories. Always something else. Always one more ending.” Esteban’s dad’s poems are a clever inclusion too. Essentially, they enable Ms. Woodson to slip some poetry in there that would be too mature for the kids to be able to write, but that remains simple enough for them to parse themselves.
A friend of mine mentioned to me recently that in some ways, Jacqueline Woodson’s two books for children out in 2018, Harbor Me and The Day You Begin contain similar themes. Of the two they preferred the picture book, and I do see why. For a lot of people Woodson manages an emotional resonance in those scant 32 pages that can be elusive in novels like this one. Harbor Me has strong emotional beats in the usual places, even as it doesn’t go for the jugular as often as I wanted, personally. For example, when it becomes clear that Esteban and his father are gone, I wanted more of a kick to my heart. Other choices didn’t appeal to me personally, like the fact that most of the book is a flashback from present day, right at the beginning. For the first fifteen pages I was confused and felt that the book had some difficulty finding its feet. Once it did, however, it continued forward cool and collected. That pretty much summarizes a lot of how I felt about the book. I didn’t always agree with the author’s choices, but I couldn’t argue with the results. At one point I wrote in my notes, “Oh, man. It’s good.” It is. I don’t think it’s perfect but perfection is kind of beside the point. I’ve only touched on a few of the myriad elements spotted throughout this book. Ripe for discussion, this is the book that will get kids thinking and talking and (maybe most importantly for some) listening for decades to come.
For ages 9-12.
It sounds like a social experiment more than anything else. Six kids are removed from their classmates and placed in their own room for a weekly discussion. Their teacher’s rules are clear. “Every Friday . . . the six of you will leave my classroom at two p.m. and come into Room 501. You’ll sit in this circle and you’ll talk. When the bell rings at three, you’re free to go home.” Putting kids in a separate space together can end with either a “Breakfast Club” situation or a Lord of the Flies conundrum. Predictably, at first the kids don’t want to say a word, but when Haley starts bringing in a hand recorder, something cracks open. Esteban is able to talk about his dad, recently taken by the police and sent back to another country. Amari about the restrictions put on black boys in America. Ashton on being one of the few white kids in their Brooklyn school. But it’s Haley herself that has the hardest time talking. About her mom’s death. Her dad’s incarceration. As the room comes together and bonds, people listen to one another and everyone gets and ending. Happy or not.
Now every children’s book that strives to imbue its pages with weight and meaning must contend with a danger that I like to call “the rogue cute”. The rogue cute is that moment where the author’s writing tips from meaningful into faux meaningful. From something that is honestly moving into something that feels like it’s trying too hard. All children’s books novelists contend with this issue to varying degrees of success. Ms. Woodson is no different, and there are times when she is more successful than others. For example, to read this book is to accept that it is, to a certain extent, an idealized situation. Six kids, mostly strangers to one another, are placed in a room where they may argue, disagree, or even tease but who are, in the end, devoid of cruelty. That’s the premise, but fortunately there’s a lot more going on here than just that. As with many children’s books, Ms. Woodson is conveying a message, but where she may seem to be painting with too broad a brush in some places, at other times she’s quite circumspect. For example, many novels for kids stress the need for us to empathize with one another. Woodson actually turns the concept of active listening into a whole book without hitting the reader over the head with the message. Each time a kid in the classroom wants to speak, everyone lets them, with a minimal amount of interruptions or interjections. Equity and diversity trainings often include a portion of the training where people are taught this very skill. Leave it Ms. Woodson to model this behavior for the next generation.
As for the six characters, some are better delineated than others. I found myself thinking that single character points (being bullied, moving, etc.) are rarely proper stand-ins for personality traits. So I do wish just a smidgen more work had gone into showing precisely why this group has bonded as tightly as it has. I understand that much of it has to do with being able to talk honestly in a safe space. I guess I just wish there’d been 215 pages rather than 192, to allow for some more of those connections. That said, Ms. Woodson has somehow managed to write a handsome novel at less than 200 pages. If she stopped and thoroughly examined in depth every character to the same extent that she follows Haley, you’d be looking at a book that was at least twice the length of the one here. And while I wish I’d been able to know more than just one thing about some of these characters, I can’t help but admire the almost Hemingway-esque succinctness of the narrative. After a while, it got me to thinking about how we meet characters in books and how we meet them in real life. When you meet someone new, your brain essentially reduces that person to their most essential parts. This is in large part because we have to find a way to consolidate and organize the information about that person as quickly as possible. Authors, in turn, have to mimic that process on the page AND for a younger readership that’s been reliant on compartmentalization for years. It takes a certain amount of talent to accomplish this. Talent Ms. Woodson has in droves.
When Ms. Woodson does delve deep into a character, the story ends up in some interesting places. Four of the kids in the room are described pretty darn well. Esteban is hard to separate from his own headspace, but I liked how you got glimpses of his life away from the page. “His nails were bitten so deep, there was a ring of pink skin at the top of his fingers. It looked painful.” Haley, meanwhile, was of interest to me because she highlighted something I’ve noticed in my own 7-year-old daughter. For children, memory can be shockingly short. I’ll read a book repeatedly for months when my kid is four only to find she has no memory of it at all at six. Haley is old enough to want more of her own forgotten memories. As she says at one point, “I’d lock every moment of memory inside a room in my brain and hope they’d multiply like cells in our bodies, until I was a grown-up all filled with memories. Maybe that’s what made us free. Maybe it was our memories. The stuff we survived, the good stuff and the bad stuff.” And it’s thoughts like this that push this book out of the ordinary into the distinguished.
In some ways, the author is working a lot of themes into a single novel. She touches on everything from the Lenape, to the reasons why black boys have to get a talk from their dads about why they can’t play with Nerf or water guns in public anymore, to the death of a dog that manages to be heartbreaking in a shockingly short amount of time. Sometimes these elements land with the reader and sometimes they don’t but you cheer on the effort. Plus, you get a lot of really good lines along the way. Lines like, “I think this is what the world is – stories on top of stories, all the way back to the beginning of time.” This sentiment is echoed later when Haley remembers a moment when a familiar painting was taken off the wall, leaving a pale green square behind. This disturbs the girl immeasurably. “… I didn’t want to believe that was all there was. That when one thing went away, just the pale ghost of it remained. I wanted to believe in stories on top of stories. Always something else. Always one more ending.” Esteban’s dad’s poems are a clever inclusion too. Essentially, they enable Ms. Woodson to slip some poetry in there that would be too mature for the kids to be able to write, but that remains simple enough for them to parse themselves.
A friend of mine mentioned to me recently that in some ways, Jacqueline Woodson’s two books for children out in 2018, Harbor Me and The Day You Begin contain similar themes. Of the two they preferred the picture book, and I do see why. For a lot of people Woodson manages an emotional resonance in those scant 32 pages that can be elusive in novels like this one. Harbor Me has strong emotional beats in the usual places, even as it doesn’t go for the jugular as often as I wanted, personally. For example, when it becomes clear that Esteban and his father are gone, I wanted more of a kick to my heart. Other choices didn’t appeal to me personally, like the fact that most of the book is a flashback from present day, right at the beginning. For the first fifteen pages I was confused and felt that the book had some difficulty finding its feet. Once it did, however, it continued forward cool and collected. That pretty much summarizes a lot of how I felt about the book. I didn’t always agree with the author’s choices, but I couldn’t argue with the results. At one point I wrote in my notes, “Oh, man. It’s good.” It is. I don’t think it’s perfect but perfection is kind of beside the point. I’ve only touched on a few of the myriad elements spotted throughout this book. Ripe for discussion, this is the book that will get kids thinking and talking and (maybe most importantly for some) listening for decades to come.
For ages 9-12.
January 14, 2024
چه انتخاب شیرین و غمگینی بودی عزیزم.
"به دنبالم که آمدند، دستانم را بالا آوردم و به سمتشان گرفتم، اجازه دادم به مچهایم دستبند بزنند.
نجنگیدم، فریاد نکشیدم.
من را هل دادند درون ون،
و آنجا افرادی را دیدم که به زبان ما حرف میزدند...
زبانِ خورشید و اقیانوس و زیبایی.
خم شدیم به سمت هم و دانستیم هموطنیم.
همیشه این را به خاطر داشته باش، با هموطنانت که باشی،
انگار در وطنی.🤍"
_۰۲/۱۰/۲۴
"به دنبالم که آمدند، دستانم را بالا آوردم و به سمتشان گرفتم، اجازه دادم به مچهایم دستبند بزنند.
نجنگیدم، فریاد نکشیدم.
من را هل دادند درون ون،
و آنجا افرادی را دیدم که به زبان ما حرف میزدند...
زبانِ خورشید و اقیانوس و زیبایی.
خم شدیم به سمت هم و دانستیم هموطنیم.
همیشه این را به خاطر داشته باش، با هموطنانت که باشی،
انگار در وطنی.🤍"
_۰۲/۱۰/۲۴
February 16, 2019
Six kids. A room to talk.
For a whole school year six kids go into a room where they are to talk to each other. Throughout the course of this book they reveal stories about their diverse backgrounds.
Harbor me was great. I flew through this book, it is quite short but I loved every bit about it. This is the first book of Jacqueline Wood son's that I have read...I know right? She's such a great well-known author and I hope to read more from her in the future.
Harbor me stood out to me specifically because of the diverse cast of characters and seeing the characters open up to each other throughout the meetings was so interesting and seeing these characters with different backgrounds connect with each other because of their stories was truly beautiful.
While Harbor me was a short book, just shy of 200 pages, it included a lot about race, deportation, death and bullying. Each of these topics were well represented in realistic ways throughout this book.
I didn't enjoy Harbor Me as much as I wanted to but I still really liked the story and all he characters. I wish it was a longer book and that we could have gone more into Holly's character and maybe explored a bit more.
Age rating:
Nothing inappropriate but more of a ya interest level.
Ages 12-up
Harbor me was a beautiful story about friendship that stole my heart.
4.5 stars.
For a whole school year six kids go into a room where they are to talk to each other. Throughout the course of this book they reveal stories about their diverse backgrounds.
Harbor me was great. I flew through this book, it is quite short but I loved every bit about it. This is the first book of Jacqueline Wood son's that I have read...I know right? She's such a great well-known author and I hope to read more from her in the future.
Harbor me stood out to me specifically because of the diverse cast of characters and seeing the characters open up to each other throughout the meetings was so interesting and seeing these characters with different backgrounds connect with each other because of their stories was truly beautiful.
While Harbor me was a short book, just shy of 200 pages, it included a lot about race, deportation, death and bullying. Each of these topics were well represented in realistic ways throughout this book.
I didn't enjoy Harbor Me as much as I wanted to but I still really liked the story and all he characters. I wish it was a longer book and that we could have gone more into Holly's character and maybe explored a bit more.
Age rating:
Nothing inappropriate but more of a ya interest level.
Ages 12-up
Harbor me was a beautiful story about friendship that stole my heart.
4.5 stars.
October 12, 2022
میدونید وقتی حالم خوب نیست کتابای نشر پرتقال و افق(ژانر نوجوانش)میخونم و بهم آرامش میده جوِ داستان کلا آروم و بامزه اس و آرومم میکنه بخوام بگم مثلا این کتاب در مورد ۶تا دانش آموز آمریکایی(این بگم که دوتاشون اسپانیاین)که کلاس پنجم و ششم ان معلم شون اون هارو به مدت یک ساعت تو کلاس آرت تنها میزاره که باهم صحبت کنند و در مورد خودشون،اطرافیانشون،پدر مادرهاشون حرف بزنند....
همینجور که میبینید یه داستان آرومی داره.
همینجور که میبینید یه داستان آرومی داره.
August 11, 2018
"The hardest part of telling a story is finding the beginning."
Where do we start the dialogue in this country about acceptance and respect for others? It seems as if the collective has lost their minds. Each side is focused on rhetoric, everyone consumed by a war of "Us" versus "Them". We have forgotten that WE the people are the country that we are supposed to "indivisible" and what we are supposed to stand for is "justice and liberty for ALL".
Harbor Me is Jacqueline Woodson's first middle grade novel since her moving autobiographical novel Brown Girl Dreaming which earned her the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and a nomination for the Newberry Medal. The protagonists are Esteban, Tiago, Holly, Amari, Ashton and Haley are six students assigned to a special education class. Their teacher understands the need for them to have their voices heard, to have someone understand where they are coming from. She creates a safe space for them to talk free from adult oversight. As their walls come down the group realizes that they can turn to each other in dealing with problems like bullying, racial profiling, deportation and parental incarceration. They gain comfort in being each other's harbor from the storm. Harbor Me is a wonderful book that serves as a testament of the power and beauty at the heart of the human spirit.
"If the worst thing in the world happened, would I help protect someone else? Would I let myself be a harbor for someone who needs it?’ Then she said, ‘I want each of you to say to the other: I will harbor you.’ I will harbor you."
Where do we start the dialogue in this country about acceptance and respect for others? It seems as if the collective has lost their minds. Each side is focused on rhetoric, everyone consumed by a war of "Us" versus "Them". We have forgotten that WE the people are the country that we are supposed to "indivisible" and what we are supposed to stand for is "justice and liberty for ALL".
Harbor Me is Jacqueline Woodson's first middle grade novel since her moving autobiographical novel Brown Girl Dreaming which earned her the National Book Award for Young People's Literature and a nomination for the Newberry Medal. The protagonists are Esteban, Tiago, Holly, Amari, Ashton and Haley are six students assigned to a special education class. Their teacher understands the need for them to have their voices heard, to have someone understand where they are coming from. She creates a safe space for them to talk free from adult oversight. As their walls come down the group realizes that they can turn to each other in dealing with problems like bullying, racial profiling, deportation and parental incarceration. They gain comfort in being each other's harbor from the storm. Harbor Me is a wonderful book that serves as a testament of the power and beauty at the heart of the human spirit.
"If the worst thing in the world happened, would I help protect someone else? Would I let myself be a harbor for someone who needs it?’ Then she said, ‘I want each of you to say to the other: I will harbor you.’ I will harbor you."
October 13, 2018
Love the cover, love the idea, wanted to love the book, but. . .it felt like strung together preachy monologues trying to cover every social ill at once. Some of the writing was beautiful, but it just didn't seem to gel. Also, there is no way any school teacher would be allowed to leave a group of students alone in a room for an extended period of time--just not going to happen. Maybe that is why it never felt quite real.
September 15, 2018
I'm having a hard time with this. The writing is so lovely and the children are dear and genuine.
But I wanted a different book, which may not be fair.
This is mainly a collection of monologues told with eloquence. The reader gets the stories, the friends share, at a distance. I can't help but wish they were shown in real time, allowing the reader a stronger connection. In the end I felt like this was more a book to teach about 'important' issues rather than strong story-telling.
I did have the thought that it may have worked better if Woodson had chosen to once again do a verse novel. Allowing poetry to tell the segmented stories may have helped me feel the connection stronger.
But I wanted a different book, which may not be fair.
This is mainly a collection of monologues told with eloquence. The reader gets the stories, the friends share, at a distance. I can't help but wish they were shown in real time, allowing the reader a stronger connection. In the end I felt like this was more a book to teach about 'important' issues rather than strong story-telling.
I did have the thought that it may have worked better if Woodson had chosen to once again do a verse novel. Allowing poetry to tell the segmented stories may have helped me feel the connection stronger.
May 3, 2020
The breakfast club but for middle schoolers. I love how this teacher brings together I group of kids from all different nationalities and background to hang out and get to know each other. I love how in this 200 or so page book the Kids learn to care about each other and are able to talk to each other as family. A great book💕
July 6, 2018
Two years ago, this country elected a leader who promised to "Make America Great Again." But what does that mean? What is America, and what does it look like when it's great? In Harbor Me, Jacqueline Woodson offers her vision of America at its best.
The plot is simple. Six tweens meet weekly to discuss their issues. Many issues emerge, with police shootings, loss of parents, and families separated by deportation getting the most coverage. The story breathes and moves naturally. The characters are honestly describing their experiences and feelings, so it never feels preachy. In spite of a plot in which practically nothing happens, Woodson crafts a suspenseful page-turner. I couldn't put it down because I was dying to know how the characters would develop next.
Some of Woodson's books, such as Feathers, suffer from being about too many things at once. Not here. This book is honestly, heart-rendingly focused on the simple questions every teen must ask: "What does it mean to live in America today? Am I free? Am I safe? How do I relate to the people around me?" The characters struggle to answer these questions in ways that are vulnerable and honest. It might have been better if Woodson had kept her original title, The Dream of America; I wonder why she changed it.
Some critiques:
* The first chapter is a little too artsy and off-putting. The second chapter would have been a stronger beginning.
* I work with sixth graders with learning disabilities, and none of them are as articulate as the characters in this book. For that matter, I am less articulate than the characters in this book. However, this is not really a problem. These characters talk the way my students wish they could talk, and put into words the things my students wish they could say. My students will definitely connect with this book.
Newbery Comment Regardless of whether this book wins a Newbery, it will be a huge hit. It will be read, loved, and discussed all over America this school year, and for as long as it is relevant.
Recommended for any students who are interested in the topic. There is no objectionable content. The complexity of the language is around sixth grade, depending on the reader.
The plot is simple. Six tweens meet weekly to discuss their issues. Many issues emerge, with police shootings, loss of parents, and families separated by deportation getting the most coverage. The story breathes and moves naturally. The characters are honestly describing their experiences and feelings, so it never feels preachy. In spite of a plot in which practically nothing happens, Woodson crafts a suspenseful page-turner. I couldn't put it down because I was dying to know how the characters would develop next.
Some of Woodson's books, such as Feathers, suffer from being about too many things at once. Not here. This book is honestly, heart-rendingly focused on the simple questions every teen must ask: "What does it mean to live in America today? Am I free? Am I safe? How do I relate to the people around me?" The characters struggle to answer these questions in ways that are vulnerable and honest. It might have been better if Woodson had kept her original title, The Dream of America; I wonder why she changed it.
You know how, in the middle of the yard, there's that huge flagpole? Ashton said. And up at the very top, there's the flag?
...On the first day I got here, I stared up at that flag thinking, this is happening all over America. All over America, kids were walking into school yards and classrooms, and the American flag was waving. All over America, kids were saying the Pledge of Allegiance, saying 'indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.' All over America, we had memorized this, but did anybody know what it meant?
...It gave us a sameness. I stood in the school yard looking up at that flag and I felt something. Not just like a new kid. Not just like a white kid, but like I was a... a part of everybody running and jumping and playing all over America. Not just in our school yard. I mean- everywhere.Quote from an uncorrected galley provided by Goodreads Giveaways
Some critiques:
* The first chapter is a little too artsy and off-putting. The second chapter would have been a stronger beginning.
* I work with sixth graders with learning disabilities, and none of them are as articulate as the characters in this book. For that matter, I am less articulate than the characters in this book. However, this is not really a problem. These characters talk the way my students wish they could talk, and put into words the things my students wish they could say. My students will definitely connect with this book.
Newbery Comment Regardless of whether this book wins a Newbery, it will be a huge hit. It will be read, loved, and discussed all over America this school year, and for as long as it is relevant.
Recommended for any students who are interested in the topic. There is no objectionable content. The complexity of the language is around sixth grade, depending on the reader.
November 14, 2018
Woodson is one of the best (maybe the best) writers of fiction for young people. She's definitely one of my favorite authors. But I struggled to get into this book. Beautifully written, yes. Important topics and themes, yes. But it felt like a book written primarily to teach lessons, not tell a story.
Most of this book consists of a group of fifth graders sitting in a room talking. Narrator Haley is sitting in her room reflecting on the past year. Sometimes we are with her as a twelve-year-old looking back, and sometimes we are with her as an eleven-year-old living through the school year. She has recorded a lot of the dialogue in the ARTT (A Room To Talk) and is playing it back, but she also recounts a lot of dialogue that wasn't recorded. We also flashback sometimes to things that happened to her outside of school. All this moving around in time was confusing for me, especially because I wasn't able to read this in one sitting.
This book feels like a reaction to current events. In a lesser writer's hands it would be plain terrible. Woodson being Woodson crafts some brilliant sentences and images. She also puts a lot of wisdom into the mouths of fifth graders. I think this a book young people should read and discuss, but probably more out of duty than pleasure. I would recommend it to teachers and parents who are looking for a way to start a conversation around immigration, racism, bullying, and grief. The message of the book is right there in the title -- we must be safe harbors for each other in troubled times.
Most of this book consists of a group of fifth graders sitting in a room talking. Narrator Haley is sitting in her room reflecting on the past year. Sometimes we are with her as a twelve-year-old looking back, and sometimes we are with her as an eleven-year-old living through the school year. She has recorded a lot of the dialogue in the ARTT (A Room To Talk) and is playing it back, but she also recounts a lot of dialogue that wasn't recorded. We also flashback sometimes to things that happened to her outside of school. All this moving around in time was confusing for me, especially because I wasn't able to read this in one sitting.
This book feels like a reaction to current events. In a lesser writer's hands it would be plain terrible. Woodson being Woodson crafts some brilliant sentences and images. She also puts a lot of wisdom into the mouths of fifth graders. I think this a book young people should read and discuss, but probably more out of duty than pleasure. I would recommend it to teachers and parents who are looking for a way to start a conversation around immigration, racism, bullying, and grief. The message of the book is right there in the title -- we must be safe harbors for each other in troubled times.
October 13, 2018
Amazing book.
So beautifully written.
So needed for this country, our classrooms, our children, all our citizens RIGHT NOW.
So powerful...the power of talk, of getting to know others ("Others").
So honest about race and privilege and ability (dis- and otherwise) and family and grief and loss and prison and immigration. It's all there, but it's not too much. Because it really is all there, all the time.
And then I listened to the audio and fell in love again. Especially after listening to Jacqueline Woodson and her son in the interview after the book ends. I'm glad I didn't read it aloud this early in the school year. I think it will make a good end-of-5th-grade read aloud.
So beautifully written.
So needed for this country, our classrooms, our children, all our citizens RIGHT NOW.
So powerful...the power of talk, of getting to know others ("Others").
So honest about race and privilege and ability (dis- and otherwise) and family and grief and loss and prison and immigration. It's all there, but it's not too much. Because it really is all there, all the time.
And then I listened to the audio and fell in love again. Especially after listening to Jacqueline Woodson and her son in the interview after the book ends. I'm glad I didn't read it aloud this early in the school year. I think it will make a good end-of-5th-grade read aloud.
October 2, 2018
Six Kids in One Room, Once a Week. They are allowed to speak freely without adult intervention. With the addition of Haley's voice recorder, they each tell their stories, share their fears and preserve meaningful moments from their sixth grade year. In 20 years they hope to reunite and enjoy the recordings together and reminisce. Would recommend reading this in a classroom or with your child as there are some blanket statements made that overly simplify (and sometimes distort) current cultural issues. Great springboard for discussion regarding issues like socio-economic differences, bullying, incarceration, racism and the path to citizenship.
June 19, 2019
This is the kind of novel you are supposed to love if you are a librarian. But I didn't like anything about this novel, really. It met a requirement; it filled the need for diverse books, and nothing more. I have a lot of respect for Woodson, and it pains me to have to criticize this effort, but there really was nothing to this story except for being able to say, "Here's a diverse book. Done. Now all of you librarians can purchase this for your collections; it's the right thing to do."
Several kids in a special needs classroom, supposedly, (I'm not sure how many such children or classrooms Woodson has ever actually spent any time with, based on the representation here), are given a room to spend an hour a week in, unsupervised. In a few short pages, they become insta-family and pour their hearts and souls out (very briefly) into a recorder and their lives are forever changed, blah blah blah or so the narrator says....over and over again. You don't really see that happening, though, and I can't actually see these kids as real kids. But! But.
--African American and mixed race. Check!
--Latinx. Check!
--male and female Check!
--poor and "rich kid". Check!
--dad in prison, unjustly. Check!
--immigrant whose parents get deported. Check!
--kid bullied, and nothing at all is done about it, but it's in there, so....check!
--"kids who learn differently" Check! Supposedly....although, do they? How?
--discussion of white privilege. Check! (Actually, this was the only reason it gets a 2 and not a 1-star rating. At least something will be gained by reading this).
When it was over, I thought to myself, "Seriously? It's over? That was it? Well, she accomplished the "diverse book" category thing... And then guess what's at the end? An interview with her child, in which she makes sure you realize that this is a diverse book and that she wrote it to make sure there are diverse books. She then quizzes her son to make sure he understood the points she was trying to make, and he dutifully tells her he did. This novel is like required reading, and I don't expect the kids to love it.
Several kids in a special needs classroom, supposedly, (I'm not sure how many such children or classrooms Woodson has ever actually spent any time with, based on the representation here), are given a room to spend an hour a week in, unsupervised. In a few short pages, they become insta-family and pour their hearts and souls out (very briefly) into a recorder and their lives are forever changed, blah blah blah or so the narrator says....over and over again. You don't really see that happening, though, and I can't actually see these kids as real kids. But! But.
--African American and mixed race. Check!
--Latinx. Check!
--male and female Check!
--poor and "rich kid". Check!
--dad in prison, unjustly. Check!
--immigrant whose parents get deported. Check!
--kid bullied, and nothing at all is done about it, but it's in there, so....check!
--"kids who learn differently" Check! Supposedly....although, do they? How?
--discussion of white privilege. Check! (Actually, this was the only reason it gets a 2 and not a 1-star rating. At least something will be gained by reading this).
When it was over, I thought to myself, "Seriously? It's over? That was it? Well, she accomplished the "diverse book" category thing... And then guess what's at the end? An interview with her child, in which she makes sure you realize that this is a diverse book and that she wrote it to make sure there are diverse books. She then quizzes her son to make sure he understood the points she was trying to make, and he dutifully tells her he did. This novel is like required reading, and I don't expect the kids to love it.
October 12, 2018
Jacqueline Woodson’s Harbor Me is a book for right now. We can’t always help what happens to us, and some kids are dealt really tough hands. The kids in Harbor Me are living with the realities of incarcerated parents, deportation threats, deceased parents, and mindless prejudice for all kinds of reasons. When they are sent together to the “ARTT (A Room To Talk) Room,” the only thing they have in common is their different-ness from other kids. Then a wise teacher relies on their resilience as she tries to let them find their way to each other. The audiobook version of Harbor Me sets a new standard. With a full cast, including Woodson herself as the teacher, the characters and story have an immediacy rare in audiobook narrations. Even the author interview at the end is remarkable as Woodson and her son Jackson-Leroi discuss issues arising from Harbor Me. This sensitive book leads us to consider who and why we harbor, who is harboring us, and why more harboring isn’t happening when it is so desperately needed.
February 13, 2020
I simply do not understand how Jacquline Woodson puts together these amazing stories with such depth and resonance in so few pages. She is truly astounding.
April 15, 2021
This was a great read. Easy to follow and thought provoking. Touched on day to day related events. The author is truly gifted.
September 12, 2019
A book written by the author for the middle grades. Still, there is a lot for grown-ups to think about too.
Jacqueline Woodson wants to talk about diversity. In fact, she has sent her son to a school which IS diverse; children of many races, creeds and colors attend there. In her book, she describes six children who are diverse in their backgrounds AND their experiences. Their teacher. Ms. Laverne, calls them together one day and says:
"Every Friday, from now until the end of the school year, the six of you will leave my classroom at two p.m. and come into Room 501. You’ll sit in this circle and you’ll talk. When the bell rings at three, you’re free to go home."
So off they go to the art room (Room 501 is Art Class during the rest of the day), and share their hopes and fears and current troubles. They call it ARTT - A Room to Talk.
Haley is the narrator of this story. She brings a voice recorder so that Esteban, Tiago, Holly, Amari, Ashton and she can share and remember. Haley shares that her father is in prison and why. Esteban shares that his 'papi' has been taken to Florida because he is an illegal immigrant. Other stories surface as well.
I enjoyed listening to the audio version with the six children each speaking in a voice spoken by one of 6 child actors. At the end of the book Woodson interviews her son about his school and what he does there.
At 189 pages, very short and very good.
4 stars
Jacqueline Woodson wants to talk about diversity. In fact, she has sent her son to a school which IS diverse; children of many races, creeds and colors attend there. In her book, she describes six children who are diverse in their backgrounds AND their experiences. Their teacher. Ms. Laverne, calls them together one day and says:
"Every Friday, from now until the end of the school year, the six of you will leave my classroom at two p.m. and come into Room 501. You’ll sit in this circle and you’ll talk. When the bell rings at three, you’re free to go home."
So off they go to the art room (Room 501 is Art Class during the rest of the day), and share their hopes and fears and current troubles. They call it ARTT - A Room to Talk.
Haley is the narrator of this story. She brings a voice recorder so that Esteban, Tiago, Holly, Amari, Ashton and she can share and remember. Haley shares that her father is in prison and why. Esteban shares that his 'papi' has been taken to Florida because he is an illegal immigrant. Other stories surface as well.
I enjoyed listening to the audio version with the six children each speaking in a voice spoken by one of 6 child actors. At the end of the book Woodson interviews her son about his school and what he does there.
At 189 pages, very short and very good.
4 stars
May 22, 2019
Oh blech.
If you are in the market for reading a book about six tweens who represent "big issues" in our country and talk like they are old souls with amazing insight--pick up this book. If that kind of thing makes you roll your eyes and you stop reading after 15 pages--call me. We can go get a drink.
I'm heartily sick of political messaging in tween novels masquerading as plot. Within the first few chapters of this gem, the kids are asked by their beloved teacher that if they lived in New York when the Lenape Indians lived there (before we all killed them she goes on to explain) would they fight alongside them against the invaders or would they try to take their land away from them?
Of course the little social justice darlings say they would fight for the Lenape to keep their land. Then the children opine about how the Lenape would probably share with them too...
It's my understanding the Lenape didn't want to share so much with the Iroquois but let's not go there.
Anyway--I didn't care for this book.
The End.
If you are in the market for reading a book about six tweens who represent "big issues" in our country and talk like they are old souls with amazing insight--pick up this book. If that kind of thing makes you roll your eyes and you stop reading after 15 pages--call me. We can go get a drink.
I'm heartily sick of political messaging in tween novels masquerading as plot. Within the first few chapters of this gem, the kids are asked by their beloved teacher that if they lived in New York when the Lenape Indians lived there (before we all killed them she goes on to explain) would they fight alongside them against the invaders or would they try to take their land away from them?
Of course the little social justice darlings say they would fight for the Lenape to keep their land. Then the children opine about how the Lenape would probably share with them too...
It's my understanding the Lenape didn't want to share so much with the Iroquois but let's not go there.
Anyway--I didn't care for this book.
The End.
October 7, 2019
Beautifully written and full of examples of what people from different cultures experience. Nice book for middle school children to help understand acceptance and compassion.
February 3, 2024
I was quite pleased with how much I liked this book (4 stars is very good for me--really it's 4+ stars but GR won't let us use half stars) and am not sure why I haven't read Woodson before now. However, it's entirely possible I did read something by her before I was ever on Goodreads or Shelfai since I have a tendency to forget every book I've ever read, especially when my kids were growing up.
I love the premise of this book even if it is not likely to actually happen in most schools. A small classroom of children who have difficulties learning in one subject or more--but don't let that fool you since most of them are quite bright, which is not as uncommon as people think, although of course many do have more pervasive learning issues--are part of a trial to see how they fare in a small classroom with a teacher who happens to be marvelous. They are given one hour per week to be alone together in the old Art room to simply talk, and to not use their phones, although that's on a trust system. This school has a majority population of children of colour, so there is only one white student in the six who stay in the class.
Over the year the kids form a strong bond and open up to each other; each has his or her own challenges that they don't reveal most of the time. I just loved how these friendships developed in a believable manner, but I can't say this was a full 5 star book for me but have no desire to talk about that because it's best to read this book for yourself, IMO. I plan to read more books by Woodson.
I love the premise of this book even if it is not likely to actually happen in most schools. A small classroom of children who have difficulties learning in one subject or more--but don't let that fool you since most of them are quite bright, which is not as uncommon as people think, although of course many do have more pervasive learning issues--are part of a trial to see how they fare in a small classroom with a teacher who happens to be marvelous. They are given one hour per week to be alone together in the old Art room to simply talk, and to not use their phones, although that's on a trust system. This school has a majority population of children of colour, so there is only one white student in the six who stay in the class.
Over the year the kids form a strong bond and open up to each other; each has his or her own challenges that they don't reveal most of the time. I just loved how these friendships developed in a believable manner, but I can't say this was a full 5 star book for me but have no desire to talk about that because it's best to read this book for yourself, IMO. I plan to read more books by Woodson.
September 26, 2018
I think this is a strong contender for next year's ALA awards, and with good reason. It's a slim little book, but the style is almost more poetry than prose, and each of the words and stories is lovely and clear. As these kids sit around in the old art room that their teacher gives them just to be a safe harbor where they can talk, the reader gently learns of the sorrows and joys of their lives. Two of the characters are central: Haley (the narrator) and Esteban, whose father was just taken away by immigration. I do wish that more weight was given to the other characters (not that I wanted their stories to be as heavy as Haley and Esteban's, but to make them feel more real. And I had a poor sense of the timeline of what was happening with Haley's family. But I don't think that will prevent a younger reader from enjoying and benefiting from this book.
October 21, 2019
This book is probably the worst book I have read in a long time. It was so boring and the story line felt pointless, and the characters were bland and uninteresting. I would recommend this to nobody EVER.
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