Publisher: Walden Pond Press
Format: Hardcover
Number of pages: 208 pages
Published: February 1st, 2022
Source: Purchased
Opening Line: "My name is Harriet Wermer."
It's the last day of third grade and Harriet is a little frustrated. Her dad made them rush to her mom's doctor's appointment and she almost missed out on her annual tradition of a final day of school smoothie. Dad promised that nothing would change with her mom now expecting Harriet's baby brother, but everywhere she turns everything seems to be different. To further complicate things, her mom needs two months of bedrest and Harriet will be staying with her Nanu on Marble Island, a small island off the coast of California. Nanu runs Bric-a-Brac, a cozy bed and breakfast, and despite truly loving her Nanu and the island, Harriet is upset because she had big summer plans. She wanted to go to the city pool, read lots of books from the library and maybe even learn how to ride a unicycle. Dad tries to get her interested in going to the island by telling her about their pool and library and even mentions that the island has a Gingerbread House for her to find. But nothing seems to work, she's miserable and sad. Well at least Harriet was able to bring her cat, Matzo Ball along, even if her and Moneypenny (Nanu's basset hound) don't seem to be hitting it off. Marble Island appears to hold many surprises and soon Harriet gets wrapped up in a mystery when she finds an old key. But what does it unlock? Could it be treasure? And how does this key relate to her dad growing up on the island?
Just Harriet is from the same author that wrote A Boy Called Bat, which is a really sweet story about a boy and his special pet skunk. When I saw the cover for Just Harriet, I instantly fell in love with it. All the elements of Harriet are right there. Her special old suitcase with all the travel stickers, Matzo Ball, Moneypenny and even the charming B&B in the background. Flipping through the pages, I saw all the lovely illustrations and wanted a copy for my own library.
Harriet reminds me a lot of Ramona Quimby she's got sass, she's moody, spunky, craves adventure and isn't afraid to tell you what she thinks. Even if sometimes it's a lie. Harriet will be the first to admit that she lies, even though sometimes she's uncertain as to why she lies. The adults in the story seem to pass over her lies. Maybe it's because she's so young, and she has so little control over everything going on, but it would've been nice if at least once she was called on one of her little white lies. Instead, there was a lot of ignoring what she said. And quite a few "later Harriet." Even when she gave her dad a little sass by slamming the door on him and saying it was caused by the wind, she's never corrected. Maybe it's that they know she has all of these big feelings and can't really contain them all. Or perhaps it's because they know that she's stressed about the baby coming and how she was promised that nothing was going to change. There's still a little part of me that can't help wishing that she would've apologized at least once for her lies or behavior. Or maybe if someone had taken the time to help her to put words together with what she was feeling. At the same time, I think many kids could total relate to Harriet and especially her feelings of not wanting to give up her summer plans to stay with her Nanu. These feelings of helplessness and changes that you have no control over I'm sure kids will also find relatable. How she's conflicted about lying and wants to do better.
I quite enjoyed the setting of the island, and the B&B really draws you in to the story and the small community feel where her Nanu rides around in her golfcart, what fun. It feels exactly like the place that you'd find some adventure and mystery. Most of all I enjoyed the mystery itself and how it connected to Harriet's father. How the summer was a few months of exploring his past and gathering a better understanding of what kind of person he is. What his hobbies were growing up and how they're similar in more ways than she knew before. I'm interested in exploring the sequel, Harriet Spies, where she makes a new friend, Clarence. I'd love to see how Harriet reacts to the new baby and time with her friend.
I hope you'll check out all the other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge's blog HERE
Sounds like a fun story! The main character and setting are a sure draw for young readers (and myself). Have a Happy MMGM!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that the cover is super cute. And the mystery sounds intriguing. Though I'd probably say the same thing as you about the lies. Thanks for featuring it this week.
ReplyDeleteI agree the cover is lovely, I can see what drew you in! I think the story sounds intriguing, though it's a shame that she appears to lie without consequence, as this is unrealistic and not what you want to see in kids. And if something else is going on that is causing the behaviour, you'd like to see it resolved in the story. That aside, it sounds like good. Thanks for sharing!
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