It was fifth grade in Mrs. Crockett’s class that I
was given Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara
Park. I wasn't the biggest reader at that time, only my precious Dear Dumb Diary books that were mostly
illustrations. I still remember flipping it over and reading the description
about a girl who has to deal with the grief of her brother Mick’s death. I had
never read anything serious at that point in my life and the book seemed
daunting.
Once we started, I couldn't put it down and finished
the book so impressed. I saw reading in a whole new light. This book not only
got me reading but shaped the way I read. First of all I have to thank Mrs.
Crockett for letting us read this as fifth graders. This book definitely pushed
the limits of my fifth grade mind. It talked about curse words, death, and even
questioning God. I know that sounds inappropriate, but it wasn't at all. Barbara
Park did such a great job of putting these harsh subjects out in a friendly way,
through the voice of Phoebe, who is actually me in an alternate fictional
universe (awesome). Even though she was fourteen, which seemed really old at
the time, Barbara made her relatable to me, then and to this day, as I reread
it as a totally sophisticated 16 year old. She didn't shove things down your throat.
You didn't have to agree with the things Phoebe did or the way she thought
during her time of grief. This was just her story that you happened to be
reading. It was all up to your discretion.
I appreciate being challenged with this at a young
age because it made me always look for things in books that made me
uncomfortable but intrigued and showed me things I haven't experienced. As I
was reading it again, it really dawned on me how Phoebe being such a strong
female lead is parallel to all of the books I really love today. She dealt with
things her own way and matured as the book went on. She was a dynamic character,
which is something I look for in the main characters of the books I read today.
This book challenged me to think in ways I never had. It showed me how reading
can make you feel something. It was the first time I had ever cried while
reading, and that was an amazing thing to me. Re reading it yesterday, I cried
even more. I think being older and having experienced much more in life, her
grief was something I could relate to and feel along with her. I had a whole
new appreciation for the book and its messages. Don't get me wrong, this isn't
just a sad book; in fact, it's pretty funny. Phoebe's dry humor in her time of grief
kept her going, which I really related to and appreciated. It kept me
interested the whole time, which is a pretty big deal to be able to keep a ten
year old’s attention, but this book did it in a way that felt very natural.
This book taught me to appreciate a constant flow
and quality story line in the books I read.
An aspect that really stood out to me when I read it again was how the
ending wasn’t picture perfect because, well, that’s life. But that’s what made
it a great book. I don’t think as a ten year old that I had ever read a book
before that didn’t end in smiles and laughter before fading to black. This one
was different. I have to believe that it shaped my perspective of books. I
can’t tell you the last time I really enjoyed a book ending with everyone’s
problems solved. After reading this book, a door was opened in my mind to what
a really meaningful reading experience could be, growing as a person through
the words of others, and that has made all the difference.
Angelle is a high school student who has participated before in my Teen Perspective reviews. She often sings lines from A Very Potter Musical, much to both the annoyance and amusement of her yearbook teacher (i.e., me).
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