Harvey Comes Home

Starred review from August 30, 2019

Gr 4-6-Meet Harvey, a West Highland terrier with a nose for adventure and what makes humans tick. Harvey wanders away from home and becomes lost until 11-year-old Austin finds him, trembling and hungry, outside Brayside Retirement Villa, where Austin's grandfather works. While lonely Austin wrestles with guilt over keeping the dog he's longed for instead of finding his owner, Harvey settles into the role of Brayside's unofficial therapy dog. His sensitivity to the emotional and physical needs of the residents, especially cranky Mr. Pickering, gives Austin and readers a deep sense of empathy for their losses and solitude. Harvey's strong connection to Mr. Pickering sets up an emotional conclusion-expect a few tears-in which lives converge and Harvey is reunited with Maggie, his 12-year-old owner. Alternating among the perspectives of Harvey, Austin, and Maggie, this gently paced, character-driven narrative captivates on every level, transforming a "lost dog" story into a deeper reading experience. Present-day and historical time lines (with a few grim moments) are seamlessly interwoven and keep readers invested. Back matter reveals that the tale was inspired by Nelson's (Finding Hope) grandfather, accounting for the book's authentic, intimate feel. VERDICT Nelson's first middle grade novel is heartwarming and inspirational; a first purchase.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2019 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2019
Harvey, a curious little white West Highland terrier, roams away when his dogsitter forgets to latch the gate. Although his getting lost is frightening and heartbreaking for both Harvey and Maggie, his bereft young owner, it's providential for Mr. Walter Pickering, a very elderly resident of a continuing-care facility, and for Austin, who volunteers there--kind of. His service is actually payback his grandfather is exacting for a big mistake involving firecrackers that the lonely 11-year-old made in school. Pickering has always been gruff and reclusive. But after friendly Harvey turns up at the facility (and remains there because Austin, desperately wanting the dog, fails to look for his owner), the man begins to tell Austin--and Harvey--his vividly realized, sometimes brutal tales of growing up on the Saskatchewan prairie during the Dust Bowl. In these short episodes, readers learn how young Pickering befriended impoverished Bertie, who was abused, then abandoned by her drunken father but, being a young girl of rare spirit and determination, survived. Accompanied by his own beloved dog, Pickering and Bertie navigated the immense challenges of the era, their woeful experiences almost subsuming the primary plot in which Austin and Maggie both persevere in their own difficult situations. Affecting, riveting, and evocative, this character-driven tale within a tale, with narrative perspective alternating among Harvey, Austin, and Maggie, believably reveals the best and sometimes the worst of human nature. The cast defaults to white. Much more than a lost-dog story. (Fiction. 10-13)

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August 1, 2019
Grades 3-6 Harvey, a Westie, loves his young owner Maggie, but while she's away on a family vacation, Harvey's sitter doesn't latch the gate properly. The little white pup escapes and wanders into new parts of the city. Hungry, thirsty, and dirty, he finally rests behind a planter at Brayside Retirement Villa, where he is discovered by Austin. Austin has been working off a detention by assisting his grandfather with custodial work at Brayside. The residents, employees, and Austin fall in love with Harvey. One crotchety resident, Walter Pickering, even begins reminiscing about his 1930s childhood and a beloved dog of his own, and Austin and Harvey are hooked (as are readers). What begins as a story of a dog and two kids evolves into a historical look at Mr. Pickering's much simpler, yet complicated, life. Throughout, alternating third-person chapters from Maggie, Harvey, and Austin give readers a rounded view of each prominent character. The title clues readers into the final outcome, but it's the middle that moves the plot along. Dog lovers will drool over this multi-generational story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)