Harvey Comes Home
by Colleen Nelson
This title was previously available on NetGalley and is now archived.
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date Sep 17 2019 | Archive Date Dec 12 2019
Myrick Marketing & Media, LLC | Pajama Press
Talking about this book? Use #HarveyComesHome #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
An adventurous West Highland Terrier follows his nose a little too far from home and becomes desperate for a helping hand. But when he’s taken in by a young boy volunteering at a retirement home, it just might be Harvey who does the helping.
A dog’s world is a world of scents, of adventure. When a runaway West Highland Terrier named Harvey wanders out of his old life guided only by his nose and his heart, lives begin to converge.
Austin, a young volunteer at Brayside retirement home, quickly finds that the audacious Harvey inspires Mr. Pickering, a bitter resident coping with memory loss, to tell stories of his childhood. Moved by the elderly man’s Dust Bowl recollections of grinding poverty and the perseverance of his friends and family, Austin begins to trade his preconceived notions for empathy. But is it enough to give him the resolve to track down Harvey’s original owner?
Supported by striking illustrations from acclaimed artist Tara Anderson, award-winning author Colleen Nelson immerses readers in a rich and unflinchingly human tale of struggle and hope—all inspired by one curious dog.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781772780970 |
| PRICE | $17.95 (USD) |
| PAGES | 224 |
Featured Reviews
Kathie M, Librarian
Thank you to NetGalley and Pajama Press for an eARC of this book.
I LOVED this book about a dog named Harvey who escapes from home while his owner, Maggie, is away on vacation. He is found by a young boy named Austin, near a retirement home where Austin volunteers after school. Austin quickly falls for Harvey, as do the residents at the home, including Mr. Pickering, a ninety-six year old who often confuses Harvey for his former dog, General. The story consists of Harvey in the present day, and the people who love him, as well as flashback stories from Mr. Pickering about his childhood during the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.
I suggest you have a box of Kleenex handy when you read this book, as it's both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I quite enjoyed both the historical and present day storylines and how they weaved together. I think students who love animal stories will definitely be interested in this book, and I'll be purchasing it for my library collection.
Marsha S, Reviewer
Colleen Nelson's seemingly simple narrative about a West Highland Terrier who strays from home is a balancing act of narratives that is nothing short of brilliant. I love the jigsaw of voices between Maggie, the girl who lost Harvey and Austin, the boy who found him.. Add to that, Harvey himself, propelled by scent, and Mr. Pickering's reminiscences of growing up in the prairies during the Dust Bowl.
This small novel packs a wallop of emotions. You may pick the book up because of the Westie, but you'll stay to find out what happened to Maggie, Austin and Mr. Pickering. And I dare you to get to the end without shedding a tear!
Genevieve T, Librarian
Harvey Comes Home is a middle-grade chapter book about a beloved dog and the people who love him. The connections and relationships in this story are so touching and I loved the storyline of Mr. Pickering mistaking Harvey for his dog and the flashbacks to the time of the Great Depression. This story was touching, powerful and also super informative and our 3rd-grade son loved reading it.
Niki C, Librarian
Colleen Nelson has masterfully woven together a contemporary story of a beloved dog and the people whose lives he touches and a historical fiction story of a boy and his friends, family and dog during the Depression. Harvey, the sweet dog in the middle, ties everything together and makes you have all the feels.
I look forward to adding this to my elementary school libraries when it is published. I recommend it for readers ages 8-11.
Readers who liked this book also liked:
Jodi Picoult; Jennifer Finney Boylan
General Fiction (Adult), Literary Fiction, Women's Fiction
