Mick Harte Was Here

Barbara Park nails what it's like to grieve. I recommend this book to anyone who has ever lost a loved one. Phoebe (age 13) loses her brother Mick (age 12) in a bicycle accident. Phoebe describes the 4-5 days after Mick dies, and while she describes the grief she and her parents are going through, she interweaves stories about Mick. You really get to know Mick. He's a hilarious person, and you come to love him. The more you read, the more you love Mick. You realize what a special person he was.

Even though this book is sad, it has that same voice and humor found in her book Skinnybones, a perennial favorite in our classroom. I don't have a copy of this book yet, but I have a feeling it will show up in our classroom library soon. At 90 pages, it's a short but very powerful read.