Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson
I think, looking back on that day now, that’s the line that will always stay with me--Another room, by ourselves.
| What would happen if you intentionally leave a group of kids alone in a classroom? This story framework, a group in a confined space for a specific period of time, is generally reserved for adult literature. Think: a sequestered jury, a therapy group, passengers on a plane/train etc. The most notable equivalent application for teens is The Breakfast Club. But a group of students deliberately put together in a classroom without an adult present is something I don’t offhand recall in another work of juvenile fiction. It’s a bold construct that really works. It works so well that I became a virtual member of the group, as the dynamic slowly, often painfully, evolves. I could relate to each student. It was easy to picture myself as an unseen participant in the room. Concepts of immigration, incarceration, racial disparity, and economic inequality are woven into the narrative. While these are important issues, it’s the relationship among the six kids that is imprinted on my mind and heart. Each voice is distinct and offers a unique perspective. |  Kudos for the cover design. It captures the essence of creating harbors for kids. |
Meet the students who gather each Friday in A Room To Talk (ARTT)
- Haley is of mixed race with the distinguishing feature of red hair. An uncle cares for her while her father is in prison.
Sometimes, I don’t feel so brave. Sometimes I just feel scared.
- Tiago uses art as a means of self-expression. He is proud of his Puerto Rican culture and heritage.
I know in my heart...the language we speak is music and poetry and even cold sweet piranhas on hot, hot summer days.
- Holly is Haley's friend. She often speaks before she thinks.
Life gives you stuff you don’t want but you have to take it anyway.
- Esteban lives with the uncertainty of deportation.
You’re rich he always told us. Not in money ‘cause money isn’t everything.
But rich in dreams, cuz in this country you can be anything.
But rich in dreams, cuz in this country you can be anything.
- Amari is Esteban's protector and defender.
My pops said it’s like we’re suspects from the day we’re born.
- Ashton is the only white member of the group.
I never even thought about my color till that day.
I loved the gradual shift of pronouns from you to we/us. At the book’s conclusion this diverse group with seemingly little in common learns to understand and accept one another and call each a friend. I absolutely LOVED the scene where the group moves in solidarity, walking shoulder-to-shoulder to protect Ashton from the eighth grade bullies. My skin tingles when I picture that encounter.
And we’ve been coming here so long I feel like I know you guys and you’re sort of like my brothers and sisters
and I know I can trust you, right?
and I know I can trust you, right?
The value of this book will be enhanced with further exploration in the classroom. There are many themes here which would make excellent discussion points:
- Freedom and what it means to be free. Consider the larger context of freedom in a world view and compare that with the granular from the standpoint of classroom rules.
- Familiar vs. the unknown
- Time: the passage of time and our perceptions of time. Consider the words “always” and “moment”
- Friendship: what it means to be a friend and the long-term effects of friendship
- Harbor: what is a harbor (this may be a new concept for students living in land-locked areas) and what does harbor mean in the larger sense.
- Poetry as a means of expression
- Tragedy: the place that tragic events have in our lives
References to Harmonic Convergence, Ailanthus tree, Francisco Alarcón and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn may be unfamiliar to young readers. They provide opportunities for further exploration and discussion.
I was also intrigued by the choice to forgo quotation marks and use italics to denote dialog. This stylistic decision is well-suited to the narrative.
As a former classroom teacher, I can easily see this as a class study, with a copy of Harbor Me for each student. Reading and discussing together, the shared experience would help students create their own ARTT.
I was also intrigued by the choice to forgo quotation marks and use italics to denote dialog. This stylistic decision is well-suited to the narrative.
As a former classroom teacher, I can easily see this as a class study, with a copy of Harbor Me for each student. Reading and discussing together, the shared experience would help students create their own ARTT.
...if the worst thing in the world happened, would I help protect someone else? Would we let ourselves be a harbor for someone who needs it. Then she said I want each of you to say to the other I will harbor you. I will harbor you.
Sing Along
Introduce young readers to these classics mentioned in Harbor Me.
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Bonus: Twitter post from Jacqueline Woodson
Uncorrected copy provided by publisher.
Pub date: August 28, 2018 Publisher: Nancy Paulsen Books ISBN: 978-0399252525
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