Harvey Holds His Own by Colleen Nelson

Harvey's back in a new adventure, after being returned home to his beloved Maggie. Now she's beginning seventh grade at St. Ambrose Academy along with her best friends Brianne and Lexi. Students attending St. Ambrose must earn twenty hours of volunteering by their winter break. The school list of volunteer opportunities includes Brayside Retirement Villa. Maggie's not sure that she could volunteer at Brayside, considering that was where Harvey, her West Highland terrier was found. Austin, the boy who found Harvey after he showed up at the front of Brayside, had taken him home, brought him back and forth to the villa but never really tried to find Harvey's owners. Still, Maggie liked Brayside and so she decides to volunteer there.

On Saturday, after meeting with Mary Rose Aguilar, the head nurse at Brayside, Maggie is given a tour of Brayside. She meets Mr. Singh who loves to motor around in his Cobra GT4 scooter and several of the other residents, many of whom remember and love Harvey. Maggie learns now to play cribbage and ends up playing the piano for some of the elderly residents. However, when she tells Brianne and Lexi that she has begun her volunteer hours at Brayside, she can sense her friends' disapproval.

Meanwhile, Austin continues to volunteer at Brayside, where his grandfather, Phillip has been the head custodian for seventeen years. At first Austin didn't like working at Brayside but as he got to know the residents his view changed. And he met Mr. Pickering who told Austin about his life growing up on a farm, his dog, General and his best friend Bertie. It was Harvey, the West Highland Terrier who brought them together.

Now the man occupying Mr. Pickering's old room is moving upstairs and a new person, Mrs. Josephine Fradette is moving in. Mrs. Fradette arrives in style, driving a red 1958 Chevrolet Bel Air. 

When Maggie returns the following Sunday, this time with Harvey, the dog remembers Austin, who seems overwhelmed to see Harvey. Maggie tells Austin that she will be spending time organizing the library and asks if she can leave Harvey with him.  Harvey immediately sets out to find Walt Pickering's old room but instead of finding his old, familiar friend, there is Mrs. Fradette, who is certainly different but friendly. Mrs. Fradette is trying to choose the photos for the collage that will go on the wall outside her room.

Maggie is organizing the library when Mary Rose checks in on her and asks her to help Mrs. Fradette with her unpacking. Maggie can immediately see that Mrs. Fradette is very different from the other Brayside residents. She seems more spry with her jet black hair. They quickly discover a connection as Mrs. Fradette tells Maggie she also attended St. Ambrose many years ago.  She reveals that she never finished seventh grade because the flood in 1950 closed all the schools. 

When Maggie asks what happened, Mrs. Fradette tells her the river came up to the steps of the school, and that the entire city shut down. People had to evacuate and many lost everything. Mrs. Fradette went to stay with her mother's family in Laurier, in northern Manitoba. As a young girl, Mrs. Fradette considered her time in Laurier as a "great adventure" that gave her the time to spend with her beloved grandpa, whom they called Pepere. Mrs. Fradette shows Maggie some photographs of the flood and tells her that her sister Yvonne and brother Michel along with their mother travelled by train to Laurier while her older brother Ronny and her father stayed behind to protect their house.

After her first visit with Mrs. Fradette, Maggie becomes more and more interested in volunteering at Brayside and in hearing Mrs. Fradette's story. At the same time she finds herself drifting away from her best friends Brianne and Lexi and beginning to look for new friends as she learns the value of true friendship. When Mrs. Weston attempts to get students interested in entering the historical essay contest, Maggie believes she just might have the perfect subject to write about.

Meanwhile Austin and Harvey discover a puppy abandoned in the garbage in an alley near Brayside. For the second time, Austin must give up a dog, this time to the shelter because his mother won't allow pets. But it is the discovery of a job posting for head custodian at Brayside, the leads Austin to focus on saving his grandpa's job. 

While all this is happening, Harvey begins to investigate an intruder in the backyard of Maggie's home. It is a female raccoon looking to winter in the shed and Harvey is having none of it. Determined to protect his Maggie, he stands his ground and confronts the raccoon and is badly injured. As she waits while Harvey is in surgery, Maggie draws on the lessons of courage, perseverance and the meaning of friendship that she's learned from Mrs. Fradette.

Discussion

Harvey Holds His Own is the second book about the spunky little West Highland terrier named Harvey. In this story, Maggie O'Neil and Austin reunite when they both do volunteer work as Brayside. In the first novel, it was the elderly Mr. Pickering who captured Austin's interest. In this novel, the eccentric Mrs. Josephine Fradette draws the interest of Maggie with her story about the 1950 Red River flood in Manitoba and her determination to become a car mechanic.

Most of the storyline involves the human characters, Austin and Maggie, both of whom are dealing with problems in their lives. Maggie's work at Brayside serves to accelerate the breakup of her friendship with Brianne and Lexi and teaches her the meaning of real friendship. This causes intense internal conflict because she wants to fit in at school with her friends, but finds herself changing as a result of her work at the retirement home. Maggie realizes that she never expected to find real friends at Brayside but that is what happens. When she's forced to choose between going to Tubby's with her friends or attending the party for Austin's grandpa, Maggie chooses the latter and is ridiculed by Brianne and Lexi. She begins to realize that maybe she's outgrowing her friends but instead of breaking the friendship she "stretches" it and reaches out to Sooyeon, the only other student in the class to enter the essay contest.   

A sign of Maggie's growing maturity is her ability to rethink how she views Austin and what happened when Harvey was lost. When Maggie first got Harvey back from Austin, she was furious that he hadn't tried to find Harvey's owners. But when Maggie returns to Brayside to do her volunteer hours and sees how Austin misses Harvey, she begins to soften. She "...wonders if maybe she judged him too harshly. Maybe Austin the Dognapper deserves a second chance."  And Austin is there for her when Harvey goes through surgery and begins to recover. "Of everyone in her life, he understood how much Harvey meant to her, because, she suspects, he means as much to Austin."

 Austin too notices the change in Maggie. "She's becoming like one of Mrs. Fradette's outfits, brighter and bolder. I'm not worried about Maggie using up her twenty volunteer hours anymore. She's here for the long haul." Mrs. Fradette provides an example for Maggie to make her own decisions. As her friendship with Brianne and Lexi seems to fall apart, Maggie realizes "She was used to going along with things, following Lexi's lead, but now..." Mrs. Fradette's act of defiance is the impetus for Maggie resisting peer pressure from Lexi to do whatever she suggests. This is a big step in her own personal growth.

The novel has plenty of heart-warming moments; when Mrs. Fradette is found at the train station with her pet deer by Pepere, Harvey's near death after his fight with the raccoon and Austin's surprise. Wanting to repay Austin for his friendship at such a painful time, Maggie manages to convince Austin's mother to let him adopt the abandoned puppy and arranges for friends at Brayside to pay for the adoption, vet costs and even a gift card. It's a touching moment, one friend giving back to another, but it also shows how much Maggie now thinks of Austin. He has been a steadfast friend.

Young readers will enjoy this unusual story that blends together many different themes seamlessly. Harvey, Austin and Maggie each tell the story from their third person perspective. Illustrator, Tara Anderson, seems to have captured Harvey perfectly in her lovely pencil sketches, despite never having met the author. A tribute to how well author Colleen Nelson has portrayed this delightful, spirited little Westie!

Book Details:

Harvey Holds His Own by Colleen Nelson
Toronto: Pajama Press    2020
282 pp.

Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson

Harvey is an energetic West Highland terrier who belongs to Maggie. He's a West Highland Terrier, "...a ratter with a white coat, extra shiny and clean..." It's early November and Harvey is out for a walk with his beloved Maggie, a freckled girl with beautiful red hair. "Harvey never knows that the day will bring with Maggie. Some days she is at home with him and other days she leaves and comes back with a bag layered with so many smells."  

Harvey just loves all the different smells on his walks. The smells are distracting but he could "spend all day drinking them in at one lamppost."  Harvey also loves and hates squirrels.

When Harvey and Maggie return home, Harvey notices that today is different. There is a lot of activity in the house. There are three big items by the front door whose smells attract Harvey.

A new person named Olivia arrives and Harvey is told she will be caring for him. He senses that Maggie wants him to like this girl.With the arrival of a second car, a taxi, Maggie and her twin sisters and parents leave, and Harvey finds himself alone with Olivia.

The next morning Harvey is put outside in the backyard. Immediately he goes after a squirrel. But when the squirrel races out of the yard, and Harvey finds the gate unlatched, the chase is on! Soon Harvey finds himself at the end of Maggie's street. Unable to catch the squirrel, other scents lead him in a nearby forest. 

Harvey's travels take him to Norman Dog Park where he is attacked by a larger dog. A couple, Miles and Lucy walking their own dog at the park, help Harvey. Lucy, who works at a vet clinic decides to take him to the clinic so she can scan the chip in his ear to find his owner. However, in the clinic parking lot, when Harvey catches the sweet and spicy scent of the taxicab that took his Maggie away, he jumps out of the car and races off in pursuit of the cab. For another day, Harvey wanders on the streets. He's now tired, thirsty and very dirty. He decides to lay down behind a planter at the front door of the Brayside Retirement Villa.

Eleven-year-old Austin is volunteering at Brayside Retirement Villa where his grandpa Phillip works. Austin made a deal with his grandpa after he was caught with firecrackers in the boys bathroom. It was supposed to be a stunt to make him popular but all it got him, was trouble. So every weekday Austin works at Brayside until six o'clock, cleaning, dusting and helping. 

Austin doesn't like the chatty old people but his grandpa asks Austin to treat them like he would his own grandpa. He's a bit afraid of Mr. Pickering, a very elderly man who's been in the home for fifteen years. Austin tries to engage with Mr. Pickering whom he is convinced is grumpy because he is lonely.

When Austin shows up for his shift at Brayside, he spots Harvey behind the planter. Quickly the Brayside staff help Austin with the exhausted and hungry terrier. Louise, Artie, Mary Rose and even Austin's grandpa get involved in getting Harvey a blanket, food and water. Austin manages to convince his grandpa to let him take Harvey home to his mother, who is not pleased to see the dog.

The next evening Austin is supposed to walk Harvey to the animal shelter to get his chip scanned but he doesn't go in. Instead, he returns to Brayside and lies to Grandpa and the staff at Brayside, telling them the shelter is full and that they will call if they locate Harvey's owner. Meanwhile, Maggie and her family return home from vacation. Maggie is so distraught when she learns that Harvey is missing, that she's unable to return to school. Eventually she and her mother post lost-dog posters in their neighborhood.

As Austin struggles over whether or not to keep Harvey, the little white terrier serves as the impetus to bring Austin and Mr. Pickering together, allowing the elderly man to share the stories of growing up in difficult times during the 1930's Dust Bowl. It is these times with Austin that bring Mr. Pickering healing, the chance to forgive himself and in the end peace.

Discussion

Harvey Comes Home is a delightful novel for younger readers. The story is told from three perspectives, that of Harvey, of Austin the young boy who finds him and also Maggie to whom Harvey belongs. While Austin's narrative is in first person, Harvey and Maggie's stories are told in third person. 

The novel also employs a story within a story. The overarching story is that of Harvey and his misadventures that lead him to Brayside Retirement Villa and Austin, and of Maggie's attempt to find Harvey. This part of the novel was inspired by the loss of Nelson's own beloved Westie, Maggie as well as her learning of therapy dogs visiting nursing homes.

Nested within this story is a second, poignant story about the life of the elderly Mr. Pickering, the grumpy resident of Brayside. Austin is determined to be nice to Mr. Pickering who seems so grumpy.  Austin is drawn in by the picture of a three-legged dog in Mr. Pickering's door collage that prompts him to talk to the elderly man. This flicker of interest from a young person, along with the presence of Harvey, opens Mr. Pickering to telling about his life as a young boy, during the 1930's when widespread drought destroyed crops and made life very hard.The story centers around Walter Pickering and a girl, Bertie who was abandoned, abused and very poor, and their friendship.

Their story is one of perseverance during hard times, of friendship, forgiveness and healing. When tragedy befell his dog, General, Walter blamed Bertie, and soon after left the family farm, leaving behind Bertie. When he didn't return, Bertie also left. Walter never reached out to her and only learned about her life through her obituary. This part of his life weighs heavily on him because he feels he failed his best friend.

Mr. Pickering's story spans the worst of the Dust Bowl era and is situated on the Canadian prairies in Saskatchewan. His story was inspired by Nelson's uncle, Wayne Pickering who recalled a story from his own family about a dog named General who had three legs and once chased horse thieves away from Nelson's grandpa's farm. 

The novel also chronicles the change in Austin as his work at Brayside sees him develop more understanding of, and empathy for the elderly. Austin's work at Brayside and his interactions with Mr. Pickering alter how he views elderly people. When he first began working at Brayside, Austin couldn't decide " if Mr. Pickering was lonely because he was mean, or mean because he was lonely." He wonders why the old man is so grumpy. As he spends time with Mr. Pickering and learns more about him, he comes to view him differently and is no longer scared of him. "I thought about the farm and Bertie and General. When he was talking about them, I forgot he was old Mr. Pickering. I started seeing him as the boy in the pictures in his photo collage." When he remembers that Mr. Pickering is ninety-six, he imagines how many people he's lost and this makes him sad. "I couldn't help wondering if I'd been wrong about Mr. Pickering. Maybe he was grumpy because he was lonely, and not the other way around." He learns to be patient with the elderly man and lets him tell his story at his own pace. After listening to Mr. Pickering tell his story about his dog, General, Austin had changed. "I shook my head as I left his room. I wished I'd given Mr. Pickering a chance a long time ago." In the end, it is Austin who comforts Mr. Pickering as his memories cause him so much pain and he tells the elderly man that Bertie would have forgiven him.

Austin also experiences conflict in another area of his life and isn't quite as successful in doing the right thing. When Austin finds Harvey he just wants to keep the dog. He begins to rationalize why he should keep Harvey; if he takes him to the shelter, he'll be put in a cage, his owner couldn't have taken care of Harvey very well if he lost him and there's no way he can return Harvey in those circumstances. But then Austin reconsiders. "But then I had another thought. What if Harvey was my dog and I lost him? I'd want whoever found him to help get him back to me. Saying I'd gone to the shelter and then keeping him was like stealing -and I'd be lying to Grandpa and Mom." Unfortunately, Austin doesn't act on this empathetic thought and do the right thing. He lies to Grandpa, the staff at Brayside and his mom. He keeps Harvey and each day brings him to Brayside. 

This act is the driving force for the story as it sets up the relationship that forms between Harvey, Austin and Mr. Pickering. Harvey seems quite content to be with Mr. Pickering and his presence starts Mr. Pickering reminiscing about his life during the Dust Bowl in the 1930's.

When Austin sees a lost dog poster of Harvey at his school, he knows his days with Harvey are probably coming to an end. Instead of answering the ad, Austin rips it down, runs home, gets Harvey and takes him to Brayside where he lies to his Grandpa and the staff about school being closed. Austin wants to hear the end of Mr. Pickering's story, believing that he needs Harvey's presence to accomplish that. But really, it is not having Harvey, but having Austin to listen that is the key for Mr. Pickering. Eventually, through tragic circumstances, Maggie is reunited with Harvey.  Austin not only apologizes to Maggie but invites her to bring Harvey to Brayside some day. 

Harvey Comes Home is a delightful novel that will appeal to young readers on so many levels; the story of a lost pet will resonate with many readers, the high interest story of Walter Pickering and his friend Bertie, and the gritty details of the hardship of the Depression on Canada's prairies. Austin, Walter, Bertie and Mr. Pickering are well developed characters who are realistic and interesting, making them very relatable to readers. Add to this the beautiful book cover, and Harvey Comes Home is an excellent addition to Canadian juvenile fiction.

Book Details:

Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson
Toronto: Pajama Press    2019
219 pp.

Missing Mike by Shari Green

Eleven-year-old Cara Donovan's world is turned upside down when her family is forced to flee from raging wildfires and her beloved rust-coloured mutt, Mike goes missing in the chaos.

Cara's town of Pine Grove in British Columbia has been on evacuation alert for days. Cara's mother has her and older sister Sloane pack keepsakes into plastic bins just in case they need to leave quickly.Cara packs her overnight bag with a change of clothes and a few special treasures.

Then one day a police officer shows up at their door. They must evacuate immediately. Cara was in the backyard with her dog, Mike but when she goes to retrieve him, he is no where to be found.Cara is forced into the family, leaving her beloved dog behind. The drive out of Pine Grove is harrowing and slow, with sparks flying across the road, smoke billowing and deer rushing to safety.

Cara is devastated at the loss of her dog Mike. She got him two years earlier at the animal shelter in  Braeburn. While her parents were interested in the cute fluffy goldendoodle puppies, Cara was drawn to Mike, a
"skinny
grown-up
already-got-in-a-fight
dog
with one eye
and a tattered ear?"

The man at the animal shelter raved about Mike's sweet nature and so they took him home.  Once in the city they arrive at the evacuation center. Because Cara's family rescued a cat on their way out of Pine Grove they are taken to the gym where found animals are taken. Immediately Cara questions a woman if she's seen a rust-coloured dog with one eye, despite the fact that it's unlikely Mike is at the shelter. After registering, Cara's family is slated to stay with a host family, Jasmeet Bains and her husband Bill. The Bains have two children, two boys who are away at camp and a foster child, thirteen-year-old Jewel.

Jewel is very sympathetic to Cara's feelings of loss over Mike. Cara believes that she has abandoned Mike, but Jewel tells her
"No," she says,
"he got lost.
It makes a big difference what words you use
to tell something."

Jewel helps Cara to cope by making posters to put up for Mike. She finds a website for pets lost due to the wildfire and posts Mike's picture online. At the evacuation center, Cara and Jewel put up a poster of Mike. As the wildfire advances and consumes parts of Pine Grove, Cara becomes increasingly distraught about Mike. She imagines terrible scenarios and eventually makes some poor choices that endanger herself and Jewel. As Cara struggles to keep faith and be hopeful, she wonders, will she ever see her beloved Mike again?

Discussion

Missing Mike is a timely novel that explores the meaning of family, the resilience of the human spirit and the importance of community in times of disaster.Green uses wonderfully descriptive free verse captures the danger Cara and her family experience as they travel to safety with the flames raging around them.

"It's dark as night
--black smoke so thick
I can barely see the car ahead of us.
Wind hurls glowing embers
across the road
orange sparks fly
like hailstones made of fire.
Sweat beads on my forehead."

The wildfire forms the backdrop for the story of an eleven-year-old girl who has inadvertently left behind the one thing most precious to her, her beloved dog Mike. Mike isn't a cute little puppy but a dog who has had a rough past as evidenced by his torn ear and missing eye. Despite his fear of coyotes which leads Cara's family to believe that he was once attacked by them, Mike has stood his ground against one to protect Cara. He is special to Cara.

While Cara and her family stay with a host family, the Bains, Cara begins to considers what defines home. When Cara first leaves Pine Grove, she is pre-occupied with the loss of her dog Mike. She doesn't worry too much about her home, after all it will still be there after the fire she thinks. While working on a crossword puzzle, Jewel asks Cara for a 5 letter word for "home" and reveals that she "lived in a car once and it was home." Jewel explains to a shocked Cara that although she's lived in many houses after the car, the car was home because she was with her mom. However, now Jewel feels it isn't necessary for her to have her mother with her for a place to be called home. Instead being safe and wanted make the Bains' house "home". Cara wonders if it possible to have a home without family.

Later on at the shelter, Cara meets her music teacher Miss Francesca Passerini who
"lives in a house surrounded
by overgrown gardens
chock full of flowering plants
and an unusual number
of bird feeders."
In other words, Miss Francesca has a beautiful home which contains her music and her beloved piano which she might lose to the wildfire. But she tells Cara that it doesn't matter because she still has her music inside her. Cara realizes that  "music is Miss Francesca's word for home."

Cara and her older sister Sloane meet a young single father, Wesley who has a little daughter named Angeline.When Cara questions him about if he loses his home, Wesley tells her
"But you know what?" he says softly. "This girl
has my heart.
As long as I've got her
I'm home."
For Wesley being with his daughter is all that matters and that is "home". Remembering this, Cara wonders if having family is what really matters and is what defines home.

When they learn that their house has been destroyed by the wildfires Cara wonders,where they will go and where they will belong if they have no home, no place that's theirs. If a house with it's rooms "where a family lived, shared celebrations and sadness, big moments and boring days" is nothing but a pile of bricks is home? Cara wonders if
"...there's something that remains
through it all
like if Wesley has Angeline
Miss Francesca still hears music
in her heart
Heather is with her relatives
and Jewel is safe
and wanted."

Thinking back on her and Jewel's struggle with the crossword puzzle to find that elusive word for home, Cara realizes that home means something different for every one.
"Turns out
home isn't always with family
but often it is.
It isn't always a place
but sometimes it is.
It isn't always within your grasp
but when you find it
you know to
hold on."

For Cara home is love, friendship and loyalty - something she has with her family and Mike (who she finds waiting at their burned out home). Cara realizes she hasn't lost her "home" at all, instead she's discovered what home really is for her. It is the not only her family but the bond she has with her beloved dog, Mike.

In light of the many wildfires in the past few years, especially in British Columbia, Alberta and northern Ontario, Green's book is very timely. Missing Mike will help young readers understand just how devastating disasters like wildfires can be for those who experience them. Cara and her family lose everything except what they were able to pack before evacuating and at one point Cara wishes she had packed certain special momentos. Maintaining an attitude of hope throughout their ordeal was a struggle for Cara and her family. The novel also portrays how the efforts of the local community at large helped make this challenging time more bearable for Cara and her family.

Overall, Missing Mike is a well written, touching short novel in free verse by Canadian author Sheri Green. Younger readers who love dogs and animal stories in general will enjoy Missing Mike.

Book Details:

Missing Mike by Shari Green
Toronto: Pajama Press     2018
245 pp.

Movie Reveiw: Hachi

Hachi is a wonderful, poignant family movie about a lost dog and the man who finds him. Parker Wilson, known as Professor, finds a lost Akita puppy one day on his way home from work. The puppy has a tag with Japanese characters on it and when Parker is unable to locate his owner, he asks a close Japanese friend what the characters mean. He is told that the dog's name is Hachiko. Parker and his family decide to keep Hachi and gradually a strong bond is formed between man and dog.

Every day Parker catches the train into the city where he works as a professor at a college. Every day, despite Parker's attempts to prevent Hachi from doing so, the dog faithfully follows him to the train station and every night he returns to wait for Parker's arrival home. Gradually the two of them develop a strong bond that touches many of the people Parker knows.


One day, Hachi doesn't seem to be himself. Repeatedly he seems demonstrate that he doesn't want Parker to take the train to work. It is to be the last time the two are together and when Parker doesn't return home, Hachi continues his daily ritual of waiting at the train station for Parker to return.

Hachi is loosely based on the true story of Professor Ueno who died at work one day and whose Akita dog waited faithfully for nine years at the train station for his master to return. Eventually, the dog died.

The real Hachiko.

Be prepared because Hachi will make you cry. A beautiful, touching story of loyalty and friendship, this movie is a must for those who love animals, especially dogs. I'm not a fan of Richard Gere but he does a fine job in this movie. I would have loved to see Mark Harmon or Bruce Greenwood as Parker.

A Dog's Life: The Autobiography of a Stray

A Dog's Life written by Ann M. Martin, is a delightful but poignant story of a stray called Squirrel, who starts life as a wild dog born on a farm. Written in the dog's own words, she begins her story as a puppy on the Merrions farm. When something happens to her mother, Squirrel's brother Bone decides to leave the farm and she has no choice but to follow. The two remain together for only a short time as Bone is eventually taken by humans when the two dogs wander along the edge of a highway.

Eventually, Squirrel makes a good friend with another dog, Moon and together they travel to various small towns in order to survive. Squirrel's encounters with humans continue to be unfavourable throughout the book until the very end. My guess is this aspect of the story reflects the authors work with an animal rescue organization in upstate New York. This type of work would undoubtedly result in seeing dogs who have experienced some very sad situations. However, Martin's book has a satisfying conclusion and shows us a dog who is both intelligent, sensitive and fiercely independent.

I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to children aged 10 to 13, especially those interested in animals and working with animals.

Other books which may be of interest include:

Michael Morpurgo's Born to Run:The many lives of one incredible dog and The Amazing Story of Adolphus Tips.

Book Details:

A Dogs Life. The Autobiography of a Stray.
by Ann M. Martin

Scholastic Press, New York, 2005.