Harvey Comes Home

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Pajama Press for the review copy of Harvey Comes Home by Colleen Nelson and illustrated by Tara Anderson. All opinions are my own. This book was released on September 19, 2019.

Harvey, a West Highland Terrier, escapes his yard to chase a squirrel but becomes hopelessly lost. He wanders around town and eventually comes to rest outside Brayside Retirement Villa where Austin finds him. Austin is a young boy that helps his grandpa clean Brayside as a punishment for bringing firecrackers to school. Austin’s mom and grandpa agree to let Austin keep Harvey while they search for the owner. However, when it comes time to take Harvey to check for a microchip, Austin chickens out. He lies to his mom and grandpa and tells them that they couldn’t find Harvey’s owner. Meanwhile, Maggie, Harvey’s owner, misses her dog dearly and searches for him. Across town, Austin and Harvey become close, and Austin tries to convince himself that he is doing the right thing by keeping Harvey. Then Austin realizes that Harvey is the key to getting cranky, old Mr. Pickering to open up about his past and his trusty dog named General. Will Mr. Pickering’s stories be enough to convince Austin to do the right thing?

I absolutely adored this sweet tale of a dog bringing people together. Colleen Nelson does a beautiful job of weaving a tale that includes tough choices, heartbreak, and hope. This book would be fantastic for teaching or reviewing point of view since the chapters alternate between three different perspectives: Harvey, Austin, and Maggie. As a social studies teacher, I also enjoyed that this book included some information about the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl. This book would be ideal for grades 3 – 6. Amazon affiliate link below.