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A review by saracat
Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered by Gary Paulsen
1.0
I will start with two points. 1) If the book didn't include a racial slur over and over again, I think I could have rated the book a solid 3 stars. And 2) decided not to finish it because of the racial slurs but go a little over halfway through.
What I did like about the book was the introduction (for me) to a way of growing up that was very different from my own childhood. I think it is interesting to see and be reminded that our experience is by no means the whole experience for people.
I wasn't a huge fan of the character Harris. Even though I know for a lot of children, their reality feels like the whole of reality, it sat uncomfortable with me for him to assume the narrator knew 'nothing about anything' just because he hadn't lived on a farm before and therefore didn't have experience with certain things that Harris did. I can see how this would be a point of humor for many people when reading the book. But for me personally, it just brought up memories of being bullied as a child.
Again, if it weren't for the racial slurs, I think this would have been a book I would have finished. And I am interested in finding a book that is similar in the background of way of life of the characters... just without racist language. So if anyone has recommendations, I would be interested.
What I did like about the book was the introduction (for me) to a way of growing up that was very different from my own childhood. I think it is interesting to see and be reminded that our experience is by no means the whole experience for people.
I wasn't a huge fan of the character Harris. Even though I know for a lot of children, their reality feels like the whole of reality, it sat uncomfortable with me for him to assume the narrator knew 'nothing about anything' just because he hadn't lived on a farm before and therefore didn't have experience with certain things that Harris did. I can see how this would be a point of humor for many people when reading the book. But for me personally, it just brought up memories of being bullied as a child.
Again, if it weren't for the racial slurs, I think this would have been a book I would have finished. And I am interested in finding a book that is similar in the background of way of life of the characters... just without racist language. So if anyone has recommendations, I would be interested.