Mick Harte Was Here

Phoebe’s brother has just died. And this book is about how she deals with it, from the morning of the accident to the months and months later. It’s not tragic like Bridge to Terabithia–death and dealing with trauma is the theme of the book and it starts from the beginning. So there’s no real heartbreak, except for watching the deceased’s younger sister deal with the aftermath.

I like this because it’s a good portrayal of dealing with grief as a young adult. Good for anyone going through the same thing–a death in the family–and is too young to truly process it. And it cuts through all the sugarcoating too. Death ain’t fun and it ain’t pretty. Or how people keep turning death into a chance to talk about themselves, how show more the grief never really goes away, the empty feeling of something missing. There’s always something missing. How trying to remember the good times doesn’t really help, that you just need time. And as we go on Phoebe’s journey, we gain the tools to handle that same situation ourselves.

My one qualm about the book is that you don’t really know how he died until the ending, when the build-up loses some of the impact. That’s where it gets a little preachy, even though I’m sure it’s not intended. Otherwise, this is a good book for kids and adults, like My Brother Sam Is Dead. It has a sense of humor despite the subject matter. And it teaches us all that, whether you want it to or not, life goes on. show less

Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park is a book that will grab your heart right from the start! At less than one hundred pages, it is a quick read, which is good because it will probably make you cry, but you will laugh too. Phoebe is such a down to earth character whose sadness, anger, and confusion really come through to the reader. She is honest right from the start and lets the reader know her brother is dead. Her memories about Mick will have you laughing out loud, and you will wish you had had the chance to meet him. As Phoebe searches for answers to what happens now, she is also filled with regret. She feels like she could have stopped the accident, and then no one would have to go through the pain of losing Mick. Reading her show more conversation about the “what ifs” that she has with her dad really opened my eyes about why we need to let things go because there is always something to regret if we let ourselves go down that path. I think this book would be helpful for anyone that has experienced a major loss because they would be able to relate to Phoebe and might learn from her about healing. It is also an excellent book for people to read who have friends that have gone through something big and they want to show they care but don't know the right words to say. I would recommend this book to anyone in fourth grade and up who is ready for an emotional story with characters that will really make them think. I know third graders who have read it, but I should also mention that Phoebe does swear a little bit in the book, which seemed natural because of the circumstances. This is a book that you shouldn’t miss because it will open your eyes and will make you think about safety and letting go of things you can’t change. show less

Has been challenged...
... and now that I've read it, I don't know why. There's a mention of a bad cuss word learned from HBO, but not the word itself. There are questions about God, but an ending that seems reasonable from any tolerantly spiritual point-of-view. Maybe it's challenged by those who interpret the Bible literally and think the questions the character asks have answers and children shouldn't ask questions.

Anyway, it was def. almost too Christian for me, as an atheist. And the ending revealed it to be a public safety message for bike helmets. And the Stages of Grief were pretty textbook.

But still. Still, a pretty good read. Concise, interesting, characters to care about, even funny in bits.

Give books like this to kids show more *before* they need them, though... not as bibliotherapy when they are trying to cope with a recent death. show less

Something felt rushed, or like it was missing. I was delighted to learn that this book is still in print. I first read it when I was ten, and it's stuck with me ever since. I didn't know how to talk about how I felt about this book, so I may not have even said anything. As an adult: this felt like a really quick read despite the overwhelming sadness. Heartbreaking dramas with the subject content these books have, tend to end when the death occurs. Here, the death happens on the first page. The story takes place over a month, if I understand correctly. I appreciated how grief was examined. This book felt real.

At the recommendation of one of my 3rd grade students, I read Mick Harte Was Here, a juvenile book about a young boy, Mick Harte, who is killed in a tragic bike accident when he skids into a passing truck. The story is told from the point of view of his sister, Phoebe, who portrays Mick as being his very own person. He was the kind of kid that freaked his mom out by putting a ceramic eye in a defrosted chicken, and he was always involved in some kind of antic.
This is such a heart-rendering story that I read on a particular weekend when I was especially missing our beloved dog, Buddie, who had passed away earlier this year. As the family mourned the death of Mick, Phoebe takes the reader through the upheaval of their lives and the show more subsequent events, such as the memorial service and how routines suddenly become nonexistent or insignificant. Not having to use the appropriate silverware, or having grilled cheese sandwiches and mashed potatoes for dinner became completely fine after Mick’s passing.
I loved the way that Phoebe’s best friend, Zoe, spouts some magical words that are uplifting to Zoe. She says, “Put him everywhere, why don’t you?....Because like if God is everywhere the way they say he is, and Mick is with God, then Mick could be everywhere, too.” I think that she is right, and that by faith we can believe, that our loved ones who have passed, are really everywhere and at our side, too. show less

The story is about how this girl and her family deal with her brother’s death. Phoebe (the girl) is the narrator. Mick was in a bike accident and was killed from a major head injury. Phoebe tells about every tough moment and all the emotions she endures. Toward the end, she has the strength inside to be a speaker for the bike safety assembly at her school, using her brother’s accident and unwillingness to wear a helmet as the meat of her speech.

This story seemed very depressing to me. Of course it is about a brother dying, but I guess I expected it to end sadly rather than start out that way and continue through most of the book. However, toward the end I started seeing the whole picture. First of all, it ended on a better note than show more how the rest of the book felt. When I realized the moral (always wear a helmet when riding a bicycle), I understand why it had to be sad the whole time; to make children really learn and feel the importance of the moral. Obviously the more traditional ways of providing morals (the happily ever after ways) are not working well, so showing the more honest, real, and unfortunately sad side of things might actually catch their attention and make a difference.

Students could discuss how bike safety was presented AFTER someone was killed and hopefully realize on their own that learning from mistakes is not always the best or most pleasant way to learn. Then they could discuss issues in their community that need to be addressed before bigger problems occur or before someone gets hurt. They could make plans and set up a presentation to share (either to the class as groups, or to the school as a class). Another similar extension would be for each student to make a poster that addresses an important issue or moral they feel will help others if attention is brought to it. The posters would be posted up in the halls of the school. show less

From the very beginning, we know that Phoebe's older brother, Mick, died in a bike accident. Throughout the story, we learn about the accident, Phoebe's struggles, and the family's devastation. Phoebe's close friend is there to console her as she goes through the array of emotions that come with losing a loved one. And, somehow, Barbara Park allows much needed humor to emerge all through the story. In the end, Phoebe begins to deal with her guilt and emtions as well as speak to her peers about bicycle safety. This is a truly moving story.