Also Known as Harper by Ann Haywood Leal
272 pages
Writing poetry helps fifth‐grader Harper cope with her father’s absence, being evicted, and having to skip school to care for her brother while their mother works, and things look even brighter after she befriends a mute girl and a kindly disabled woman.
Watch this Animoto trailer about Harper.
Sam’s review:
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee is the favorite book of Harper Lee Morgan’s mother, and Harper’s name makes this connection a fitting backdrop for this book about the difficult events of Harper’s 10th year. She and her younger brother Hem (short for Hemingway), are on their own a lot while their mom works as a housecleaner, trying to make ends meet after their dad deserts them. Harper does not miss the drinking and the yelling, but Hem still stands guard at the curb every night, waiting for his dad’s pickup truck to return. Their dad does not return, and their luck turns for the worse when they get evicted from their house. Cast into homelessness, Harper must draw on her many resources, the greatest being her ability with words. She loves to write poetry and has her heart set on participating in her school’s annual poetry recital. When she has to stay home to take care of Hem while her mom works, Harper faces an impossible choice, but new friendships open an alternative that brings hope to a desperate situation. Though Harper seems too mature to be real at times, her story is moving and inspiring, with a strong cast of characters and a plot that brings out the best in them.