Harris and Me

by: Gary Paulsen

Published by: Harcourt

Reviewed by Linda Lee

A young boy is taken from his drunken parents and sent to live with family. He ends up on a farm with family he's never met. His cousin Harris takes it on himself to teach the new kid about his special brand of country life. Harris is a kid full of energy, humor, and cuss words. Being smacked several times a day by his sister doesn't seem to help the latter. The two boys wrestle pigs and attempt to jump onto a horse from a barn loft like Roy Rogers did in the movies. Somehow, even after getting his business kicked by a cow, the boy and Harris bond over the summer.

The story moves at a fairly quick pace, taking the reader from barn loft to horse back to a field with a lynx for a mouse-hunting partner. The reader's interest is kept just wondering what Harris will get them into next and a smattering of kindness and true family heart will help him remember Harris and Me.

Be warned that there are several "hells" and "damns" in the book, and talk of some dirty pictures, though nothing graphic. Fast-paced and laugh-out-loud funny, this is one that the middle-schooler is sure to enjoy.

Armchair Interviews says: Sounds like a fun read.