Also Known as Harper by Ann Haywood Leal

Jul 24, 2012 Joe rated it did not like it

Shelves: borrowed-library, middle-grade, realistic-fiction

When I was in middle school, my mom invented a phrase for schmaltz: Hokey Wombat Shit.

If we were watching television and the plot became mushy or sentimental, Mom would groan, "Oh, please. Hokey Wombat Shit!"

If two characters in a movie smooched while strings swelled and onlookers clapped, the film was immediately filed under Hokey Wombat Shit.

If my mom read Also Known As Harper, she would definitely roll her eyes, put it aside, and exclaim, "Hokey Wombat Shit!"

Because that's what it is. In fa ...more

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Sep 24, 2009 Destinee Sutton rated it it was ok

Recommends it for: 9-13

Shelves: tween, families, sad, writing, death, middle-grade

Mock Newbery 2010

There were a lot of things I disliked about this, but let's start with the positives: it portrays homelessness in an interesting way, from the family being evicted, to living in a motel, to pitching a tent in the woods, all the while making the best of it and trying to stay together and support each other. It also features one my my favorite books, To Kill a Mockingbird, heavily.

But To Kill a Mockingbird it is not. I thought Harper Lee's voice as a narrator was too flowery. It ...more

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May 20, 2009 Kate rated it it was amazing

ALSO KNOWN AS HARPER is a book I'm excited to share with my middle school students for a few reasons. First, the characters Ann Haywood Leal has created here are some of the most memorable I've met in a long time. Harper, with her book of poems, her larger-than-life heart, and her mixed up feelings about her alcoholic father, has been dealt some rough blows as the novel opens. Her family is close to homeless, her mother keeps her home from school to babysit, and still, she's able to reach out to ...more

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May 27, 2009 Jennifer Wardrip rated it really liked it

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews, read-by-other-reviewers

Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Harper Lee Morgan was named after the author of her mother's favorite book, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. She has grown up hearing her mother read the book aloud - 36 times in fact, if the tally marks on the kitchen wall are accurate.

For a while it's just been Harper, her mother, and her little brother, Hemingway (Hem), at least since her father up and left them. They used to be a happy family. They didn't have a lot, but they loved each o Reviewed by Sally Kruger aka "Readingjunky" for TeensReadToo.com

Harper Lee Morgan was named after the author of her mother's favorite book, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. She has grown up hearing her mother read the book aloud - 36 times in fact, if the tally marks on the kitchen wall are accurate.

For a while it's just been Harper, her mother, and her little brother, Hemingway (Hem), at least since her father up and left them. They used to be a happy family. They didn't have a lot, but they loved each other and made do. But after baby Flannery died, things were never quite the same.

Harper loves school and is determined that this year she will participate in the local poetry contest. Writing poetry is like breathing for Harper. She dreams of getting up in front of the crowd and reading her poems into the microphone for all to hear. Just when she thinks this year it will be possible, the landlady throws all their belongings out into the front yard. She says they are way behind in their rent, and she has more reliable tenants waiting in line.

Moving isn't unusual. Since her father left and her mother has been working whatever jobs she can to make ends meet, they've had to do without, but moving into a rundown nearby motel changes everything. Harper has to stay in their room and keep an eye on Hem while her mother looks for work. That means no school and probably no poetry contest.

It seems like the end of the world until Harper gets acquainted with the other folks who live in and around the motel. There's Randall and his sister, Lorraine. Lorraine stopped talking a while back. She may be quiet, but she's awfully nice. Harper is surprised when she learns they don't actually live at the motel, but instead in a make-shift tent community hidden beyond the Knotty Pine Luxury Cabins.

Harper and Hem also become fast friends with Dorothy, a woman in a wheelchair who owns the property around the motel. She is the original Pine of the Knotty Pine Luxury Cabins, and knew them when they were comfy little separate cabins and not a bunch of rundown motel rooms all hooked together.

The life that Harper leads would wear most people down, scraping by with a few changes of clothes, occasional hot showers, and living mostly off of peanut butter sandwiches. However, Harper has always made the best of things, and with the love of her mother and brother and her new friends, she seems to keep her chin up and keep a positive view of the world.

Ann Haywood Leal's novel illustrates the fate of far too many people in today's society. Many families are working hard but never finding a way to get ahead. Harper's determination and creativity help this family carry on through the toughest of times.

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Oct 01, 2014 Daniela Trybula rated it it was amazing

i rate this book a 5 because i think that this book is pretty interesting from the title of the book to the cover of the book.So i think

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Feb 09, 2013 Linda Lipko rated it it was amazing

Shelves: young-adult, favorites

Those who might think that YA is all fluff, please take some time to read this book.

Dealing with the difficult, tragic subject of homelessness, the author shows keen insight into this travesty.

Told through the eyes of fifth grade Harper, we witness the plight of her mother and her family.

Her father's absence leaves Harper with conflicted emotions, Harper remembers her father before the alcohol became #1 priority in his life, before he grew more and more dependent upon the liquor, before his chil ...more

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Jun 07, 2009 Eva Mitnick rated it liked it

Shelves: children

After Harper Lee Morgan, her little brother Hemingway (Hem for short), and their mom are evicted for not paying the rent, they move temporarily to a nearby cheap roadside motel. Because her mom is working extra hours trying to earn enough money to get them out of this fix, Harper Lee is forced to stay out of school to babysit her little brother, a particular onerous situation because this is the week that the entries for the Whaley County Poetry Contest are due at school.

Harper Lee, you see, is After Harper Lee Morgan, her little brother Hemingway (Hem for short), and their mom are evicted for not paying the rent, they move temporarily to a nearby cheap roadside motel. Because her mom is working extra hours trying to earn enough money to get them out of this fix, Harper Lee is forced to stay out of school to babysit her little brother, a particular onerous situation because this is the week that the entries for the Whaley County Poetry Contest are due at school.

Harper Lee, you see, is a poet. Like her mom, she has a love of the written word and a gift for setting her thoughts down on paper in a way that makes other people take notice, and she feels frantic that she’ll miss her chance. Luckily there is one bright spot in her life, in the form of another homeless girl who lives in an encampment near the motel. Another person Harper Lee meets is Dorothy, an old woman who lives near the motel and helps out the homeless folks nearby. Dorothy is one of those people who make you feel like you’re your best self when you’re with them, and her presence in Harper Lee’s life is pivotal.

Every single person in this book has suffered some kind of injury in the past and still carries a bit of the damage inside, and this is one of the things I like best about it. Whether it’s Harper Lee trying to come to terms with her negative feelings about her mercifully absent dad, her new friend Lorraine’s refusal to talk due to a trauma in her past, or Dorothy’s loss of her family long ago, they all have to make the best of the cards they’ve been dealt. Trying to cope with their own difficulties while helping, not hurting, others seems to be the path to redemption – and even the “bad” characters show a surprising good side now and then, demonstrating the fact that folks are complicated and unpredictable.

The awe and respect everyone, including children, shows Harper Lee’s poems doesn’t feel quite realistic, and neither does the way the children talk – the old-fashioned, folksy feel to their utterances sometimes makes them sound like little, wise, eccentric old ladies from a Southern novel. I’d also expect a lot more despair and resistance from Harper Lee about the situation she has been plunged into – sure, she’s a person who clearly puts the best face on things, but the grimness of moving into an old, abandoned building with no running water or electricity is barely touched on. If Harper Lee thinks going to the bathroom outside is at all awful, we don’t hear about it. Finally, the sudden good fortune that blesses Lorraine’s family, and also Harper Lee’s, is a relief but also way too pat to be believed.

Those quibbles aside, I do think this is a fine book to recommend to readers of realistic fiction in grades 5 to 7.
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May 09, 2009 Purr More rated it really liked it

Shelves: arc, ya-teen, general-fiction, reviewed, 4-and-5-star

Mrs. Rodriquez is collecting poems this week for the school’s poetry contest, but Harper Lee (named after her mother’s favorite author) can’t turn her poem in because her family just got evicted from their house and she has to take care of her little brother, Hemingway, while her mother looks for work. All Harper wants to do is stand up on that stage and read her “words”. Unfortunately, life has other plans. Her father left last year leaving her mother to support their family and also pay back r ...more

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May 09, 2014 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: best-kids-books, perspectives, quotes, america-for-real

While sad, this is a very hopeful book. The character's know how to love and choose to love. Harper Lee is a 5th grader, writer, poet and deep, deep thinker and feeler. After her baby sister dies at birth, her father despairs into a bottle and eventually leaves the family. Harper's mom is then unable to pay the rent and they are evicted from their rental home in a small town. They end up in a community of homeless and Harper and her brother Hemingway develop deep friendship with another sister a ...more

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Jan 11, 2010 CuriousLibrarian rated it liked it

Shelves: 2009

This is a 3.5 from me.

This is a strong portrayal of homeless families in our own neighborhoods. It is packed with interesting characters, and gets the point across without overwhelming the reader with misery and hardship.

Harper has been very excited to enter the poetry reading contest at school this year. But then her family gets evicted from their house. And her mother makes her babysit her brother at the motel instead of going to school. She meets some other kids living in a tent community, an ...more

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Jul 22, 2009 Kathleen rated it it was amazing

Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it! Love it!

This is one of those books that surprises you. At first you think you are going to get a story about a family that has just had their lives turned upside down and are struggling to get back on their feet. And I would have been ok with that. Well, more than ok. Harper is such a lovable, believable character that you can't help but want to potect her along with her mom and younger brother.

But what Ms. Leal did that sets this book apart from just ...more

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Feb 11, 2015 Margareta rated it really liked it

The story is about this girls life living with her mom and younger brother. They have to go through rough times when her dad leaves because of his drinking habitats and the family is kicked out of their house and have to live in a run down motel, until they can pay up the money they owe.

I thought the book was very sweet and nice, even through the rough times. I felt this way throughout the book because Harper the main character has a gift for words and uses that in her poems. So if something d ...more

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Jul 13, 2009 Megan rated it it was amazing

This is the book I have been waiting for this year! It is CLEAR that Leal used her background as teacher to craft this novel. From start to finish I could put names to the faces of the characters. Not the names that they are given in the novel, but the names of students I have encountered in my classroom over the last 11 years. It made me think more of those students and their lives. I smiled, laughed, and cried.
This book would be great for a literature circle or a situation where you could real ...more

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Jun 18, 2009 Michelle rated it really liked it

great writing by first time author Ann Haywood Leal. Harper is a young poet living in poverty with her mom and brother, Hemingway. Mom loves literature obviously and dad has moved on because his sadness makes him drink too much. Loved reading this...loved winning this book from Shelf Elf's blog.

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Nov 22, 2017 Ella Murphy rated it liked it

Also known as Harper is about a girl who's dad has left her and her family, when her family is forced out of their house Harper has to stay home from school to look after her brother Hemingway while their mom is at work. At Harpers school there is a poetry contest going on and Harper really wants to be in it. This is a very good book and I would rate it about a 3.8/5.

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Dec 20, 2018 Laina SpareTime rated it it was ok

Cross-posted from my blog where there's more information on where I got my copy and stuff.

This actually was a little too perfect for me. I realize I'm contradicting myself completely with this blog post, but this seems like it's trying too hard. It's trying to deal with like six different things in less than 250 pages, and none of them really get given the depth they deserve. Everything is resolved a little too easily, and somehow isn't resolved enough at the same time.

The homelessness especiall ...more

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Sep 13, 2017 Kristi Bell rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2017-books, juvenile-books

I really liked this book! Clean read about a girl named Harper Lee and her brother Hem, short for Hemingway. Harper Lee is an aspiring writer who loves to write poetry and has high aspirations of reading her poetry on stage in front of the whole school. Harper encounters some obstacles along the way: her father has left her family and they are to fend for themselves. Her mother works several jobs and gets evicted from their home they are renting. Will Harper get her poetry to her teacher to read ...more

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Dec 05, 2017 Natalie Frederick rated it really liked it

This book, though somewhat sad, is really good. It is about a girl and her brother living in poverty - they are evicted from their house in the beginning of the book and end up living at a campgrounds. This book is one of those books that is written to help the reader empathize with worlds they may not know. I really enjoyed it, but it definitely made me feel a lot of things. I would suggest it to students, especially in order to help them have a larger worldview.

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Nov 05, 2018 Lana Kamennof-sine rated it it was amazing

A fabulous book - so not what I had expected for a juvenile book plot. there was true savouring of the power of books

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Mar 08, 2018 Natyluvsemojis!!!!! rated it did not like it

I HATED THE BOOOOOOOOOOOK

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Mar 22, 2017 Tori Underwood rated it liked it

Shelves: spring-2017

This was a easy read and gave great insight to living in poverty. It was sad to see it from a young child's perspective. It made me wonder what it would be like to live in my car, motel, abandoned building, or tent. I definitely have more understanding for homeless people and children after reading this. I also have a new understanding. for children who been raised by parents with substance abuse problems.

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Apr 12, 2015 Kelly Grimes rated it really liked it

Shelves: children-s-realistic-fiction

This book was eye opening for me. Since I grew up in home that didn’t have to deal with these situations that Harper struggles with, I was clueless of how the effects took a toll on children. I really enjoyed this book because this story provided me with some of the struggles and family issues students in the classroom might be dealing with themselves. I was able to gain the knowledge that every student will come from a different family and background. I did find this story to be at times depres This book was eye opening for me. Since I grew up in home that didn’t have to deal with these situations that Harper struggles with, I was clueless of how the effects took a toll on children. I really enjoyed this book because this story provided me with some of the struggles and family issues students in the classroom might be dealing with themselves. I was able to gain the knowledge that every student will come from a different family and background. I did find this story to be at times depressing, especially in the beginning when unborn baby Flannery dies, Harper's father starts to heavily drink and leaves his family, Harper's family being evicted, being forced to move to a motel and Harper having to give up her passion to take part in a poetry contest because she must stay home to take care of her little brother, Hemmingway. Even with all of these negative situations Harper must deal with, I found this story to be great for students to understand that we are all different and to help students appreciate with what they have, family and friends

I think this book would be a great independent reading book for students in the 5th to 6th grade because of the heavy situations Harper must deal with. I believe that students should be aware of the problems that some students face in their daily lives, even at a very young age. I would suggest that this book to be read independently by each student but then come together as a classroom to hold a discussion because of the books handful of situation. These situations include abandonment, death, alcoholism, and even high responsibly, particularly when Harper must skip school to care for her younger brother. This book would be great to read during a health unit. This book could be read during a health unit when the affects of drug and alcohol are being introduced. Students will be able to see how the alcohol use by Harper's father not only affects his own life, but it also affects the lives of others, Harper's family. Students will become aware of the negative impacts of alcohol and drug use. It can also be read during a health unit when family lifestyles are being discussed. Harper's difficult home life will introduce to students that not everyone comes to a classroom the same way they do. Students will learn that some of their peers deal with difficult situation each and every day. They will learn that some students might come from single parent homes in which might be because of abandonment of a parent. This book is a great way to introduce students to the diverse lives everyone experiences.
The literary element of characterization can be taught when reading this book. Harper is a perfect example to demonstrate the element of characterization. Students will be able to learn about the different characters types, dynamic, round, and flat, for each are present throughout the story, Harper being dynamic, Hemmingway being flat, and Mrs.Eary being round. Students will learn especially why Harper is classified as a dynamic character. Harper is first introduced as a bright student who loves poetry. But with tragic events including her father abandonment, Flannery’s death, and her families eviction, Harper must learn to deal with these situations and help her mom. In the end, even though Harper is unable to stick to poetry, she learns how important and special her family and friends are to her life.

The diverse perspectives this book teachers children is that everyone comes from a different background and family. This lesson is taught by the struggles Harper deals with in her own life. The diverse perspective children will most likely relate to in Harper's story is a life without a mother or father. Even though every student might not be able to relate to Harper's story, each student will be able to gain the knowledge that some people deal with these situations each and every day.

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Apr 02, 2015 Elsie added it

Shelves: childrens-realistic-fiction

In the book, Also Known as Harper, the main character is Harper Lee. Harper has a little brother that she is constantly looking after. Harper’s mother loses her job and Harper really becomes an adult in her little body. Harper learns to take on many adult roles while she loses her child innocence. I found this chapter book to be very surreal. As readers, we generally lean to the happier side of children’s books, however this book was different in a very good way. The realism of Harper and the ob In the book, Also Known as Harper, the main character is Harper Lee. Harper has a little brother that she is constantly looking after. Harper’s mother loses her job and Harper really becomes an adult in her little body. Harper learns to take on many adult roles while she loses her child innocence. I found this chapter book to be very surreal. As readers, we generally lean to the happier side of children’s books, however this book was different in a very good way. The realism of Harper and the obstacles she and her family face are so accurate in today’s world. Harper’s story really opened my eyes to the lives children live on a daily basis.
Curricular Connection- The lesson I would use this book to convey would center more on science and the psychology of human beings. Harper’s father used to be normal, then one day turned to alcohol. This changed her father which undoubtedly changed Harper’s life forever. As a teacher, I would want each child to be aware of the negative impacts people face, such as abandonment of a family member. The science aspect of this would relate to addictions people can face, and the trouble and negative outcomes it will likely cause. Students will be taught psychology more extensively later in their lives, why not introduce the negative impacts early on to teach children to make wise decisions.
Independent Reading- This book tells the life of Harper Lee and her troubled life. I would encourage children between grades 3-6 to read this book. This book covers a handful of adult problems that most children are completely unaware of. I believe children should be aware of the negative impacts that decisions can have on not only their own life but the lives of others. I would hate to target any particular student to read this book, instead I would have the entire class read this at the same time. Upon finishing the book, I would have the class come together and discuss their own personal feelings about Harper and her life. No one student with special needs came to mind with the theme of this book, so instead I think it would be beneficial for each student to learn about the troubles children encounter in their lives Some students may be informed about the conflicts and others may be able to relate to Harper and her disappearing father.
Literary Elements taught- The literary element I would choose for this book would be Harper and her use of poetry to convey her emotions. Harper used poetry to help calm herself and express her feelings that were constantly being bottled up. Harper would write poems to explain her life. She constantly wanted to write her emotions because her mother was always gone and she could not tell her younger brother because he would not understand. I would teach the students the benefits of poetry and how it can help children (such as special needs) convey emotions that are not easily communicated. Teachers should use poetry to introduce students a new way of thinking and communicating. Using poetry will help one to dig deeper into their emotions.
The diverse perspectives this book teachers children is that life is very different for each individual person. You cannot always identify students with troubled lives just from their emotions. The reader is able to learn about the life and struggles of Harper and children like Harper. The diverse perspective children take on through this book is the life without a father, mother, and school. Harper learns to cope with the loss of her dad, but now she hardly sees her mother which really impacts her own life and the life of her brother.
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Sep 27, 2017 Catherine rated it liked it

I thought this book had a very interesting story line, but it didn't have very much depth. It talks about a girl who lives with her mom and brother, and her dad left her family a year ago. While this book was entertaining to read, it wasn't the type that I would chose to read over other books. Personally, I would recommend this book to a younger age group, or someone who just needs to read pages quickly. But, the characters were well developed, and they had emotions that were more than just on t ...more

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Sep 25, 2016 Elisabeth rated it really liked it

Harper is named after her mother's favorite writer Harper Lee. Harper is an aspiring poet. Life is giving Harper a lot to write about these days. Dad has up and left leaving too many bills and not enough money and to top it off harper her brother Hemingway and her mother have been evicted. They move to the Knotty Pine Deluxe Motor Hotel and Harper has to stay home from school so her mother can work both day and night. Harper wants nothing more to read her poems on stage at school. Harper learns ...more

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Mar 18, 2015 Lexus Beedy rated it liked it

Shelves: children-s-realistic-fiction

Personal reaction:
I didn’t fall in love with this book as much as I have heard others have. Putting aside my own personal reaction to this story, I do see how it could be a great resource for children who are either going through a tough situation or opening children’s eyes to what is going on in the world around them. This book discusses topics of divorce, death, alcoholism, poverty, and homelessness that we don’t always think of as issues involved in a 5th-6th grade book but are realistic issu Personal reaction:
I didn’t fall in love with this book as much as I have heard others have. Putting aside my own personal reaction to this story, I do see how it could be a great resource for children who are either going through a tough situation or opening children’s eyes to what is going on in the world around them. This book discusses topics of divorce, death, alcoholism, poverty, and homelessness that we don’t always think of as issues involved in a 5th-6th grade book but are realistic issues that children are going through everyday. This book may be an insight for many children on how to handle issues such as these and help them understand that they are not alone. This book has a strong sense of family support to get through the tough times.

Purpose:
I would use this book as an independent reading for student reading at a 5th-6th grade reading level. While it is important to talk about controversial topics that this book brings up, be careful if you have young students reading at a much higher reading level. It is also very important to know your students in your class, if you have a student going through something similar to the main character Harper maybe recommend this book as a resource to help sort through personal struggles. While many students today will find some way to relate to this book, if you have students that have no connection, this is also a good resource for them to understand others lives. It is important for children to understand that their home life affects their school life and their personality and reaction to things. I think that if you assigned your students to read this book, you should hold a class discussion afterwards to debrief about these heavy topics and ways to deal with these real world issues. This book could be incorporated into a lesson on genres because students tend to choose books that are fantasy or have a light and fun feel to them. Not knowing what this book is about you would not guess for it to be about topics of divorce, poverty, and alcoholism. If you assigned this book to read as a class or recommended it to students, I believe it is necessary to discuss the impact that books such as this one have. This book could also be incorporated into a implicit curriculum lesson on diversity and context outside of the classroom. At any age students need to be aware that everyone comes from a different home life and deals with different issues. Many of these issues, such as the ones Harper is going through effect her school work and I must understand this as a future teacher.
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Jul 07, 2011 Judy Desetti rated it really liked it

Shelves: chapter-book, gr-6-7-8, realistic-contemporary, homelessness

p243 grades 5-8

Subject matter for mature readers.
realistic fiction, poverty, homelessness, family, friendship, death, single parents, alcoholism, tragedy.

Story of a family that falls apart and spirals into poverty, eviction, and homelessness. The father developed alcoholism and has run away and left them penniless. Mother is a house cleaner struggling to feed the family and not able to pay rent. They are evicted and the family must leave everything behind and take only what fits into their car. ...more

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Apr 14, 2015 Megan Koval rated it it was amazing

Shelves: children-s-realistic-fiction

Although this was not a traditional upbeat and cute children's book, I thought it was very good. I think this book did a good job of presenting almost controversial issues in a way that children will understand. I think that a reader can really connect with Harper and feel the pain and struggle that she goes through. Harper's issues are incredibly accurate as to how they would really be in real life and it really made me aware of the obsticles that many children must face on a day to day basis. Although this was not a traditional upbeat and cute children's book, I thought it was very good. I think this book did a good job of presenting almost controversial issues in a way that children will understand. I think that a reader can really connect with Harper and feel the pain and struggle that she goes through. Harper's issues are incredibly accurate as to how they would really be in real life and it really made me aware of the obsticles that many children must face on a day to day basis.

I think this book would be best suited to be an independent reading book. I do not think that reading it out loud would be the best choice because I feel as if some students would not be ready or able to handle some of the events that take place in Harper's life. I think this book would be good for a student who is going through family struggles, whether it be with parents, financial situations, or parents struggling with addiction. I think that this book would help a child who is struggling realize that he or she is not alone and that different people have different struggles to deal with, but that is okay. I think that pulling out Harper's connection to her poetry could be incredibly powerful for students. Harper clearly values her poetry greatly and I think that her connection with her poetry would allow students to see just how they can use poetry in their own lives in order to deal with their struggles. I think it could also help students learn that poetry does not always have to be written about or surrouned by entirely happy events. I think that is an important lesson for children to learn because a lot of children's poetry is incredibly happy and upbeat.

I think this book offers a unique perspective because it allows students to see that people, including children face hardshipsh and that not everything in life will be incredibly easy. I think that this book would be best suited for older elementary children because it deals with tense and harsh subjects that younger children may not be ready to handle from an emotional standpoint. ...more

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Mar 21, 2012 Paulinal014 added it

Shelves: 3rd-trimester

Also known as Harper is about a girl who is a writer and she is named after Harper Lee, her mom's favorite writer. Her father laughs at her trying to write and says she is never going to be a writer. He leaves Harper, her brother,Hem,and her mom and doesn't plan on coming back. Hem waits for his dad every day but he never comes. Since now they are on their own, Harper's mom can't make enough money to keep paying the rent to Mrs. Early. She is forced to leave her house immediately. They go to a Also known as Harper is about a girl who is a writer and she is named after Harper Lee, her mom's favorite writer. Her father laughs at her trying to write and says she is never going to be a writer. He leaves Harper, her brother,Hem,and her mom and doesn't plan on coming back. Hem waits for his dad every day but he never comes. Since now they are on their own, Harper's mom can't make enough money to keep paying the rent to Mrs. Early. She is forced to leave her house immediately. They go to a motel but Harper's mother is gone all day, so Harper has to take care of Hem. She is upset because at school there is a writing contest and she knows that she will never get to read her poems aloud, if she doesn't get the teacher to edit and let her perform. Along the way of her trying to figure out how to get to school she meets Lorraine and Randall who live in tents not far from the motel but since a horrible fire Lorraine won't talk. They look up to Dorothy. Dorothy helps Harper really regain her confidence and not to let anyone tell her to stop writing. To Harper Dorothy is mysterious. Will Lorraine ever talk? WIll Harper get to share her poems with the world? Will Harper figure out who Dorothy is?
I like this book because it really shows how if you put your mind to something, you can totally achieve it. Harper tries to share her poems and she does. I also like how they share some of the poems with you in the book. I think that it describes very well how Harper is trying to break out of her shell by leaving her "ragged part of life" (her dad) behind and never looking back. It surprised me how they described Lorraine's voice as raspy. I would have never thought that. But this book really shows how no matter how bad life gets, there will always be someone to pick you up and help you get through your hard times, whether it's a friend or brother or sister you haven't talked to in a long time, there will always be someone there who has your back and is not going to let you fall or fail again.
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Dec 02, 2010 Micaia M. rated it really liked it

Book Review

Have you ever missed school to babysit your younger sibling? If so or if not enter the worlds of Harper Lee in Also Known As Harper by Ann Haywood Leal as she takes responsibility of her younger brother Hemingway.
Harper dreams of sharing her talent as a poet in her school auditorium, But Harper has an enemy name Winnie Rae who sometimes gets in Harpers way since Winnie Raes mother was Harpers mom landlord Winnie knows what is happening with Harpers family. Along the way Harper me ...more

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