Harvey and the Extraordinary

by Eliza Martin

Imaginative, self-confident, EXTRAORDINARY Mimi steps into the spotlight in this charming debut with an emotional heart. If you were to imagine an extraordinary moment of destiny, I bet you wouldn’t imagine it in a kitchen on a particularly ordinary Wednesday. I bet you wouldn’t imagine a plate of cheese and crackers or a replacement best friend—but this was my moment. Because when my Dad left to be a trick high diver in Mr. Morelli’s Big Top Circus Extravaganza, he left his ordinary life to achieve his extraordinary destiny. Grandma didn’t realize she had just handed me the key to my extraordinary life. Mimi is the expert in all things extraordinary, like snow days, blue raspberry candy, and especially her dad, who recently joined the circus. And she’s sure he’ll be back to recruit her once she proves how extraordinary she can be. With her new hamster as her assistant, Mimi starts rehearsals for a marvelous mime show. But her moody older brother and needy ex-best-friend—not to mention memories of the day her dad left home—keep interfering with her plans. Still, Mimi throws herself into her act. Everything has to be perfect for her dad’s return—even if no one but her hamster believes in her. Even if Mimi is starting to doubt her own story, too. Debut author Eliza Martin’s quirky characters are brought vividly to life by Anna Bron’s endearing art in this charming novel about savoring the extraordinary in even the most difficult moments.

Genres: Middle Grade, Childrens, Fiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published November 3, 2021

Reviews

[Rajiv · Rating 5 out of 5]

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“Harvey and the Extraordinary” is a beautiful middle-grade realistic fiction that makes you go through various emotions, and the story impacted me.

Mimi is adorable in the lead. I loved her drive to be extraordinary and be unique. I feel that is a beautiful outlook to have in life and a great way to follow your dreams. Similarly, I adored Patricia and Grandma. They root for Mimi no matter what, and Patricia showed her what it is to be a true friend. Harvey is also cute as the pet hamster who helps the family come together. Even Dominic is a memorable character, and it was interesting to see how the children in the story coped with the loss in a different manner.

Moreover, I loved the author’s writing style and thought she did an excellent job for a debut novel! She touches on some critical subjects of moving on, self-acceptance, and finding out who your true friends are. I enjoyed how the story flashbacks between the past to find out what happened for Mimi to be in the situation she finds herself in. Moreover, the author maintains a mystery about the father, where you don’t know what happened to him.

Similarly, I also loved the illustrations by Anna Bron and thought they complimented the story beautifully. I received an advanced copy of the book for my review, and even though some pictures were not available, I loved the ones added.

Overall, “Harvey and the Extraordinary” is a beautiful story that touches your heart. I highly recommend it and know you will enjoy it if you are a fan of Kate DiCamillo’s novels.

[Scott Raphael · Rating 5 out of 5]

It’s important, I believe, for children’s books to, sometimes address the tough truths of life, the sadnesses and tribulations of life that don’t affect everyone but that need to be represented for those whom they do affect. This is one such book, which provides optimism and reasonable/natural/unfantastic reality to how such a situation must be handled to progress in life. Are the “twists” unexpected and exciting to an adult reader? No. But they may catch a younger reader off guard. Be warned, as a parent, that the subject matter gets mildly heavy and may not be ideal for sensitive children who aren’t going through a tough time, though it may help those who are.

Side note: I feel strongly for Patricia, poor kid; she’s a real one. In a world full of Mimis, be a Patricia.

[Munchie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was attracted by the hamster on the cover, as I currently have hamsters as well. I wanted to see if someone did a hamster tale justice. Disclaimer, it's not the ideal hamster book as the focus wasn't truly on little Harvey the hamster, but of Mimi who gets Harvey as a gift for her birthday and names him after her father. And based on what Mimi who's the narrator of this story says, we know her father has joined the circus and wants to take after him. So she puts on a mime show just for him.

The imagination of Mimi really put me in high spirits throughout the book and the illustrations by Anna made it possible for me to visualize Mimi's world. I enjoyed seeing and hearing about Mimi's Grandma who is like a best friend to Mimi when she can't trust her own mother or brother due to their own struggles that you don't get to understand of right away. She really does remind you of a kind and caring grandma, looking out for her grandchild by letting her explore her creative side which is wild to know it's her wanting to become a mime. Who here has really read such a book before about a girl, with a hamster, wanting to be a mine? That's "Extraordinary" indeed!

While not to spoil the plot twist cause there is one, it did catch me off guard, tho I knew something was up. The book does address childhood mentality and how children perceive the harsh truth of something so traumatic as a fantasy, that they start to convince themselves it's real. She also struggled to accept her best friend back into her life, but thankfully things work out in the end which makes you cheer for them both. It's truly a charming moment when it does happen, as you learn what Mimi has gone through.

I truly want to read more from Eliza and hope maybe she could make more stories about Mimi and Harvey. Hearing this book was based on her own play she created, I thought that was really neat. And the language she uses to speak to the reader in this, made for some very memorable quotes.

Highly recommend and encourage young readers to check this fun little tale!

[Larissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimi is nothing less then EXTRAORDINARY. Everything she does is extraordinary and she is quite an expert when it comes to the subject. So why would her dad be anything less then extraordinary as well. In fact he is the one who taught her the word. Being so special comes though with some down sides. Because she is so amazing she can't go to school like normal kids and she needs to find something that will just make her a bit extra extraordinary so that she can impress her dad. Her journey to impress her dad leads to an investigation of where he might of gone and what she can do so that she can impress him enough to join him on his own new adventure. Along the way she makes some new friends, mends some friendships, and learns that sometimes some things in life aren't extraordinary, they are just ordinary or not ordinary and that is okay.

I loved this book. I love how Mimi is like so many kids dealing with a situation which they don't always understand. she goes through stages. Any change, especially the one that Mimi is facing is super hard to process. So I love that she has so much love and support that while trying to help her see the truth still support her goal of being extraordinary. Overall this is just a great book. It doesn't paint anyone as a viallain or a bad person, it just shows a little girl coming to terms with something that is hard for anyone to face. I think this will be a great book to recommend to children dealing with grief or a big change in their life.

Thank you so much to Annick Press Ltd. and Netgalley for allowing me to read an advance copy.

[Tai Ellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press for the ARC.

I really enjoyed this book. The fact that is was told through Mimi's point of view meant that we were feeling alongside her; her frustrations, her fear, her hope, it was all so palpable. I feel like we know just enough to keep us engaged and questioning. I could constantly ask why and ask for more answers, but having those answers erases some of that childlike wonder, that hope that these were partial truths and not just a fleeting dream. I loved looking at this book through the eyes of an unknowing but hopeful child instead of a cynical, 'realistic' adult. I was able to step away from my own worries and problems and try to live in an extraordinary moment.

Thank you for the journey. I can't wait to see the finished illustrations, and thanks for the spelling reminder, because I doubt I'll ever question how to spell Extraordinary again!

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was received as an ARC from Annick Press Ltd - Annick Press in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was smiling through and through and loved the passion and determination Mimi had when she got her hamster Harvey and rehearsed her circus act even when nobody believed in her and her family thought the whole thing was ridiculous or it was a deterrent for Mimi to help her through her father leaving for the circus. While reading this book, I could not help but think of how inspiring it was for Mimi to have a dream and find inspiration from the ordinary and make it extraordinary. This book I immediately considered a potential candidate for our next battle of the books competition and there are so many details that could make tough but fun questions.

We will consider adding this title to our J Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those stories where we have an unreliable narrator, so we don't know the truth of the situation, other than something happened to Mimi's father, and in her mind, he joined the circus, and insists that is where he is, and he will return, when she is just as extraordinary as he is.

So, how to prove that she is extraordinary? By putting on a show that will be just as good as the circus.

Half heard conversations. Hints amongst the adults leads one to think that her father didn't join the circus.

Very quick read. But it helped that the mystery of what happened, and what would happen next, kept me going.

Good for the elementary school/ middle school age group, where these adult things happen around them, while they try to make sense of it all.

Thanks to Netgalley for making this book available for an honest review.

[Librarylady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harvey and the Extraordinary really missed the mark with me. I found it to be average or just ordinary on Mimi's rating scale. Mimi is practicing an act to make herself extraordinary so she can join her dad in the circus. The message was good, finding the extraordinary in ordinary everyday things, but the execution was not good. Mimi was a times endearing but other times annoying. She just did not seem like a realistic 5th grader to me. She continually talked about extra-ordinary, ordinary, and extraordinary until it got annoying. In addition, Mimi seemed immature throughout the story and then suddenly turned wise and philosophical at the end. It was not a winner for me, and a i don't think it will be a hit with it's target audience either.

[Storytime With Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t seem to recall another story in which I was treated to a single word over and over again but in this case I was happy to live in an extraordinary story for a little while. Harvey and the Extraordinary by Eliza Martin and illustrated by Anna Bron is a surprising story of loss and the ways in which we process grief.

Mimi is extraordinary, so much so that she can’t be at regular school because extraordinary people are too extraordinary for regular school so she learns at home with her grandmother. She is also working on a secret project to learn more about her father whom she is convinced is working in the circus.

Right from the beginning, readers get the sense that something is amiss. Mimi is learning at Grandma’s house while her older brother is at school. Plus there is the secret project she is working on about her father. Reader’s radar will be on high alert, knowing something has happened before the story began that is affecting Mimi’s life. Harvey and the Extraordinary was a book that was difficult to put down as Eliza Martin slowly lets readers in on Mimi’s secret and her grief.

I loved that this was a story about loss that was treated so differently than other stories I have read on the same topic. Mimi creates a story she tells herself, a specific narrative, so she doesn’t have to feel all of the bad feelings in her heart and her head. When she receives a hamster for her birthday, she names it Harvey after her father and readers are left wondering what happened to her dad?

I loved the friendship between Mimi and Patricia, a true friendship, that can survive even two months of anger and sadness. Patricia’s perseverance and her compassion for Mimi show readers what it’s like to love someone so fiercely. I also love the friendship between Harvey and Mimi. A fur friend can make a wonderful companion and a gentle ear to talk to when talking to human friends feels really hard.

Anna Bron’s illustrations are spectacular and extraordinary! Moving the story along and providing readers concrete glimpses into Mimi’s world and making it a story accessible to younger middle grade readers.

[Teresa Grabs · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is something to Harvey and the Extraordinary that tells a good-hearted story, unfortunately, that something is lost under unnatural dialog and a gouge-my-eyes-out number of "extraordinary" and "extra ordinary" and "ordinary." After the first few pages, I was mentally screaming, "I get it!" but the character never heard me. What story there was shared a feeling that many children feel, that of wanting to be seen and appreciated by an absent parent. Unfortunately, there were too many things that distracted me from the story to enjoy it.

Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press for the opportunity to read an advance reading copy.

[Emilee (emileereadsbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Annick Press for the gifted book!

Mimi misses her dad who has joined the circus and she wants to prove to him that she is extraordinary too! Because she is of course the best at telling you if things are ordinary, extra ordinary, or extraordinary! 

Along the way it is revealed that maybe Mimi isn't the most reliable narrator as the layers of the story unfold. The mystery along with Mimi's earnest attempt at impressing her dad while navigating her feelings makes this a quick and endearing read.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in return for an honest review.

This is a story with an unreliable narrator so it's difficult to know what's true and what's inaccurate. Mimi has overhead bits and pieces of conversations and seems to know just enough to have put together her own version of events...but is it accurate? A look at loss, coping, family, and friendship.

Definitely a fantastic edition to 3rd-4th grade classrooms! You might want to also have a non-fiction book or two on mimes to go along with this novel.

[Kay S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mimi was an amazing and sympathetic character, the story is fun and enjoyable yet devastating and heartbreaking at the same time. This story is well-told and it's great to see how the characters handle a common, if awful, situation. The way the school handled Mimi's situation was...odd to say the least but is probably more believable to kiddos than "you get to talk to a bunch more grownups!" Because grown-ups are awful.

[Tracy Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mimi is a gem and so is this book! This quick, middle-grade read, gives a peek into the inner workings of a child dealing with loss and the stories we tell ourselves to cope. This is an extraordinary work for teaching empathy and resilience, and should have a place on every classroom library shelf. #netgalley #HarveyandtheExtraordinary

[Cheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was really a special book. I loved the main character of Mimi and her family members were all really great too. The sadness of the story tugged at my heart strings for this girl, but it ultimately has a lovely message about the support of family and friends. And also how the ordinary can be extraordinary.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

It is a good book. This was written for young age. It a good book to read for kids in elementary or middle school.

[Lisa Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book made me a bit sad, but I love how Mimi learned that extraordinainess is more common than she original thought.

[Bailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Harvey and the Extraordinary is a beautiful and thoughtful book. Our narrator, Mimi, completely captured my heart. She is clever, industrious, and determined. One of the things I loved the most about this book was its humour. Mimi's observations of her world and the people in it are so grounded in the honest perspective of a child, and that is precisely what makes this book so funny at times. This is a heartfelt story of a family in transition, coping with loss, and learning how to continue on. It truly touched me, and I highly recommend it to readers of all ages.

[Seamus · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very charming story! Well written, full of silliness and sentiment.