See You at Harry's in Mock Newbery 2026

Oct 08, 2012 Barbara rated it really liked it

Shelves: ncbla2013, bullies, families, identity, school, friendship, death

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This beautifully written book about love and loss describes perfectly the effects an unexpected death can have on those left behind, including family and friends. There is so much to enjoy about this book--the fact that Fern's parents have named all four children after literary characters [Fern, of course, takes her name from Charlotte's Web]; her brother Holden's constant battle against school bullies and bullies on the bus who tease and torture him due to his sexual identity; Fern's good frien ...more

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Feb 16, 2012 Emily Ashley Haberman rated it it was amazing

I've read, and enjoyed, all of Jo Knowles' books, so when I saw "See You at Harry's" available on NetGalley, I immediately requested it, and was thrilled when I was approved. After reading it, I feel even luckier. This is a heartbreaking, beautiful book with an unthinkable, horrible twist.

Twelve-year-old Fern narrates the story. She's the third child out of four, all of whom are named for a famous literary character - Fern for the Fern in "Charlotte's Web". Her mother explains why:

"Because Fer ...more

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Apr 23, 2012 Mark rated it it was amazing

Shelves: relationships, young-adult-literature, humor, coming-of-age, death-and-dying, bullying-peer-pressure, sibling-relationships, middle-grade

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Amazing. Review to come.

"He shakes his head, and we're quiet for a while. But it isn't our usual comfortable quiet. I know the words I need to say aren't the kind we can share without speaking.

'Holden?' I finally say. 'Why do you sit at the back of the bus if those jerks do that to you?'

He rubs out the design he was making in the needles with his fingers. 'It's complicated.'

'I'm not Charlie.'

He shakes his head and leans back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes.

'Why do they hurt you?' I a Amazing. Review to come.

"He shakes his head, and we're quiet for a while. But it isn't our usual comfortable quiet. I know the words I need to say aren't the kind we can share without speaking.

'Holden?' I finally say. 'Why do you sit at the back of the bus if those jerks do that to you?'

He rubs out the design he was making in the needles with his fingers. 'It's complicated.'

'I'm not Charlie.'

He shakes his head and leans back against the tree trunk, closing his eyes.

'Why do they hurt you?' I ask, leaning next to him.

He's quiet for a long time, then he finally sits up again and puts his back to me. His shirt is covered with needles and pieces of bark.

'I think you know,' he says."

Fern is starting middle school, and with that comes all the attendant drama and anxiety. However, Fern's life is further complicated by her family, and more specifically the family business. Fern is the 3rd of 4 children, and the youngest, three year-old Charlie, seems to be all anyone can talk about. Her parents own a restaurant, and her father is always coming up with new schemes to expand business, which usually seem to embarrass Fern and her siblings. Sarah, the oldest, is taking a year off after high school, and is working at the restaurant, and fooling around with one of the busboys. Holden, Fern's older brother, is in high school, and coming to grips with his own identity, as he begins to date an older boy. Most of the time, Fern feels overlooked and forgotten in the midst of everything else. When her family is hit with tragedy, though, she needs to come to grips with her own feelings of insecurity and guilt, so that she can help the rest of her family cope.

I'll read anything Jo Knowles writes, without hesitation, and this one did surprise me. I went into it expecting it to be a good coming-of-age middle school novel, and it certainly is that, but also much, much more. The themes of bullying, sexual identity, and coping with overwhelming grief are powerfully and expertly developed, and Knowles never loses sight on the family as a whole, and how their unity and love is tested and confirmed. Each character speaks very clearly in this novel, which is hard to do with so many characters sharing page time. This is a tremendous book, with a lot to offer readers. Easily teachable, I would hope people would want this one in the hands of as many young readers as they can reach. ...more

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Feb 04, 2013 Brandy rated it liked it

Such an interesting book and not what I was expecting.

I know this book got a lot of newbery buzz the year it came out. Although it didn't win anything I know people really liked it. I can see why it got the attention it did. It deals with issues such as coming of age, homosexuality, death, guilt, family.

I feel that all the issues it dealt with were done tastefully but the one thing that keeps me from giving this higher stars is that it drives me crazy when characters don't communicate with other ...more

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Jul 04, 2012 Christina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: middle-school, high-school-and-up, 2012-kids-ya, 2016-caudills, 6th-grade-social-issues-books

Twelve year-old Fern must deal with her embarrassment over her father's lame schemes to market his restaurant, usually involving making his family dress up to pose for photographs or act in commercials, and her mother's attempts to escape the family drama by sneaking upstairs to meditate. Fern's older sister, Sara, struggles with being stuck at home while her friends go off to college, and her fourteen year-old brother, Holden, deals with bullying caused by homophobia as he comes to terms with t ...more

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Feb 16, 2012 June Morgan rated it it was amazing

SEE YOU AT HARRY'S by Jo Knowles made me giggle, laugh out loud, and cry. It has been a while since I have donye all three.
I read it on NetGalley and cannot wait to buy it in May.

I have read Jo's books before, but this one is the best in my opinion. ...more

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