Something felt rushed, or like it was missing. I was delighted to learn that this book is still in print. I first read it when I was ten, and it's stuck with me ever since. I didn't know how to talk about how I felt about this book, so I may not have even said anything. As an adult: this felt like a really quick read despite the overwhelming sadness. Heartbreaking dramas with the subject content these books have, tend to end when the death occurs. Here, the death happens on the first page. The story takes place over a month, if I understand correctly. I appreciated how grief was examined. This book felt real. ( )

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I don't know what to say. This is a sad, but hopeful little book. ( )

Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park is a book that will grab your heart right from the start! At less than one hundred pages, it is a quick read, which is good because it will probably make you cry, but you will laugh too. Phoebe is such a down to earth character whose sadness, anger, and confusion really come through to the reader. She is honest right from the start and lets the reader know her brother is dead. Her memories about Mick will have you laughing out loud, and you will wish you had had the chance to meet him. As Phoebe searches for answers to what happens now, she is also filled with regret. She feels like she could have stopped the accident, and then no one would have to go through the pain of losing Mick. Reading her conversation about the “what ifs” that she has with her dad really opened my eyes about why we need to let things go because there is always something to regret if we let ourselves go down that path. I think this book would be helpful for anyone that has experienced a major loss because they would be able to relate to Phoebe and might learn from her about healing. It is also an excellent book for people to read who have friends that have gone through something big and they want to show they care but don't know the right words to say. I would recommend this book to anyone in fourth grade and up who is ready for an emotional story with characters that will really make them think. I know third graders who have read it, but I should also mention that Phoebe does swear a little bit in the book, which seemed natural because of the circumstances. This is a book that you shouldn’t miss because it will open your eyes and will make you think about safety and letting go of things you can’t change. ( )

Phoebe’s brother has just died. And this book is about how she deals with it, from the morning of the accident to the months and months later. It’s not tragic like Bridge to Terabithia–death and dealing with trauma is the theme of the book and it starts from the beginning. So there’s no real heartbreak, except for watching the deceased’s younger sister deal with the aftermath.

I like this because it’s a good portrayal of dealing with grief as a young adult. Good for anyone going through the same thing–a death in the family–and is too young to truly process it. And it cuts through all the sugarcoating too. Death ain’t fun and it ain’t pretty. Or how people keep turning death into a chance to talk about themselves, how the grief never really goes away, the empty feeling of something missing. There’s always something missing. How trying to remember the good times doesn’t really help, that you just need time. And as we go on Phoebe’s journey, we gain the tools to handle that same situation ourselves.

My one qualm about the book is that you don’t really know how he died until the ending, when the build-up loses some of the impact. That’s where it gets a little preachy, even though I’m sure it’s not intended. Otherwise, this is a good book for kids and adults, like My Brother Sam Is Dead. It has a sense of humor despite the subject matter. And it teaches us all that, whether you want it to or not, life goes on. ( )