Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson

Cast of Narrators:
N’Jameh Camara, as Haley
Jose Carrera, as Tiago
Dean Flanagan, as Ashton
Angel Romero, as Esteban
Toshi Widoff-Woodson, as Holly
Mikelle Wright-Matos, as Amari
and also featuring the author, Jacqueline Woodson, as Ms. Laverne

It all starts when six kids have to meet for a weekly chat—by themselves, with no adults to listen in. There, in the room they soon dub the ARTT Room (short for “A Room to Talk”), they discover it’s safe to talk about what’s bothering them—everything from Esteban’s father’s deportation and Haley’s father’s incarceration to Amari’s fears of racial profiling and Ashton’s adjustment to his changing family fortunes. When the six are together, they can express the feelings and fears they have to hide from the rest of the world. And together, they can grow braver and more ready for the rest of their lives.

Thoughts
A teacher, M. Laverne, tells six kids that they are to meet in a classroom once a week to talk. No adults and no subject is off limits, as long as they respect each other.

The kids, Esteban, Tiago, Holly, Amari, Ashton and Haley are a diverse group who don’t really know each other. Slowly they start to bond as they talk and learn about each other. Through discussions about losing someone you love, family members who are in prison, the idea someone could be deported, and death, they become very close and are surprised to find out their lives are very alike in some ways.

The title refers to the idea that we should harbor each other in times of need, and as the book progressed, these kids became a safe harbor for each other. TI love that they made a pact to meet back in that classroom in 20 years.

The book is narrated by multiple people including the author, all who did a great job.

I loved this book and think it should be required reading for elementary school.

Counts toward the following challenge:

Audiobook

The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King

Narrated by LeVar Burton

Fred Rogers (1928-2003) was an enormously influential figure in the history of television and in the lives of tens of millions of children. As the creator and star of Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, he was a champion of compassion, equality, and kindness. Rogers was fiercely devoted to children and to taking their fears, concerns, and questions about the world seriously.

The Good Neighbor, the first full-length biography of Fred Rogers, tells the story of this utterly unique and enduring American icon. Drawing on original interviews, oral histories, and archival documents, Maxwell King traces Rogers’s personal, professional, and artistic life through decades of work, including a surprising decision to walk away from the show to make television for adults, only to return to the neighborhood with increasingly sophisticated episodes, written in collaboration with experts on childhood development. An engaging story, rich in detail, The Good Neighbor is the definitive portrait of a beloved figure, cherished by multiple generations.

Thoughts
I loved this book. I learned so much about Fred Rogers that I didn’t know, from his childhood all the way to his death.

I always thought he was an amazing man, but after listening to the audiobook I know he was so much more. The book is very detailed and you will learn how he turned a simple idea into a mega hit.

He cared for everyone and wanted the best for them. Not just his friends & family. Everyone! He made each child feel special, that they mattered, and he truly cared for them.

Rogers was the same soft spoken & loving man in real life that he was on tv. He was an inspiration to many people, especially a huge number of children. The world is a sadder place without him in it.

The book is narrated by LeVar Burton who did a great job.

If you are a fan or not, I urge you to read or listen to this book.

Counts toward the following challenge:

Audiobook
Non-Fiction