Author: Colleen Nelson
Illustrator: Tara Anderson
Publisher: Pajama Press
Release Date: May 17/22
Audio/Page Length: 224 pages
Reviewer: Laurie
Thank you to the author Colleen Nelson Edelweiss+ and the publisher Pajama Press for a digital ARC of this title to read.
I became a fan of the Harvey series books after reading the first book, Harvey Comes Home, and those familiar with this series will not be disappointed with this latest title. All of the characters readers are familiar with return with a new adventure at the Brayside senior complex. In this installment, a new manager of Brayside makes it difficult for Harvey to continue his role as a companion dog for safety reasons. Meanwhile, Austin and Maggie face their own challenges outside of trying to keep Brayside the warm and welcoming place they know. Austin worries about money and the cost of an expensive field trip he knows his mom cannot afford and Maggie is disappointed after failing to land a role in the school's production of Annie and must learn to accept being an understudy. Finally, Bob Kowalski, a Brayside resident, is anxious and worried about his wife in the hospital and beginning to withdraw into his room.
As much as I love Harvey the Westland Terrier, I really enjoyed the subtle shift in this series evolving to focus more on the Bayside Senior's home and its residents and the relationship that Maggie and Austin have with these seniors. I love how readers get to know a new resident, their story and a specific challenge they are currently facing. The intergenerational relationships established in the previous books let us catch up on residents we know and hear new narratives and how friendships form and evolve. Harvey continues to be the glue that holds the stories together. There is always some historical learning in this series, and in this book, we learn about the music of this older generation and how it can help heal. Not common in middle grade books, readers find out about the running of a senior home and different perspectives on day-to-day operations and how it needs to be safe, but not so restricted that it doesn't feel like a home. Harvey Takes the Lead provides middle-grade readers with a window to see life from a senior's point of view and the places they now call home. Another great addition to the series and for your collections!l Let's hope for a fourth book!
Released on May 17/25, you will want to add this one to your collections!
First Line Blastoff
Harvey scampers outside with Maggie close behind.
Other Books By This Author:
Harvey Comes Home, Harvey Holds His Own and
The Undercover Book List
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