Harbor Me is a middle-grade novel written by the American author Jacqueline Woodson and published in 2018. Woodson had earned the National Book Award for Young People’s Literature for her previous book Brown Girl Dreaming. In this book, she writes about middle school students finding a safe space to share their stories.
The narrative revolves around six tweens - namely Haley, Esteban, Amari, Aston, and Holly - as they engage in weekly conversations. They share a commonality and that is they all have had to face particular challenges in both school and home. Once offered a safe space by a teacher they let their voices be heard confronting social issues from police violence, immigration to parental loss. It also tackles the topic of racial profiling through Amari who has to learn that playing with Nerf guns is no longer an option as a kid of color.
The author makes the book accessible to its younger audience by having the characters converse amongst themselves without adult oversight. The heavy subject matter and emotional depth allow the author to take the narrative beyond the genre conventions. Kirkus Reviews wrote, “Woodson delivers a powerful tale of community and mutual growth…The characters ring true as they discuss issues both personal and global. This story, told with exquisite language and clarity of narrative, is both heartbreaking and hopeful.”
