Just Harriet - Book Review

Number of page : 226

Hi, My name is Adhyan. Today I am reviewing Just Hariet written by Elana K Arnold. The same author who wrote “A boy called BAT” which I read in first grade. I got this book from the school. There was a reading program in my school. Everyone got one copy of book to read, just like me. Teacher handed over this to me and we need to read it in home. Now every morning in our morning announcement teacher asks us questions from the book. We have a box called Way-to-go box in my school. We get slips if we are helpful, wise, kind, attentive and safe. We put our slips in that box. Every end of Thursday someone from us win a stuffed animals of Monney-penny or Matzo ball. These are characters from the book. Monney-penny is a dog and Matzo ball is a furry little cat. I already read the full book with my dad. And that’s why I am recording this review.

The story is about a girl named Harriet who finished her third grade and in last day of the school she got news that she is going to spend her summer vacation with her grandma in an island far from her house. The opening pages shows that she finished 3rd grade. She has a cat name Matzo ball. She is not excited to spend the summer away from home. She also sometimes lies. Those are good lies, not to harm anyone. She said there was two type lies; one is Denial and other is fabrication. You need to read the story to understand why she said that. She also has secrets, like, she has night terrors. And sometimes she pees in her bed when a night terror comes in her sleep.

Her mother is pregnant, and doctor told her to take bed rest. His father drops her in the Marble Island and left her with her grandma, she called her Nanu. Her dad told her that there were mysteries everywhere. She was angry, sad and bored. To give her some work Nanu told her to clean up the backyard Shed of the B&B Bed and Breakfast, which was very dirty and not cleaned for a long time.  She found a key with inscribed letter WW. She thought it’s by the initials of her dad’s name “Walter Werner”. She started looking for a lock the key can fit in. Because, you know the saying right “If there is a key, there is a lock.” She finally found the lock and open with the key. It opens to place where the old lady Mable Marble owner of the Bric and Brac before Nanu leaves in a house looks like a gingerbread house.

I don’t want to spoil all the fun you will get it from the rest of the story and mystery it unfolds. But some funny stuff I feel worth to share. Though it is embarrassing for Hariet, but peeing in bed sounds funny to me. Another so funny stuff she did is to put the dishwasher soap in the washing machine and all the foam and bubble come out from the machine and fill up the whole downstairs of B&B.

I loved the book. It was very nice long book for night reading. I give 5 stars for this book. Now go ahead and get this book from library or buy it from bookstore and read it. Go hurry