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Tales to Tickle the Funnybone #2
Harris and Me
A young boy spends his tenth summer on his aunt and uncle’s farm, where he is constantly involved in crazy escapades with his cousin Harris. “On the Larson farm, readers will experience hearts as large as farmers’ appetites, humor as broad as the country landscape and adventures as wild as boyhood imaginations. All this adds up to a hearty helping of old-fashioned, rip-roaring entertainment.”--Publishers Weekly
157 pages, Paperback
First published October 29, 1993
344 people are currently reading
2843 people want to read
About the author
Gary Paulsen
407 books3,978 followersGary James Paulsen was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction, best known for coming-of-age stories about the wilderness. He was the author of more than 200 books and wrote more than 200 magazine articles and short stories, and several plays, all primarily for teenagers. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 1997 for his lifetime contribution in writing for teens.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 942 reviews
July 28, 2008
I wish this could have a million, zillion, jillion to infinity stars because it's awesome!
It's a boy book and I like that stuff. They made a motorcycle out of a clothes washer and jumped on a horses back from a loft and they peed on an electric fence and they jumped on a sow and almost killed it. It was super funny.
It's a boy book and I like that stuff. They made a motorcycle out of a clothes washer and jumped on a horses back from a loft and they peed on an electric fence and they jumped on a sow and almost killed it. It was super funny.
March 5, 2018
This is quite possibly the funniest piece of writing that Gary Paulsen ever published. I've always been disappointed that I couldn't read it aloud to children at school thanks in large part to Harris's decidedly foul mouth. I have never laughed so hard at any other book in my life, the stories of Patrick McManus included. There are few books that manage to hold so honestly to the true nature of a mischievous boy, unacceptable bits and all, and there is no other book that holds a candle to this for comedic value.
Its charm doesn't stem from the fact that his actions are of a particularly surprising nature. Rather, its comedic brilliance is born out of its ability to let readers foresee the consequences of Harris's actions long before he does, coupled with the ride that Harris takes along the way and particularly his reaction after each ploy fails. On Goodreads, I'd recommend this to anyone of any age. At school, not so much, which is the most irritating part of composing this review.
Its charm doesn't stem from the fact that his actions are of a particularly surprising nature. Rather, its comedic brilliance is born out of its ability to let readers foresee the consequences of Harris's actions long before he does, coupled with the ride that Harris takes along the way and particularly his reaction after each ploy fails. On Goodreads, I'd recommend this to anyone of any age. At school, not so much, which is the most irritating part of composing this review.
April 27, 2020
I am sorry for those of you that have not had the privilege to know of a different time and place. When life was slower, the nights were darker and lit by fireflies, when, well when life was more real, when Roy Rogers was King, Tarzan came on every Saturday morning... It wasn't perfect, but for kids, even the 60s were just so much fun. Nobody came home until the street lights came on...
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I think it might actually be the best book I have ever read in my life.... This reminded me of the stories that my Daddy told me about his childhood and his friend, Froggy.. yup Froggy. I laughed so hard, thank God I was reading, cuz had I been listening, I wouldn't have been able to hear it I was laughing so hard. Jumpin on pigs, driving tractors, having a lynx for a "PET" and a rooster... OMG, I about wet my pants. I have been jumped on by a rooster and by ducks... once as a police officer I was chased by these people's goose (that is some scary stuff right there, yall). I was in uniform running around and around their house and my car and the dam goose was chasing me so close I couldn't do anything but run and yell for them to come out and get the dam thing. That goose kept jumping up and hitting me in the back with its feet.. So when Ernie hit Harris in the back, I was hysterical...
And then the tears.. WOW! what a great book. I just loved it...
5 stars because that is all there is to give
Happy Reading
I LOVED THIS BOOK. I think it might actually be the best book I have ever read in my life.... This reminded me of the stories that my Daddy told me about his childhood and his friend, Froggy.. yup Froggy. I laughed so hard, thank God I was reading, cuz had I been listening, I wouldn't have been able to hear it I was laughing so hard. Jumpin on pigs, driving tractors, having a lynx for a "PET" and a rooster... OMG, I about wet my pants. I have been jumped on by a rooster and by ducks... once as a police officer I was chased by these people's goose (that is some scary stuff right there, yall). I was in uniform running around and around their house and my car and the dam goose was chasing me so close I couldn't do anything but run and yell for them to come out and get the dam thing. That goose kept jumping up and hitting me in the back with its feet.. So when Ernie hit Harris in the back, I was hysterical...
And then the tears.. WOW! what a great book. I just loved it...
5 stars because that is all there is to give
Happy Reading
September 27, 2018
Banned Book Week! Time to read some banned books. First up is this curious little item from the mid-90s, challenged apparently for its language.
A nameless 11-year-old narrator is passed from relative to relative in the 1950s (Probably? Reference is made to a 1949 truck.) because his parents are a pair of hopeless drunks. The latest stop is a farm in Minnesota (Probably? There is reference to someone going 150 miles west to North Dakota.) where we are introduced to Harris, the poster child for The Dangerous Book for Boys. The book flap references Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, and like them, Harris is chock full of mischief, willfulness and life-threatening plans for play that would probably make helicopter parents faint at the mere thought of them. He drops racist references to Japanese people as casually as Huck used the N-word. Harris also uses the word "damn" liberally, which I guess some people find offensive? And there are references to nudie pics.
So, should it be banned? No. Might it be inappropriate for young readers? Um, yeah. If I were reading it to a child, I'd feel obliged to have a lot of side discussions to put a lot of things into context of the historical framework.
But, hey, I'm an adult, and I grew up on a farm that was testosterone heavy with two older brothers, a father and a live-in uncle and had my own share of stupidly dangerous episodes of play and work, as well as exposure to racism, profanity, and pornography, so it was pretty easy to relate.
The hijinks are amusing enough in their boys-will-be-boys way with plenty of groin-injuring slapstick. The ending, like the setting and protagonist's name, seems needlessly vague, but its acceptable enough in its what-do-you-think-happened-next way that depends entirely on if you are in a good or bad mood when you finish the book.
A nameless 11-year-old narrator is passed from relative to relative in the 1950s (Probably? Reference is made to a 1949 truck.) because his parents are a pair of hopeless drunks. The latest stop is a farm in Minnesota (Probably? There is reference to someone going 150 miles west to North Dakota.) where we are introduced to Harris, the poster child for The Dangerous Book for Boys. The book flap references Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn, and like them, Harris is chock full of mischief, willfulness and life-threatening plans for play that would probably make helicopter parents faint at the mere thought of them. He drops racist references to Japanese people as casually as Huck used the N-word. Harris also uses the word "damn" liberally, which I guess some people find offensive? And there are references to nudie pics.
So, should it be banned? No. Might it be inappropriate for young readers? Um, yeah. If I were reading it to a child, I'd feel obliged to have a lot of side discussions to put a lot of things into context of the historical framework.
But, hey, I'm an adult, and I grew up on a farm that was testosterone heavy with two older brothers, a father and a live-in uncle and had my own share of stupidly dangerous episodes of play and work, as well as exposure to racism, profanity, and pornography, so it was pretty easy to relate.
The hijinks are amusing enough in their boys-will-be-boys way with plenty of groin-injuring slapstick. The ending, like the setting and protagonist's name, seems needlessly vague, but its acceptable enough in its what-do-you-think-happened-next way that depends entirely on if you are in a good or bad mood when you finish the book.
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October 1, 2008iv read it 3 times funniest book ever
June 8, 2024
With his usual magic style, Gary Paulsen takes readers through a special summer of a young boy. His alcoholic parents can't take care of him so he is sent off to distant relatives on a farm in Minnesota. Cousin Harris leads the two through many exciting (and usually dangerous!) adventures, and the story is absolutely hilarious! It is short and would be fun for middle grade up through adult readers -- I loved it!
April 18, 2011
Seriously? This book was terrible!
The first thing you notice when you pick up this book is the title 'Harris and Me'. Okay, that's not even proper grammar. SO obviously, the author is a thick-skulked baboon. Need further proof? Does he really expect me to laugh at someone hurting there balls or saying the word 'piss'? Because, quite frankly, it's not that funny all.
If he says 'testicles' one more freaking time I'm going to shoot someone!"I said testicle and now I'm a famous author!" NO!!! That's not how it works!!!!
Hey, Gary Paulsen. Ever heard of the Grammar Slammer Bammer? Well, he's coming for you.
The first thing you notice when you pick up this book is the title 'Harris and Me'. Okay, that's not even proper grammar. SO obviously, the author is a thick-skulked baboon. Need further proof? Does he really expect me to laugh at someone hurting there balls or saying the word 'piss'? Because, quite frankly, it's not that funny all.
If he says 'testicles' one more freaking time I'm going to shoot someone!"I said testicle and now I'm a famous author!" NO!!! That's not how it works!!!!
Hey, Gary Paulsen. Ever heard of the Grammar Slammer Bammer? Well, he's coming for you.
June 27, 2024
This sort of novel, rather than survival stories such as his classic Hatchet, may be Gary Paulsen's bread and butter. The frequency with which many settings and events of Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered pop up in his books indicates the impression these real-life moments made on Paulsen. It starts, as usual, with a nameless main character neglected by his drunkard parents, and sent away temporarily with relatives. The plan this time is for him to spend summer with the Larson family on their farm, a brood of earthy, hardworking people whose daily routine is miles from anything the eleven-year-old boy has known. The Larson parents and daughter are welcoming, but it takes less than a day to realize he's going to have a wild time with his nine-year-old cousin Harris, a freckle-faced blonde with a rollicking appetite for fun.
The boy is expected to do daily chores with Harris before dawn, and even these mundane tasks seem life-threatening. There's Vivian the kicking cow, and Ernie the near-homicidal rooster with a special evil streak toward Harris, the victim of his sneak attacks. You also have Buzzer the "cat", who happens to be a lynx, and prowls the farm like it's his territory. Harris, who swears like a junior sailor and gets walloped for it on the regular by his big sister Glennis, comes up with new stunts and games to play with the boy every day, turning each hour into a walk on the wild side. Will the boy survive to say goodbye at summer's end?
Life on the farm isn't all hard work and looney hi-jinx. Public dances in "town" are a semi-regular highlight, though the boy's one chance to meet a pretty girl is dive-bombed by Harris, who doesn't wish to lose his best friend to the temptations of the female gender. No matter...he has ample opportunity to strike back at Harris whenever the farm boy crosses a line. For a city kid, living a single summer with Harris's family is like being tossed into the madhouse, but even a madhouse feels good when all you've encountered through eleven years is aimlessness and a lonesome heart. He'll never forget that summer with Harris, not for all the years he lives.
When you're a kid, each day tends to feel like the one before, a humdrum parade you hope leads to a meaningful later life. These days aren't really worth anything, right? Life begins when you ascend to adulthood and command your own affairs. Only in retrospect does one view a boy like Harris with awe, the perfect companion to daily adventure, with a mind full of enthusiasm and ideas. This is the lens through which Harris and Me views Harris, a kid whose legend only grew richer in Gary Paulsen's mind after decades of fond reflection. Part of me wants to round my rating to three stars, but I'll rate this book two and a half. There isn't much variety of action, but it all feels authentic. Sometimes, that's what you most need to grab hold and cherish.
The boy is expected to do daily chores with Harris before dawn, and even these mundane tasks seem life-threatening. There's Vivian the kicking cow, and Ernie the near-homicidal rooster with a special evil streak toward Harris, the victim of his sneak attacks. You also have Buzzer the "cat", who happens to be a lynx, and prowls the farm like it's his territory. Harris, who swears like a junior sailor and gets walloped for it on the regular by his big sister Glennis, comes up with new stunts and games to play with the boy every day, turning each hour into a walk on the wild side. Will the boy survive to say goodbye at summer's end?
Life on the farm isn't all hard work and looney hi-jinx. Public dances in "town" are a semi-regular highlight, though the boy's one chance to meet a pretty girl is dive-bombed by Harris, who doesn't wish to lose his best friend to the temptations of the female gender. No matter...he has ample opportunity to strike back at Harris whenever the farm boy crosses a line. For a city kid, living a single summer with Harris's family is like being tossed into the madhouse, but even a madhouse feels good when all you've encountered through eleven years is aimlessness and a lonesome heart. He'll never forget that summer with Harris, not for all the years he lives.
When you're a kid, each day tends to feel like the one before, a humdrum parade you hope leads to a meaningful later life. These days aren't really worth anything, right? Life begins when you ascend to adulthood and command your own affairs. Only in retrospect does one view a boy like Harris with awe, the perfect companion to daily adventure, with a mind full of enthusiasm and ideas. This is the lens through which Harris and Me views Harris, a kid whose legend only grew richer in Gary Paulsen's mind after decades of fond reflection. Part of me wants to round my rating to three stars, but I'll rate this book two and a half. There isn't much variety of action, but it all feels authentic. Sometimes, that's what you most need to grab hold and cherish.
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April 22, 2019Student Name:Max Meyerhofer Date Submitted:4/9/19
Book Title: Harris and Me Lexile:980
Personal response:
I personally like this book. It was super easy to read and comprehend, but it wasn't super easy to where I just fly by. I also enjoyed that the setting was out in the countryside because that is my favorite place to be.
Summary: The main character, who we never find out his name, is a foster child who goes and lives with his aunt because his parents drink too much. At his aunt's house, he finds his cousin who is about nine years old. All throughout the book, they go on many adventures. One of the worst things they did was take a motor from a washing machine and put it on a bike to have some fun. It went a little too far because they crashed it. They always did something crazy all throughout the book like when they tried jumping off the barn.
Characterization: The narrator, in my opinion, changed the most throughout the book because he went from being a shy guy to having fun with Harris. For example, in the beginning when they are eating pancakes, the narrator does not even try to go for one. So Harris just shares one of his with him. But then, later on, he becomes more friendly with Harris and they do some crazy plans.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to anyone in middle school and up. I say this because there is some minor swearing throughout but nothing too bad. It is also a very easy read and anyone would comprehend it.
Book Title: Harris and Me Lexile:980
Personal response:
I personally like this book. It was super easy to read and comprehend, but it wasn't super easy to where I just fly by. I also enjoyed that the setting was out in the countryside because that is my favorite place to be.
Summary: The main character, who we never find out his name, is a foster child who goes and lives with his aunt because his parents drink too much. At his aunt's house, he finds his cousin who is about nine years old. All throughout the book, they go on many adventures. One of the worst things they did was take a motor from a washing machine and put it on a bike to have some fun. It went a little too far because they crashed it. They always did something crazy all throughout the book like when they tried jumping off the barn.
Characterization: The narrator, in my opinion, changed the most throughout the book because he went from being a shy guy to having fun with Harris. For example, in the beginning when they are eating pancakes, the narrator does not even try to go for one. So Harris just shares one of his with him. But then, later on, he becomes more friendly with Harris and they do some crazy plans.
Recommendation: I would recommend this book to anyone in middle school and up. I say this because there is some minor swearing throughout but nothing too bad. It is also a very easy read and anyone would comprehend it.
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December 18, 2018It was an okay book but i would not say it was the best. iv defiantly read better books before.
December 1, 2018
Very good i read it in sixth grade!
September 24, 2025
I’ve learned I’m a city girl through and through. Happy for the nameless MC tho. Glad he had an unforgettable summer ☀️💛 a summer Harris would never let him forget that is haha
December 10, 2009
Genre/Category: Gary Paulsen
The 11-year-old narrator is taken to the farm of distant family for a summer and meets Harris, a daring, yet immature boy who gets them into all sorts of trouble. However, after a summer full of events and mishaps, the two boys become great friends.
The only other book I've read by Paulsen was Hatchet, so I didn't have a lot to compare this novel to. I was a little surprised by the lack of a climax; the book seemed to be made up of one event after another without any build-up or point. This may possibly be because Paulsen wanted to show an average summer on the farm and a growing relationship between two young boys without needing a strong climax and resolution in the end. Instead, the book felt more like every-day life on a farm, where the greatest trials were avoiding an angry rooster and finding a place to dry off after a swim in the river. It was a care-free kind of book, one full of cherished moments and insights into life through the eyes of a young boy.
The 11-year-old narrator is taken to the farm of distant family for a summer and meets Harris, a daring, yet immature boy who gets them into all sorts of trouble. However, after a summer full of events and mishaps, the two boys become great friends.
The only other book I've read by Paulsen was Hatchet, so I didn't have a lot to compare this novel to. I was a little surprised by the lack of a climax; the book seemed to be made up of one event after another without any build-up or point. This may possibly be because Paulsen wanted to show an average summer on the farm and a growing relationship between two young boys without needing a strong climax and resolution in the end. Instead, the book felt more like every-day life on a farm, where the greatest trials were avoiding an angry rooster and finding a place to dry off after a swim in the river. It was a care-free kind of book, one full of cherished moments and insights into life through the eyes of a young boy.
November 2, 2016
Harris and Me written by Gary Paulsen is realistic fiction. In my eyes this book is great because it's a mix of comedy and realism about being a farm boy and living that life. The Me character is a smart, outgoing, city boy and doesn't know much about the farm boy life. Harris is weird, likes adventure, and he's a daredevil. The main conflict is Harris has a tendency to be too adventurist.The setting is on a farm in the good old days. The plot line of the story is Me went to an aunts and uncles house met Harris started messing around like "me" is part of the family. A detail i found funny funny is that Harris read the comic Tarzan and then he tried to swing from a rope like him but ended up running in to a barn wall. i highly recommend this book.
July 22, 2018
3.5/5
This is a children’s book that is set in the early 1950s. It is written from the perspective of a young boy. One day he is taken from his parents (who drink a little too much at times) and brought to live with some of his distant relatives on a farm. This is the story about his friendship with his second cousin, Harris, and the adventures and escapades that they get up to on the farm.
This is a children’s book that is set in the early 1950s. It is written from the perspective of a young boy. One day he is taken from his parents (who drink a little too much at times) and brought to live with some of his distant relatives on a farm. This is the story about his friendship with his second cousin, Harris, and the adventures and escapades that they get up to on the farm.
September 15, 2019
It is a good book and gives off a really warm feeling.
October 27, 2022
This book is hilarious. I truly laughed till I cried.
August 22, 2014
I liked the book but it was slow in some parts
June 28, 2024
Not really sure what to rate this ... 3.5. While writing this review and remembering some of the story, I think I bumped it up a little. My boys (reluctant readers) had read this author's Hatchet series. I noticed he has SO many other titles too. This one popped up for me as a physical book, given to me by my brother (purchased at a school library sale) for my Little Free Library. I like to read a book if I can before offering it up, and wondered if the author's appeal would carry over beyond Hatchet.
On the one hand, this was a sweet story about a boy coming from a broken home, to stay the summer with extended family. Learning about love and life. Lots of growth.
It's also a very "young boy" with some crude talk (testicles, balls, dirty pictures, blowing up a frog, smoking/drinking) and bad grammar (lots of "ain't" and "don't nobody seen that" type of thing ...) ironically whereas the title says "Harris and Me" I noted IN the book, our MC said/thought "Harris and I" with correct grammar. He (at age 11) also uses/things words like "ubiquitous" and "purloined" and "wherein" (see the TOC headers) ...
Just twelve chapters ... no TOC in the hardcopy, and just basic numerical chapters listed in the Kindle and audio versions. There WERE chapter headings, which sound like official "Friends" episode titles, and I would have loved to have them shown in the TOC. So, here they are now for my personal reference (it gives a feel of the book, the events, the voice ...)
1. In which I meet Harris and am exposed for the first time to the vagaries of inflation
2. Wherein I become a farmer and meet Vivian
3. Wherein Harris introduces me to work and I meet Ernie
4. In which war is declared and honor established
5. Where I meet Buzzer and learn the value and safety of teamwork
6. Wherein I learn some more physics, involving parabolic trajectories, and see the worth of literature
7. In which I am exposed to the city, and the lure of the silver screen and orange pop
8. In which we educate two horses, and I learn the one blamed is not always the one guilty
9. Where I learn of play and strength, and raw work
10. In which I discover love only to have my heart broken and in revenge fry Harris's business
11. In which Harris discovers speed ... and the value of clothing
12. In which all things change
I have to admit I laughed out loud typing up the header to chapter 10 ... there is an epilogue too. So much of the story is just basic childhood shenanigans. I did wonder at the "indians" and "dirty japs" play, how the present day political correct climate would view things. I was a reminded a little of the childhood friendships in To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem&Scout and Dill come to stay the summer, or Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer. There at the end, I think I teared up a little.
It was having the physical book that bumped this up my TBR ... I'm a little ashamed to say I struggled a bit with the "don't judge a book by its cover" because, I HATE this cover. There are a few, this one is the two boys and the big, realistic looking (made me wonder if it had been made into a movie? I don't mind the audio cover, and like the farm scene of the hardback. I don't love the title either ... the grammar issue bugs me a bit (and as mentioned, our MC actually has a refined vocabulary for his age).
Writing this review ... as I wrote "the MC" ... I realized I didn't know the MCs name. I flipped through the book ... we are never told his name! The blurb says "A young city boys is sent to spend the summer on his aunt and uncle's farm" ... it doesn't list a name. His name is never said! I was super aware of this in The Handmaid's Tale and The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, but I hadn't even realized it here until I came to write this review.
1st person//Past tense
Listed as part of a series - but that seems to be a random pull together of titles, this is a stand-alone book.
On Audible, it's listed as a woman as the narrator ... um no, Steven Boyer does get credit (even if Audible gets it wrong on their site).
On the one hand, this was a sweet story about a boy coming from a broken home, to stay the summer with extended family. Learning about love and life. Lots of growth.
It's also a very "young boy" with some crude talk (testicles, balls, dirty pictures, blowing up a frog, smoking/drinking) and bad grammar (lots of "ain't" and "don't nobody seen that" type of thing ...) ironically whereas the title says "Harris and Me" I noted IN the book, our MC said/thought "Harris and I" with correct grammar. He (at age 11) also uses/things words like "ubiquitous" and "purloined" and "wherein" (see the TOC headers) ...
Just twelve chapters ... no TOC in the hardcopy, and just basic numerical chapters listed in the Kindle and audio versions. There WERE chapter headings, which sound like official "Friends" episode titles, and I would have loved to have them shown in the TOC. So, here they are now for my personal reference (it gives a feel of the book, the events, the voice ...)
1. In which I meet Harris and am exposed for the first time to the vagaries of inflation
2. Wherein I become a farmer and meet Vivian
3. Wherein Harris introduces me to work and I meet Ernie
4. In which war is declared and honor established
5. Where I meet Buzzer and learn the value and safety of teamwork
6. Wherein I learn some more physics, involving parabolic trajectories, and see the worth of literature
7. In which I am exposed to the city, and the lure of the silver screen and orange pop
8. In which we educate two horses, and I learn the one blamed is not always the one guilty
9. Where I learn of play and strength, and raw work
10. In which I discover love only to have my heart broken and in revenge fry Harris's business
11. In which Harris discovers speed ... and the value of clothing
12. In which all things change
I have to admit I laughed out loud typing up the header to chapter 10 ... there is an epilogue too. So much of the story is just basic childhood shenanigans. I did wonder at the "indians" and "dirty japs" play, how the present day political correct climate would view things. I was a reminded a little of the childhood friendships in To Kill A Mockingbird, Jem&Scout and Dill come to stay the summer, or Huck Finn/Tom Sawyer. There at the end, I think I teared up a little.
It was having the physical book that bumped this up my TBR ... I'm a little ashamed to say I struggled a bit with the "don't judge a book by its cover" because, I HATE this cover. There are a few, this one is the two boys and the big, realistic looking (made me wonder if it had been made into a movie? I don't mind the audio cover, and like the farm scene of the hardback. I don't love the title either ... the grammar issue bugs me a bit (and as mentioned, our MC actually has a refined vocabulary for his age).
Writing this review ... as I wrote "the MC" ... I realized I didn't know the MCs name. I flipped through the book ... we are never told his name! The blurb says "A young city boys is sent to spend the summer on his aunt and uncle's farm" ... it doesn't list a name. His name is never said! I was super aware of this in The Handmaid's Tale and The Book of the Unnamed Midwife, but I hadn't even realized it here until I came to write this review.
1st person//Past tense
Listed as part of a series - but that seems to be a random pull together of titles, this is a stand-alone book.
On Audible, it's listed as a woman as the narrator ... um no, Steven Boyer does get credit (even if Audible gets it wrong on their site).
Read
March 26, 2019Personal Response:
I thought the book Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen was a very fun, light read. I grew up in a farming community with brothers who were always up to mischief. These facts helped me relate to this story. I also had a foster brother which helped me relate to the main character’s life. Overall, I thought this book was very easy and good to read.
Plot:
The main character was a foster child that went to live with relatives that he had never met before due to his parent's alcohol abuse. He finally found a home with a child his same age. His name was Harris and he was his nine-year-old cousin. They got into many adventures and misadventures together. The biggest mischief that they got into was taking a motor off a washing machine and adding it to a bike. They finally got it to drive, but it crashed. They also tried to fly by jumping off the barn roof. They had an uncle who did little creative projects like making crafts, which they loved. Throughout the story, they did crazy stunts that could have ended up getting them harmed and even killed. They were brave and they did crazy stunts over and over again.
Characterization: Throughout the book, Harris caused both him and the narrator to do crazy, daring stunts. They ultimately learned from these stunts because of the trouble that they would get in. They both grew as characters. They learned that they could have fun, but they needed to be safe. As the narrator bounced between homes, he grew as a person. He grew to be independent and not rely on anyone but himself. He grew to be a fun and daring kid. Harris pulled the narrator out of his shy personality. By the end of the book, they were both very outgoing kids. At the end of summer, the narrator had to say goodbye to Harris and the fun they had together. Harris grew as a character because he matures greatly throughout the book.
Setting:
The book mostly took place on a farm. The child was moving from relative to relative, so there was not a stable setting. The book also took place in the mid-1950s, so the time period has changed dramatically from then to now. The setting has an impact on the book by giving the reader a feel of the environment, and how life was like in the past.
Recommendation:
I recommended this book to middle school students and above because a younger audience would not be able to fully comprehend the book. I also recommended this book to both males and females because this was a book that could relate to anyone. This book was also not hard and that was why it was a good read for middle school students.
I thought the book Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen was a very fun, light read. I grew up in a farming community with brothers who were always up to mischief. These facts helped me relate to this story. I also had a foster brother which helped me relate to the main character’s life. Overall, I thought this book was very easy and good to read.
Plot:
The main character was a foster child that went to live with relatives that he had never met before due to his parent's alcohol abuse. He finally found a home with a child his same age. His name was Harris and he was his nine-year-old cousin. They got into many adventures and misadventures together. The biggest mischief that they got into was taking a motor off a washing machine and adding it to a bike. They finally got it to drive, but it crashed. They also tried to fly by jumping off the barn roof. They had an uncle who did little creative projects like making crafts, which they loved. Throughout the story, they did crazy stunts that could have ended up getting them harmed and even killed. They were brave and they did crazy stunts over and over again.
Characterization: Throughout the book, Harris caused both him and the narrator to do crazy, daring stunts. They ultimately learned from these stunts because of the trouble that they would get in. They both grew as characters. They learned that they could have fun, but they needed to be safe. As the narrator bounced between homes, he grew as a person. He grew to be independent and not rely on anyone but himself. He grew to be a fun and daring kid. Harris pulled the narrator out of his shy personality. By the end of the book, they were both very outgoing kids. At the end of summer, the narrator had to say goodbye to Harris and the fun they had together. Harris grew as a character because he matures greatly throughout the book.
Setting:
The book mostly took place on a farm. The child was moving from relative to relative, so there was not a stable setting. The book also took place in the mid-1950s, so the time period has changed dramatically from then to now. The setting has an impact on the book by giving the reader a feel of the environment, and how life was like in the past.
Recommendation:
I recommended this book to middle school students and above because a younger audience would not be able to fully comprehend the book. I also recommended this book to both males and females because this was a book that could relate to anyone. This book was also not hard and that was why it was a good read for middle school students.
Read
December 28, 2018An unnamed kid spends the summer with the Larsons. The Larsons are a family that consists of Knute, Clair, Glennis, Harris, and a farmhand, Louie. Harris is a young boy that would be very irritating to me. I have had my fair share of little kids and I think Harris would drive me nuts. Harris and the kid get in lots of trouble. There are two big horses on the farm Bill and Bob. Harris and the kid lose the horses' trust over the summer. First, they lose Bill's trust when they jump out of the hayloft onto his back. The horse did not like that and would not go near either of the boys afterward. The next time the wrest of the family leaves the boys lose the trust of Bob. The kid grabbed his toy six shooter and Harris grabbed Knutes 12 gauge shotgun. They were going to play cowboys. Harris put the barrel of the gun between Bob's ears and fired. Bob bucked the boys off and stepped on the gun, causing the stock to break. Knute was not mad about the gun breaking, just disappointed, which is far worse. The boys got into many more shenanigans after that.
April 18, 2017
It is a good book because its about farming with his uncle for the summer. He used to be in a family in the city but he never knew what else he could do in the country. He made friends with his cousin and learns about the country. They learn how to milk cows and smooth it out and rides horses.But can he keep up with everything that happens at the farm.
November 14, 2021
Harris and Me, by Gary Paulsen, tells the story of an eleven year old boy sent to visit his distant relatives for the summer. These relatives live out in the country, on a farm, and it is here where our protagonist meets Harris, the youngest child in the family. Harris is a very active nine year old who loves his adventures and is eager to share these adventures with his cousin.
This story provides a lens into the joys and yes, hard work of rural living for those who have not had these experiences. From the mattresses stuffed with corn husks and the wood burning stove to the angry farmhouse rooster and peeing on an electric fence, Harris and Me is a delightful story of country living that, in many ways, parallels Tom Sawyer. For readers unfamiliar with farm life, many of these adventures could seem outrageous.
While the adventures are hysterical, Harris and Me is a story about belonging and acceptance. Our protagonist has a tumultuous family life, hence the reason he is staying with his relatives for the summer. The reader is reminded throughout the story that families can be complicated, but they can also be the touchstone that keeps us centered.
This story provides a lens into the joys and yes, hard work of rural living for those who have not had these experiences. From the mattresses stuffed with corn husks and the wood burning stove to the angry farmhouse rooster and peeing on an electric fence, Harris and Me is a delightful story of country living that, in many ways, parallels Tom Sawyer. For readers unfamiliar with farm life, many of these adventures could seem outrageous.
While the adventures are hysterical, Harris and Me is a story about belonging and acceptance. Our protagonist has a tumultuous family life, hence the reason he is staying with his relatives for the summer. The reader is reminded throughout the story that families can be complicated, but they can also be the touchstone that keeps us centered.
January 13, 2023
This book helped me loving reading, it will always be one of my favorites!
August 1, 2023
Hilarious farm-life story. Reminded me of my childhood. It gets a little outrageous at times and the language is sure to offend a few, but I laughed out loud many times. It's a good thing kids are so resilient and hard-headed!
August 20, 2024
I LOVED THIS BOOK! It's a fun adventure and quick read. It’s about a city kid who spends his summer with his "cousins" in the countryside. He spends most of the time with one of his cousin Harris and they get into some crazy shenanigans.
May 6, 2025
Always a fun re-read. Loved it since fifth grade, always makes me laugh out loud but also cry 😌
September 30, 2021
It was the funniest book I have ever read
June 17, 2020
Harris and Me is a pretty cute children's story, most especially for boys. Harris tests the limits of life on a daily basis at the farm he lives on. When his city cousin arrives for the summer, the boys work hard at play always with disastrous results. Some days it's just mud or pig dung, but other days it seems as if they actually risk life and limb pulling some crazy stunts. Harris was a larger than life character dressed in nothing but overalls, most of the time...when he didn't lose them. His parents seem oblivious to all his 'play' but his sister frequently tries without success to keep him in line. The city cousin learned a lot and had one of the best summers of his life hanging out with Harris. Luckily they both survived it.
March 22, 2020
This is a collection of amusing stories, but it doesn't really hold together.
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