Harris and Me explained

Harris and Me
Author:	Gary Paulsen
Cover Artist:	Wendell Minor
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Publisher:	Harcourt Children's Books
Pub Date:	October 29, 1993
Media Type:	Print (hardback & paperback)
Pages:	168 pp (first edition)
Isbn:	978-0-15-292877-3
Dewey:	813/.54 20
Congress:	PS3566.A834 H37 1993
Oclc:	28067113

Harris and Me is a children's novel written by author Gary Paulsen. It was first published in 1993. The book is composed of a collection of vignettes with a subheading to preview each chapter. Based on a 2007 online poll, the National Education Association listed the book as one of its "Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children."^[1]

Characters

• The "Me" of the title is an eleven-year-old boy who narrates the story. Since "Harris and Me" is a memoir of Gary Paulsen's childhood, The "Me" is Gary Paulsen, Or at least in his point of view.
• Harris Larson: A hyperactive nine-year-old boy who loves kinetic adventures.
• Knute Larson: Harris's father, a coffee-guzzling farmer who almost never speaks.
• Louie: A farmhand on the Larson's place, who sleeps above the barn. He has no teeth and swallows his food without chewing. He also has a hobby of making small wooden sculptures, including a wooden hand sized bust of the main character in the memoir.
• Glennis Larson: Harris's older sister, who repeatedly slaps Harris for swearing, which happens numerous times a day.
• Clair Larson: Harris's mother, the cook of the family.
• Buzzer: A lynx who was found and raised by Louie as a pet.
• Ernie: An extremely aggressive rooster
• Vivian: A big cow who doesn't like to be touched or milked.
• Bill and Bob: The Huge Horses

Note: This is a memoir of a summer in the life of Gary Paulsen. It is said that he never went back to visit Harris.

Motifs

• Home life
• Belonging
• Family
• Acceptance
• Identity

References

• Juliane F. Gillispie and Robert M. Otten. Harris and Me: A Summer Remembered: For Further Reference. Beacham's Guide to Literature for Young Adults. Ed. Kirk H. Beetz. Vol 7. Beacham-Gale, 1990. January 2005. 26 June 2008.
• Nile, Amber. Harris and Me. Secondary English. 19 June 2008.
• Paulsen, Gary. Harris and Me. Orlando: Harcourt, Inc., 1993.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Teachers' Top 100 Books for Children . National Education Association . 2007 . August 19, 2012 . July 30, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130730194044/http://www.nea.org/grants/teachers-top-100-books-for-children.html . dead .