Harbor Me

In Jacqueline Woodson’s beautifully written, coming-of-age novel, Harbor Me, six middle graders meet for a weekly chat — unsupervised — in a room they dub the ARTT Room (abbreviation of “A Room To Talk”). They discover it’s safe to talk about what’s bothering them: everything from a father’s deportation, to fears of racial profiling and adjustment to changing family fortunes. When they are together, expressing hidden feelings and fears, they grow braver, more ready for what lies ahead. With searing honesty, Woodson explores how America’s political and social challenges affect children daily, and how safe harbours can be found in friendships.