Mick Harte was Here, by Barbara Park, is about a girl named Phoebe, whose brother Mick, dies in a bicycle accident. He died because he didn't have his helmet on. After he died, Phoebe and her family were never the same again. They spent most of their days at their house. Phoebes mother slept half the day and never changed out of her pajamas. They never ate meals at the table anymore. Phoebe spent most of her day talking to her friend Zoe, and dreaming about Mick. About a month after they were recovering from the accident, Phoebe started going to school, and her father started going to work. After the funeral, Phoebes family was fully recovered, but every once in awhile, Phoebe would still have flashbacks. In the end, Phoebe writes "Mick Harte Was Here" in the wet concrete.
One of the main themes in the book is safety. An example is when Mick crashed, he died because he wasn't wearing his helmet. Another theme is bravery. An example is when Phoebe went to school, she had to deal with people making fun of her. Those are some themes in this book.
I would not recommend this book to other 8th graders, because it is a sad book. This could make girls cry easily, and even some guys. Even though I liked the book, other people might not. I would recommend it to ages 14 and up. This book is short and easy to read. That's also why i would recommend this book.
