Harry Miller’s Run Hardcover – February 7, 2017

Gr 4–6—In this charming generational tale, elderly, frail Harry Miller shares a piece of his past with 11-year old Liam and his kindly mother, who are helping Harry pack up his home and move into a nursing home. Liam has been training for the Junior Great Northern Run, a short version of the now-famous annual half-marathon from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields, England. Seeing Liam in his race entry T-shirt prompts Harry to recall a hot April day in 1938 when he, at age 11, and two friends spontaneously and exuberantly embarked on the same run just to cool off with a swim in the North Sea. Along the way, they met Veronica, a spunky lass who joined their adventure, and Mr. Gabrieli, the ice-cream maker, who gave them all huge treats and handmade certificates for their 13-mile accomplishment. Harry revisits his past between naps and cups of tea while Liam and his mother sort through a box of photographs that spark Harry’s memory, reveal his younger self, and hint at a longer, deeper relationship with Veronica. When Liam and his friend run the race a week later, after Harry’s death, Liam’s youthful jubilation matches Harry’s fond reminisce. Liam delivers an engaging narration infused with delightful Briticisms and understated, sensitive observations. Like Liam, middle grade readers will begin to see Harry not as a quirky, failing old man but as a once-spirited boy who loved life. Rubbino’s lively watercolor illustrations enhance the tale’s warmth and contrasts, depicting Harry’s vivid recollections in bright colors and current happenings in a gray wash. VERDICT Once again, Almond’s masterly evocation of place, time, relationships, and indomitable spirit is superb. An excellent addition to middle grade fiction collections.—Gerry Larson, formerly at Durham School of the Arts, NC

In a moving and exuberantly illustrated short story, 11-year-old Liam has entered the Junior Great North Run…Narrated in the working-class British dialect common to several of Almond’s books, the story may require parental translation in places, yet it’s near impossible to remain untouched by Harry’s tale. Rubbino’s airy full-color pictures, splashed across the pages, reveal that the frail, elderly Harry lived a life every bit as full of action, fun, and pleasure as Liam’s.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Harry’s valedictory “Me great achievement is that I’ve been happy, that I’ve never been nowt but happy,” is a win in itself. Rubbino’s loosely brushed watercolors expertly capture both the tale’s period and its high spirits, rendering the present-day story in a gray wash and Harry’s reminiscence in full color…A rich and resonant short story.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Rubbino’s lively watercolor illustrations enhance the tale’s warmth and contrasts, depicting Harry’s vivid recollections in bright colors and current happenings in a gray wash. Once again, Almond’s masterly evocation of place, time, relationships, and indomitable spirit is superb. An excellent addition to middle grade fiction collections.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

This intergenerational story sweetly captures the importance of memory and shows how the yearning for fun and adventure never really changes.
—Booklist

In Salvatore Rubbino’s lovely, lively brush strokes, we see the great adventure…Like Liam, readers ages 8-11 are likely to leave their encounter with Harry both heartened and happy.
—The Wall Street Journal

His sweet story is crafted into an elegant tale with a touch of magic in Almond’s quietly compelling, dialect-rich prose. Rubbino’s summer-hued watercolor, gouache, pencil and ink illustrations echo the naïve style and energy of Quentin Blake…this lovely illustrated take tugs gently at the nostalgic threads many children experience as they enter puberty, knowing that they are losing something precious that is worth holding on to in memory.
—Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books

Absolutely first-rate, Harry Miller’s Run is perfectly executed in every way, washing over readers in unexpected ways that will provoke deep reflection about compassion and what life is really all about.
—Reading Eagle (from Kendal Rautzhan’s “Books to Borrow”)