Mr Nobody's Eyes
Readers Review This is an emotional story which many kids may be able to relate to. A young boy who has lost his father feels increasingly neglected as his mother remarries and has another ...
| Readers Review | This is an emotional story which many kids may be able to relate to. A young boy who has lost his father feels increasingly neglected as his mother remarries and has another child. He also faces isolation and mocking at school and cruelty from his teacher. Harry’s growing friendship with a chimpanzee brings him joy in desperate times. Preteens may find parts of the book emotionally disturbing, and therefore may not enjoy it as much as other lighter reads. |
| Look out for…. | Harry’s teacher is especially cruel to him, and there is a vivid description on p14 of her hitting his hand violently with a ruler.
Harry lies on a regular basis, has a secret hideout in a dangerous bombsite, keeps a chimpanzee that belongs to someone else, cuts school, and runs away from home. There are references to Harry’s grandmother smoking cigarettes, and a very brief mention of a married woman running away with another man (p48). Harry meets a gypsy family after running away, the father of whom gets drunk every night and sometimes hits his wife and daughter (p148), and generally loses control of himself due to drinking. There is mention of someone ‘cursing’ when angry, and the word ‘stupid’ is used on occassion. On a positive note, one thing which holds Harry together is the kind Father at his local church, who is someone Harry looks up to, confesses his sins to, and turns to for advice in times of difficulty. Harry says his prayers every night, and turns to God when he needs help. In the end, it is this belief which helps him to turn his life around. |
