Sincerely, Harriet by Sarah Winifred Searle
Published by Graphic Universe (TM) on January 1st 2019
ISBN: 1512440191
Pages: 176
Goodreads

It is summer and Harriet is stuck in a hot apartment in Chicago. Her family has just moved there and has not made friends. With a lot of time on her hands, Harriet’s imagination begins to run wild. Is the house haunted? Is the mailman evil? When Harriet starts to visit Pearl, the elderly owner of the building, she begins to find constructive ways to use her imagination. Pearl provides reading material for Harriet and encourages her to create stories in her journal. Searle’s large graphic panels are simple and colored in muted berry colors. This story also addresses “invisible disabilities”, particularly  Multiple Sclerosis and Post-Polio Syndrome. The theme of chronic illness is not addressed until the end of the story and feels overshadowed by Harriet’s feeling of isolation. The author does provide resources for further reading about disabilities at the back of the book, but overall it feels like a missed opportunity to fully explore this issue. Recommended for Grades 5 and up. 

Elizabeth Andersen, Librarian, Westbrook High School