Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
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Book Reviews of Harriet the Spy
Book Review: The BEST book i've EVER read in my life...
Summary: 5 Stars
Harriet the spy iis my favorite book EVER. It has been since i was 6, and i still love it. Its so hard to explain it in words..you just might have to read it yourselfBook Review: Excellent for the precocious child in your life
Summary: 4 Stars
Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh
Harper & Row, 1964
298 pages
MG; Contemporary
4/5 stars
Summary: Harriet M Welsch maintains a notebook in which she keeps notes of all the people she observes because she wants to be a spy when she grows up. But problems erupt when her schoolmates discover the novel and the things she wrote about them.
Thoughts: I had attitude about this book due to the movie which I didn't think looked interesting (I've never seen the film-just trailers) and the fact that Mallory Pike of the BSC once wanted to act like her and I hated Mallory.
The first part of the story is actually more focused on Harriet's nanny Ole Golly and just setting the stage. I actually preferred the story once Ole Golly leaves but Harriet suffers a bit seeing the person who understands her leave. Her parents don't understand her writing but Ole Golly told her about spies and encouraged her to write.
The second part of the story revolves around the classmates discovering Harriet's novel where she wrote a lot of mean-spirited observations, such as why a friend doesn't have a dad and how another friend couldn't become a scientist, who was she fooling, etc. I had little sympathy for Harriet at this part; she couldn't understand why they were hurt and angry and retaliated. For someone who is so smart, she had a serious lack of understanding here.
Luckily, the book resolves with a hopeful ending. Harriet learns to think more critically about her writing and receives a new opportunity to practice it. She also becomes reconciled with her two best friends and the future looks more hopeful.
[I agree with her classmates that a tomato and mayo sandwich sounds awful but Harriet loves them; I do admire her routine of having it every day for about six years though.]
Overall: Okay story; maybe I would identify more if I was a writer? As it is, I'm only a reader but a voracious one at that.
Book Review: The Little Spy
Summary: 4 Stars
If you were to look at Harriet M. Welsh you would see a fairly ordinary girl, but she is not. She is a spy. Every day after school she takes her notebook and goes on a route that takes her through the city. She makes stops on this route and every stop she records everything that she sees, hears, and does in her notebook. She not only does that, but in particular she looks in on people's lives at the certain stops that she makes, in other words spying. She has never been caught. Harriet takes her notebook everywhere with her and records everything. One day Harriet goes to school and discovers that when she looks to find her notebook it is not with her but her best friends. They read everything that she has written in the notebook and some of the things are about them, but many of things aren't very nice. Suddenly she feels that the entire classroom has turned against her, and there is nothing she can do. Will the great spy Harriet M. Welsh somehow find a way to sneak out of this corner? You will have to read this book to find out.I think that this book is stuffed with great details and descriptions of the world that the characters are living in and of the characters themselves. It had an ending that was unexpected and very unique in its own way. I think that this book overall was wonderful and I highly recommend it to all that are capable of reading.
Book Review: Harriet the Spy
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a story about a girl named Harriet who goes to a private middle school. One day Harriet decides to keep a journal and become a spy. She goes around town recording her opinions about everyone and everything she sees. Will her secrets be exposed? What will happen to Harriet? Read the book to find out.
I would recommend this book for children who enjoy reading about secrets being exposed and friendship.
In acting like a spy, she writes down things she observes about people. For example, she says a guy with purple socks is boring. Another example from her journal is when she says if Marian Hawthorne doesn't watch out, she's going to grow up into a lady dictator. One important secret she found out was that her friend was popular with everybody only because they liked her mother's lemonade.
Harriet's secrets get her in trouble with her classmates, but by telling the truth she wins her friends back.
I hope you buy this book and read about Harriet's problems and solutions.
Book Review: Children's book at it's best
Summary: 4 Stars
Louise Fitzbaugh's book involves an 11 year old girl with a fiercely independent streak who doesn't realize how dependent on others she actually is. Her goal is to become a world famous spy and considers herself "working" when she wanders around the city spying on others and recording all of her observations in her notebook. What she discovers through her travels is how others can be hurt by her words and also how much she needs her friends and family despite her initial opinion that she needs no one but herself.
Fitzbaugh's writing pulls the reader into the story and allows you to identify with exactly what the main character, Harriet, is experiencing and feeling. It is a perfect encapsulation of exactly how a girl that age is feeling and the range of emotions young girls deal with as they are trying desparately to join the adult world while retaining their childhood fun.
This book will be enjoyed by readers of all ages.