Harriet the Spy

By Louise Fitzhugh

It's no secret that Harriet the Spy is a timeless classic that kids will love! Every day can be an adventure if you just look carefully enough!

Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends up in the wrong hands. Before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she’s written about each of them. Will Harriet find a way to put her life and her friendships back together?

"What the novel showed me as a child is that words have the power to hurt, but they can also heal, and that it’s much better in the long run to use this power for good than for evil."—New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jul 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9780307420961

Reviews for Harriet the Spy

[jfoster_sf · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mystery about a girl who wants to be a spy and decides to practice by spying on all her friends and neighbors, but things turn nasty when someone finds one of the notebooks that has all of her spy-secrets in it.

[zoes_human · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a childhood favorite and will always hold a special place in my heart.

[jlharmon · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thought by picking this children’s book, it would be fun/funny and quick. I have to say it was more serious and went a little deeper than I expected. I remember liking the movie when it came out, but I don’t remember if I ever read the book. The book follows Harriet, who wants to be a spy when she grows up. So she gets a notebook and writes down observations about the people she spies on. And she spies on people by following them and looking in windows and even climbing into dumbwaiters.

When I started reading I expected kids pretending to be spies and learning life lessons about being kind. I guess those things happened. But there were tons of other life lessons there. About doing what you love, and having to do things like dancing lessons even if you think they are dumb because they will be good for you in the future. I love how Harriet struggles with questions of privilege and affluence even if she doesn’t quite figure everything out. At least by paying attention to details she at least thinks about other people.

But I also have to say that even as Harriet learns that not everyone has the same life goals as she does, even as she learns that not everyone goes to private lessons and has a nanny, I don’t think she ever really gets out of the upper-class mentality. Harriet being spoiled never really changed. I also thought the drama and reactions of Harriet and her friends were childish, but I remember what it was like in middle school, so I’d say this is pretty realistic. I like to judge books based on who they are meant for, and this book is not meant for a jaded 20-something. It’s meant for a kid just now trying to figure out how to behave in society without parental supervision. I think it does a good job of showing the consequences of letting your unfiltered thoughts into the world. Harriet still has a lot of growing up to do, but I think this book really shows her learning how to behave more like an adult and learning to think complexly about the world and the people in it.

[shadrachanki · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I first read Harriet the Spy when I was about eleven years old; the same general age as the title character. I remember that I quite enjoyed the book, and I'm fairly certain I spent a good several months trying to be a spy just like Harriet. But beyond that I had very little recollection of the story.

The story holds up fairly well, even given the huge technological advances that have been made since it was written in 1964. I actually think the most telling thing as to the age of the story was the fact that Harriet's class at school had ten students. That class size seems more or less unheard of these days, even in private schools.

With my most recent reading--nearly eighteen years later--I found myself more interested in the behavior of the people Harriet observes on her "spy route" than I was in her antics. It was interesting to see how they were described, and the little hints and clues as to who they might be (outside the rather limiting filter of an eleven-year-old's perspective).

[reinadecopiaypega · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am giving this book 5 stars but with trepidation as I LOVED it as an 11 year old and I am now 55, and not everything that I adored as a kid continues to appeal now, though much does. ( I can watch Mr Ed, I love Lucy and The Twilight Zone - but I draw the line at Gilligan's Island and The Donna Reed show ), ditto for books as a little kid I loved Carolyn Heyward, there is no way I could endure such a squeaky clean boring book now, but in terms of kids lit, I love William Steig and Roald Dahl. I have no idea what I would think of HTS now, but I remember loving it as a young kid.

[breksarah · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the story of a young girl named Harriet and how she wishes to be a spy. She observes the things that go on in her neighborhood and takes notes. Eventually, she tries to solve a mystery, which may or may not land her in trouble.This is a fun book for 3-5 graders to read. It is captivating for young readers because you never know what Harriet will get into next.

[anna.nash · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I am sad I didn't read this as a child. Harriet is exactly the kind of precocious character I loved to read about. Harriet is interested in everything. She is going to be a writer and is practicing by keeping a spy journal. When she loses it one day and the people she's been writing about see the cruel things she writes about them, including her best friends Sport and Janie, they start a Spy Catchers Club to make Harriet's life miserable. Harriet is a bit of a jerk and can be very unkind and retaliates out of anger and embarrassment, but what kid isn't a jerk sometimes? This is a great book for any kid who has ever done something they are sorry for and any kid who has felt rejected or like an outcast. This is a great classic that stands the test of time.

[book58lover · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is a rather dated children's story about friendship and secrets. Harriet wants to be a spy so much that she keeps notebooks of observations she learns on her 'regular route'. She learns the good and the bad about people and writes it all down, which becomes her undoing with her schoolmates. Harriet would be a very interesting kid if she learned her lesson by the end of the book, but she didn't seem to take her downfall to heart. What is even more difficult to swallow are the circumstances of her life: the cook and nurse that help her parents, who attend parties in white tie. Having been an elementary school librarian I have read thousands of children's books and although this might have been wonderful forty years ago it is not something I would recommend now.

[ababe92 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I definately will read this book in my class because it talks about alot of things that children go through and how to handle them. And it will plant the seed into their minds about maybe they should start writing in a journal. I recommend this book to every child and teacher.

[chuck37_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Every kid in my class wanted to be a spy after reading this, and most of us started carrying around notebooks of our own. Harriet is another one of those characters who you don't often come across, as well as her friends. A bit slow in parts, but overall a wonderful experience. Every 10-year-old should read this.

[kscarlett01 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Harriet the Spy is about a typical young girl, except for the fact that she spies on everyone and writes everything down in a notebook that she carries around with her all the time. One day, Harriet's book ends up in the hands of her friends and they discover all of the things that she has been writing about them. Harriet must find a way to put her friendships back together. This book is great for teaching children about the consequences of gossiping.

[emanbella · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a fun read. I was shocked by the straight-forward entries in Harriet's notebooks, and her innocence. I haven't read this book as child, and I think if I have, I wouldn't see those entries as shocking, but rather honest and funny. This book has good lessons, and bad ones. The good was the importance of friendship, and the lessons Ole Golly has taught Harriet, which are both street-smart and book-smart. The bad was the mean notebook entries and the message that Harriet gets what Harriet wants, even when demonstrating bad behavior. Nonetheless, it was a fun read.

[foggidawn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Harriet M. Welsch is going to be a writer some day. For now, she is observing everything she can, from her family to her classmates to the neighbors she observes on her "spy route." She writes candidly (and often cruelly) in her notebook, but when that notebook is discovered and read by her classmates, Harriet is headed for trouble!I haven't reread this book in years, and what struck me this time is how well Fitzhugh wrote about the experience of childhood. Harriet is kind of a brat, and I wouldn't want to be around her in real life, but she manages to be sympathetic in the context of the story. This childhood classic is one I highly recommend for both children and adults.

[kraysaulis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's funny how different you read a book as an adult than when you were a child. As a kid I felt so bad for poor Harriet, what with her mean classmates invading her privacy and reading her journal... As an adult... Harriet is a brat. She is mean, spoiled, negative and has horrible things to say about those around her. However it's pretty obvious that, like most children, she is a product of her parents who sit around the dinner table insulting all of her friend's parents each night. It's really no wonder she doesn't write kindly, however she never truly learns that lesson, either! She simply learns to lie about her friends and continue to insult those on her spy route!

That being said, this book inspired me as a child. It made me want to write, and it still has that effect on me. However, I wouldn't want my child to strive to be like Harriet... just try one of her screaming sessions in my house...

[jnleonard · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was an mysterious book with an unexpected ending. You would expect her life to go on well untill her friends turn against her in the notebook incident. She suddenly fells to get revenge. When she tries to apoligize it doesn't work out so well.

[clshelkoff · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a girl named Harriet that writes down everything that she thinks and sees. Her thoughts can be considerd hurtful to others. Her classmates find her journal and read it to the class. Harriet now has no friends. Her classmates are constantly making fun of her and whispering. Read this book to find out if Harriet can resolve the conflict with her classmates.

[kimmclean · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book is about a girl who gets in trouble with friends because she writes bad things about them in her diary and her friend find the diary and read the bad things she wrote about them. Harriet also has a nanny who takes care of her who gets married and moves away which makes Harriet sad. Harriet is always getting into trouble at home and at school. She is critical of others and ends up without friends. After a while though she realizes that she wants friends and misses them so makes up with them by apologizing (even if she has to lie to do it). . I would say that the age groups for this book would be 9-12 years old. I disliked this book because it lacks action. Also i dis like it because it lacks suspense and I enjoy a book that has suspense in it.

[satyridae · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I vaguely remember reading this as a kid and not liking it much. I picked it up again last night and feel much the same. I don't find the characters engaging, in fact I think Harriet is an over-privileged little bucket of smarm stirred with entitlement & attitude. The ending is both improbable and unsatisfying.

[joeydag · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Such an interesting character! I can understand why it is so popular.

[jenspirko · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Truly a classic -- one of the rare books that holds up well, decades after first reading. I highly recommend it for boys AND girls. Harriet is a wonderful protagonist, curious and independent, but also flawed. In other words: Real.

[casabooks · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

How did I miss this in 1964 ?
Can't believe I didn't read it and are there others in the series.
Longer than I thought it would be.
Great book - kids are awful, aren't they ? And then they grow to adults and here we all are with all our foibles and quirks.
HUGE reminder to never write down your snarky, mean thoughts and then get caught at it !

[eidzior_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm not even sure when exactly I first read this amazing book but it defined my childhood for sure. It was one of those books I read and dreamt of being like Harriet. I even went as Harriet the Spy for Halloween BEFORE, I might add, the stupid movie came out. Which, of course, I loved the movie because I mean, it was awesome. This book and Matilda = books I read over and over and over again.

[amygatt_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I love this book - it was one of my mom's favorites when she a young reader, and when she recommended it to me when I was in middle school, it became one of my favorites. Harriet writes down a lot of the things that many people will often think but not say, which is shocking at first! One of the things that is so special about this book is its honesty - Harriet is extremely honest and the author is honest about what happens when people find out. Harriet writes some terrible things in her notebooks, but she is also treated very badly by her peers when they find out what she has been writing in her spy notebook, and I think a lot of young adult readers can relate to her feelings of being outcast. This book is controversial because it deals with some hard topics - for example, Harriet's friend Sport is 11 years old and has to do the cleaning and cooking for his father, because his mother left them and they have no money. Its honesty is also a little harsh at times - One of Harriet's first entries included in the book is, "I bet that lady with the cross-eyes looks in the mirror and just feels terrible." Harriet always tells the truth and it is sometimes hard to swallow, but this is an excellent read. Harriet is very relatable and intelligent and this book gives young readers a lot of credit. I would recommend it to middle school and early high school readers.

[purlewe · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I never fell in love with Harriet the way other people do. Maybe it is just me, but I felt she was too mean. I felt it was authentic and a good idea of how kids act and react.. but it wasn't for me.

[sassy_seshat_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Harriet in print is almost as wonderful as the Nickelodeon film, the book is a little less happy and fun, but easy to see why it is a classic.

[valerieandbooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved Harriet the Spy as a kid -- I'm pretty sure it was one that I read several times back then.Recently, after 40 years or so (!), I revisited this book and I can definitely say that it is a very different experience reading as an adult. Then: I thought Harriet was so cool because she got to spy on her classmates, friends, and neighbors and record her observations in a notebook. The meanness amongst the kids (especially after they turn onto Harriet after discovering her notebook with nasty observations) were just a part of life back then -- not right, but cruelty was something we were somewhat resigned to in the days before "zero tolerance policies" were implemented in some schools. Now: Notice that Harriet lives in a tony part of Manhattan, and that her parents are socialites who often goes out to parties. Her dad has some kind of high-powered job and her mother is a housewife who frequently goes out to play bridge. Harriet frequently overhears them gossiping and making catty remarks about their friends -- possibly where she gets her mean streak. As a result, Harriet (an only child) is deeply attached to Ole Golly (who frequently quotes from Shakespeare and the classics), who is called a nurse in this book but actually a nanny. Harriet also interacts a lot with the live-in cook, whose name we never learn.As an adult, I "got" a lot of what was going on with the adults in this book that went completely over my head as a kid. I found that very interesting. But,definitely, the final message which is that one must be careful of sharing negative thoughts that might be hurtful to others, is an important one to both kids and adults. Especially in today's internet culture where there are trolls everywhere.

[emilyesears · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Harriet is my idol.

[ajbraithwaite_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Found this on one of those 'books every child should read' lists and then immediately downloaded it as an ebook from the library. I enjoyed it, although I'm sure I would have enjoyed it more when I was a child. The same list had 'Peter Pan' and 'Wind in the Willows' on it, neither of which I've enjoyed as an adult, so I suppose I shouldn't be surprised at being underwhelmed by this one.

[karinlib-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A re-read. This book reminds me of summer reading. Watched the movie on Netflix, which I thought was pretty good.

[jadedog13 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

SOMETIMES I CAN'T STAND SPORT, WITH HIS WORRYING ALL THE TIME AND FUSSING OVER HIS FATHER, SOMETIMES HE'S LIKE A LITTLE OLD WOMAN. -Chapter 10, from Harriet's Spy Notebook Harriet wrote that about one of her best friends. Granted, she never expected him, or anyone else to read it, but still. I can forgive Harriet for what she writes in her notebook, but I can't forgive her bratty behavior. I remember loving this book as a kid and I was excited to read it again. I am doing a paper for graduate school about children's books (ages 9-12) with strong female protagonists. This book comes up often in lists on that subject. I have to say I was disappointed. I don't mind that Harriett doesn't follow all the rules, and I don't expect her to be a perfect little child. But I found her tantrums and acting out very annoying. I did some research on the internet and discovered that this book was often challenged and/or banned back in the 1960's, since "Harriet was a poor role model for children because she exhibited delinquent tendencies" (Harriet the Spy - (childrensbooks.about.com)). I also found her parents cold, distant, and completely oblivious throughout most of the book. When Ole Golly (Harriet's nurse/nanny) got married and left, they were at a loss as to how to raise their own child. If my experience (and those of my friends around my age) is any indication, this book appealed to children everywhere. The librarian I volunteer with even dressed up as Harriet the Spy and carried a notebook around when she was a kid. And she wasn't alone. Kids loved Harriet as a rebel character. They weren't bothered by her bratty behavior; they were inspired by her rebellious streak. In the end, I guess that's what is unique about this book. In a time when female characters in books were pretty, decorous, and obedient, Harriet went against the grain. She was herself, warts and all and she was unapologetic about it. She didn't want to go to dance school; she wanted to be a spy. Recommended to:Grades 3 - 5, kids who are rebellious or different and want to find a character they can relate to. Then again, in my opinion, there are books with more likable rebel girls out there.