Harriet the Spy Book Review

 [PLEASE NOTE: this is an OLD post. Information in this post may no longer be accurate and/or be cringy 😑]

I just read an excellent book called Harriet the Spy by Louise Fitzhugh. It’s about a girl named Harriet who is a spy, and she goes through the neighborhood every afternoon her “spy route” – the Dei Santi family, Mrs. Plumber, and so on. Mrs. Plumber she describes as the riskiest one, because to spy on her, Harriet must sneak into the building via a dumbwaiter.

Harriet likes to write down her notes in a special notebook. In it she records conversations she overhears and interesting observations about the people she spies on. But not only about the people she spies on – she observes her friends and classmates and takes often mean notes on them, such as:

“What do do about Pinky Whitehead:

1. Turn the hose on him
2. Pinch his ears until he screams
3. Tear his pants off and laugh at him.”

Or:

“Who does Janie Gibbs think she’s kidding? Does she really think she’ll ever be a scientist?”

And:

“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.”

This isn’t such a big deal – until Harriet drops her notebook, and her friends read it. Will Harriet be able to piece her friendships back together?

A lot of people have criticized this novel and the character of Harriet, saying that she’s “not a role model” and “mean”.

I disagree.

Harriet’s not mean – she’s just painfully honest about her opinions! She speaks her mind. Who wouldn’t want to follow her example? She represents girl power and daring to be different.

“Well behaved women seldom make history.”

Lauren Thatcher Ulrich

Though I do advise not to break into someone’s house using a dumbwaiter. That I can say without hesitation.