Rating: 
Summary: I'VE LOVED THIS SINCE I WAS EIGHT -- SPY ON THIS BOOK!
Review: This wonderful book had a strong, female protagonist who was clearly intelligent and eloquent. Harriet eavesdrops, peers through windows and skylights and records her impressions in a notebook. She has regular "spying" stops in the Upper East Side Manhattan neighborhood where she lives. She knows quite a bit about the people in her neighborhood, thanks to her observant nature.Harriet is a student at the prestigious Gregory School, where she has an assortment of friends -- scientific, aggressive Janie, meek, retiring Beth-Ellen and a fun loving boy called Sport. When Harriet's notebook falls into the hands of her classmates, problems arise big time. Harriet has a baptism in fire trying to redeem herself in their eyes. Meanwhile, Harriet's nanny is leaving to get married, her formerly disinterested parents are pushing more into her life and lastly, Harriet herself is maturing. I loved this book so much as a child and do today. This book even inspired me and countless others to keep a notebook. It was a book about the empowerment of a strong female character.
Rating: 
Summary: Almost there...
Review: I'm going against the grain by not saying I am completely thrilled by this book. I think the real problems lies in the fact that I read this book as an adult and not a child. Don't get me wrong... Harriet is a great young female character, especially considering the era she was first written in. She's unabashedly smart, clever, creative, independent, goal-oriented, and realistically complex. Her story is believable, and I am sure these are reasons why the book appeals to people. This book is also humorous and very well written. I guess the only reason this book leaves a slightly bad taste, for me, is that it is lacking in compassion, in real heart. Harriet hurts people through her actions and really does not seem to learn a lesson in the long run. The dangerous lesson I feel I got from this novel isn't about how to treat people, but rather to tell people what they want to hear and to do what you will, just don't get caught. This story really is worth reading, especially for girls, but I warn that maybe a little supervision is needed to add a little kindness to an otherwise worthy story.
Rating: 
Summary: ITS GREAT!
Review: I would recommend this book because I like it and just in case my friend is in the same situation it will help out. It was good because she kept going and never stoped. I will also show my friend the bookfor my friend could injoy it
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best Books from Any Genre
Review: I am working on a Ph.D in literature, but "Harriet the Spy" remains one of my guilty pleasures. Louise Fitzhugh was capable of producing highly literary characters in the guise of children's fiction; to those parents who've complained that the book is "too dark" and "too negative," well, some might say the same of Dostoyevski or Balzac. Life ain't all roses and sunshine, people! This book is a brilliant and ripping satire on the affluent life of New York's Upper East Siders, with whom I am quite familiar, as well as on the skewed parental values of the 1970's. It is also a book about a little girl who suffers for her art, which every budding artist and antiheroine will relate to on several levels. Enjoy this book, and steer clear the dreadful, treacle-y film at all costs!
Rating:
Summary: Comfort Food for my Soul
Review: I love this book! It has extremely strong characters, and the routine Harriet follows so religiously help you to feel comfortable with the book. Harriet's writings in her notebook provide a unique perspective, and she explains thoroughly her thoughts and feelings after every learning experience. Also, her personal struggle becomes understandable with all the explanation. All of these reasons make me feel comfortable with everything in the story, but I am always pleased that every reading brings new understanding, and I never tire of the plot.
Rating:
Summary: Of course she's a sociopath. That's the message.
Review: This book is not strictly for children. I saw it as acommentary about alienated rich kids. Harriet usually sees herparents for only a few minutes a day, which would explain her restlessness and lack of integrity. Of course, her nanny, Ole Golly, is a guiding hand, but nannies leave when you're eleven. Because Ole Golly is the only person Harriet has a semi-healthy relationship with, everything falls apart after she leaves. Though Harriet wasn't an angel before (sneaking into private houses, throwing tantrums,) after Ole Golly leaves she loses any sense of camaraderie she ever had with anyone. Her classmates hate her (they read the notebook, sure, but she never related to them anyway), her parents fail in trying to step in suddenly and spend time with her, and for a large block of the book she is almost without a conscience. She plans out ways to hurt the feelings of each individual classmate, and methodically carries out the plan. Her classmates, though they now hate Harriet, are just like her. Almost all of them are alienated rich kids. Marion and Rachel play the popularity game, and Janie plans to blow up the world. (We find out in the sequel that Beth Ellen uses shyness to mask rage.) The only somewhat grounded one is Sport, who has a good relationship with his father. This makes him the weird one in the class. Harriet unconsciously tries to make up for the lack of stability in her life by following routines: wanting to wear the same thing every day, eat the same sandwich, the same cake and milk at the same time each day, and spying on the same people every day. In her notebook she takes notes on these people and tries to find patterns, reasons why they are so neurotic. Still, she can't draw conclusions. Fortunately, she changes a tiny bit. Harriet even gets a sense that her family is wealthy, and writes in her notebook of how pampered she acknowledges she is. My interpretation of Fitzhugh's message is this: Being rich does not make your kid a good citizen of the earth. Love, time, and gudiance is the key.
Rating: 
Summary: Very unlikeable main character.
Review: I realize this book is supposed to be humorous as well as a realistic portrayal of a rich girl whose most inner thoughts are discovered, but I found Harriet's actions to be more irritating than funny. Yes, there are a few laughs and the author tells a good story, but it's hard to get by the fact that Harriet would be hated in most schools because of what she thinks of others, and because she is a spoiled BRAT. All she thinks about is herself, and acts like a jerk when Ole Golly leaves. I don't have the least bit of sympathy for this whiner. There are a lot of cruel things said and done to people in this book, and the Janie character wanting to blow up the school seems to be inappropriate in today's day and age, since kids are actually doing that and it's not funny anymore. Sorry if you liked this book. I didn't. (The movie was actually better.)
Rating:
Summary: Various Things
Review: When I was in the the 3rd grade, my teacher read a variety of books to us in class, one of which being Harriet The Spy. I can honestly say it changed my life. I was new in this class (I arrived in March of that year, 1990) and felt very lonely. Harriet's alienation from her classmates was something I could relate to. I loved the book then and I love it now. It was first read to me ten years ago (almost to the day) and I decided to become a writer after experiencing the book (way back in 3rd grade). I love this book and The Long Secret. Harriet The Spy deals almost exclusively with Harriet and her emotions while The Long Secret focuses a bit more on Beth Ellen and her perceptions of the world (including those of Harriet, which are certainly interesting). I love these books. I used to spy on my neighbors all the time when I was a kid and keep spy notebooks. I'd recommend Harriet The Spy and The Long Secret to anyone since they're kids books that literally any age group can enjoy.
Rating:
Summary: Better than good! 11111111
Review: This is the best book in the whole cosmos! I think that schools should make chlidren read it, Newberry winner or not! This book brings out the importance of writing our feelings. After reading this, I started my own spy route ( every kid should have one) !
Rating:
Summary: It should get 10 stars!
Review: This is my favorite childhood book by FAR. I read it when I was 8 or 9 and read it 13 times between the 4th and 6th grade. (I have never read another book more then twice). I recomend this book to anybody, especially kids, and I think the movie was alright but the book is much better. Everyone should read it.
| 
