Rating: 
Summary: ***
Review: I really don't know what to say about this book. I mean, it having one of my favorite characters of all time in it gives it one star on it's own. But, as the past 2 people mentioned Harriet's whole "spy personality" isn't completely there. I don't know, she's just different. Helen Ericson is a talented writer, but this book doesn't have the Harriet-esque features that "Harriet The Spy" and "The Long Secret" had. I hope to read more by Helen Ericson, but also hope that her newer writing is better than this.
Rating: 
Summary: I like the original
Review: I think this is a total fake to the original Harriet the Spy- not even by the same author. I have even heard on a website to 'avoid it like the plague.' I think that nothing could possibelly replace Louise Fitzhugh's wonderful book Harriet the Spy, especially not a fake sequal called 'Harriet Spies Again.' I am sorry to say this, but to be truthful I must.
Rating:
Summary: Will the real Harriet please expose this imposter?
Review: In a concept fraught with peril, this sequel to Harriet the Spy (authorized by the estate of the late Louise Fitzhugh, but why??), has some redeeming details, such as the increased role of the prickly Cook. Unfortunately, the plot has turned Harriet into an obtuse narcissist. Instead of writing and observing, now she makes wild ridiculous speculations and spends her time, not on her notebook, but on a timeline of her life. Janie has disappeared in order to introduce a mysterious new girl across the street, though this intriguing character isn't developed. Newer readers are likely to be more entertained than die-hard Harriet fans, who are apt to be appalled at this caricature of our beloved heroine.
Rating:
Summary: An Insult to Readers of All Ages
Review: Louise Fitzhugh wrote serious books for serious children. Anybody who has ventured past Harriet The Spy to read The Long Secret (the real sequel) or the unrelated Nobody's Family Is Going To Change knows this. Ericson's work (fairly labeled a "companion" piece rather than a sequel) contains none of the seriousness of the original Harriet novels. We are given a predictable plot (gee, I wonder why Ole Golly is cranky and going to the doctor so much), a formulaically "kooky" new character (Rosarita Sauvage -- is Ericson planning a spinoff from this desecration?), zero social commentary (Fitzhugh's work was loaded with it) and, worst of all, a DUMBED-DOWN Harriet for a protagonist. It's true, Ericson has a decent grasp of Harriet's personality, but this is betrayed by how long Harriet remains clueless about Ole Golly's "condition". In The Long Secret (I wonder if Ms. Ericson's even read this book), Harriet solved a mystery which was a legitimate challenge. We, the readers, may have beat her to it, but we had much more information than Harriet did. In Harriet Spies Again we are unfairly imprisoned in a mind more appropriate of a nine-year-old (Harriet is supposed to be twelve). I'll be honest: I didn't think Sport (the third -- and final! -- story of Harriet and friends) was worthy of it's posthumous publication, either. But then, it's been years since I read that one. I picked up Harriet Spies Again while on a mission for The Long Secret. I read this new book first, and my initial reaction was MERELY tepid. Then, I plunged into The Long Secret, the story of Beth Ellen Hansen (with Harriet as supporting character) . . . and I was stunned at how good it was. Now, I'll have to read Sport again. It's probably better than I remember. It certaintly can't be worse than Harriet Spies Again. I have attempted to keep my trashing of this book to a minimum. It's worthy of two stars, simply because it's a decent book for kids age 6 - 9. It's not worthy of Lousie Fitzhugh fans, though. Most importantly: If you loved Harriet the Spy, you must remember that the magic of that book is overflowing from its (real) sequel, The Long Secret. It's probably evident in Sport, too. Choose Helen Ericson's new book ONLY as a last resort -- you Harriet junkie, you. ;) What were Fitzhugh's survivors thinking??? First Rosie O'Donnell, then this. *sigh*
Rating: 
Summary: Dismayed -- If Not Quite Appalled.
Review: The classic "Harriet the Spy" is a book I find eminently re-readable. It functions simultaneously on a child's level, and an adult's level -- at 25, I find social commentary I missed at age ten. In this companion piece, it's disturbing how much Louise Fitzhugh's character has been "dumbed down". The mystery Ms. Ericson creates is appropriate for an eight-year-old, yet the twelve-year-old Harriet is supposedly absorbed by it. Worse, there's no *real* story to accompany the mystery. "Harriet the Spy" (and its sequel, "The Long Secret") had deeper things going on while Harriet scurried around spying and scribbling. There is no social commentary here, unlike the original, and those who were entranced by Beth Ellen's angst in "Secret" will find nothing nearly as compelling this new book. "Harriet Spies Again" compares most aptly with "Sport", the simplest and shallowest of Fitzhugh's trilogy. But then, there's no character as disturbing as Charlotte Vane here, either -- just the predictably "kooky" Rosarita. The new Harriet lives, ironically, in a much safer world than her classic incarnation. Don't get me wrong: Helen Ericson has talent, and Harriet's basic personality is evident here. She could have done a decent Harriet PREQUEL, albeit with a different plot. This piece is age-inappropriate, one-dimensional, and after reading it you (or your child) will be entirely unchanged . . . unchallenged . . . and possibly insulted.
Rating:
Summary: Ole Golly returns!
Review: There is one major problem with this book: its timeline is off. Readers may recall that Louise Fitzhugh, the original creator of "Harriet the Spy," wrote three books in this series: "Harriet the Spy," "The Long Secret," and "Sport." Following is a brief overview of the timeline of each. "Harriet the Spy" takes place when Harriet, Sport et al. are in sixth grade. It ends at some point during the sixth grade year. "The Long Secret" takes place the summer after sixth grade, when Harriet gets to know Beth Ellen really well during their summer vacation. "Sport" starts just prior to their seventh grade year and continues until mid-school-year. Here is where the real problem lies. Sport has to go to a new school for seventh grade because their old school is all-girls from that point on. In the book "Sport," he is attending his new school and has a few good friends there. Also in "Sport," his divorced father finds a girlfriend, Kate. By the end of the book they are married and Kate moves into the apartment with Sport and his dad. Then we pick up "Harriet Spies Again" which otherwise is a reasonable book to succeed to this series. This book also starts out just before seventh grade - because Harriet and Sport are discussing what his new school will be like - yet his father has already married Kate. Also, after the seventh-grade school year starts, Harriet and Sport have a conversation about his school and he complains that he has no friends there. If the author of this book had taken care to blend this story line with the lines of Fitzhugh's original works, this would have gotten probably four stars. But I spent so much time wrangling with this timeline in my head that I often found myself having to reread parts of this book because my mind had wandered. Ericson catches the tone of Harriet rather well, and the reappearance of Ole Golly provides a very intriguing mystery for Harriet and Sport to solve. However, the subplot of the girl who lives across the street is exceedingly transparent (if you don't pick up on her scheming right away, you are probably under the recommended reading age for this book). I recommend this as a library read or for very dedicated fans of Harriet (as I am) who would like a little more story about her.
Rating:
Summary: Average Sequel to An Excellent Series
Review: There is one major problem with this book: its timeline is off. Readers may recall that Louise Fitzhugh, the original creator of "Harriet the Spy," wrote three books in this series: "Harriet the Spy," "The Long Secret," and "Sport." Following is a brief overview of the timeline of each. "Harriet the Spy" takes place when Harriet, Sport et al. are in sixth grade. It ends at some point during the sixth grade year. "The Long Secret" takes place the summer after sixth grade, when Harriet gets to know Beth Ellen really well during their summer vacation. "Sport" starts just prior to their seventh grade year and continues until mid-school-year. Here is where the real problem lies. Sport has to go to a new school for seventh grade because their old school is all-girls from that point on. In the book "Sport," he is attending his new school and has a few good friends there. Also in "Sport," his divorced father finds a girlfriend, Kate. By the end of the book they are married and Kate moves into the apartment with Sport and his dad. Then we pick up "Harriet Spies Again" which otherwise is a reasonable book to succeed to this series. This book also starts out just before seventh grade - because Harriet and Sport are discussing what his new school will be like - yet his father has already married Kate. Also, after the seventh-grade school year starts, Harriet and Sport have a conversation about his school and he complains that he has no friends there. If the author of this book had taken care to blend this story line with the lines of Fitzhugh's original works, this would have gotten probably four stars. But I spent so much time wrangling with this timeline in my head that I often found myself having to reread parts of this book because my mind had wandered. Ericson catches the tone of Harriet rather well, and the reappearance of Ole Golly provides a very intriguing mystery for Harriet and Sport to solve. However, the subplot of the girl who lives across the street is exceedingly transparent (if you don't pick up on her scheming right away, you are probably under the recommended reading age for this book). I recommend this as a library read or for very dedicated fans of Harriet (as I am) who would like a little more story about her.
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