I really have no idea how it happened but somehow years ago I came to think that Harriet the Spy was a ridiculous, silly book, and not something I’d be interested in. Over the interim years that changed but not enough to make me go back and pick it up–until quite recently when everything I wanted to read was unavailable or didn’t quite suit and I took a chance on this quirky little book. And as it turns out, Harriet the Spy was both deeper and more delightful than I ever could have imagined!

Harriet is what people would politely call a complicated child, and it’s kind of astonishing that she’s as sympathetic as she is considering most of us would find her rather challenging in person. Truth be told, she actually reminded me a bit of my own perspective as a kid with my sometimes obsessive journaling. Except, I was never nearly so precocious and I certainly didn’t carry notebooks and manage any complicated spying!

In the way of so many kids, Harriet is quite sure she can grow up to be both a spy and an author and she is preparing for each profession by carrying a notebook everywhere she goes while daily following a spy route along which she has discovered ways to judiciously snoop on her neighbors and eavesdrop on their conversations. She takes this work very seriously and is quite good at it, so what happens if her none-too-flattering-notes fall into the wrong hands?

Worse, what if her best friends are amongst those hurt by her cutting insights into their life, personality, and mannerisms? Of course that is exactly what happens, but to say Harriet learns her lesson would be putting it a bit strong. There’s no doubt that by the end she’s discovered a thing or two about human nature and the downsides of spying and then leaving that evidence where it can be uncovered, but Harriet is not the kind of soul who can be easily changed!

I enjoyed the book so much that when (while in the middle) I had a reason to read another middle-grade I broke my hard and fast rule and read two books at once. Gasp! I know, but that is what Harriet drove me to. I recommend it for all kids or adults who feel like the oddities in their group since it is highly likely they will feel more normal in comparison, and also quite possibly find more acceptance for themselves. More than that, they’ll have a great time!

Know let’s see what Apricot-kitty thought:

“I’m torn between wanting to taste kidney for the first time, and relief that I don’t have to share this house with 25 other cat. Just in case you’re on the fence and think you’d like to become a birdcage designer, I would just as soon you not.”

Of course! Apricot is referring to Mr. Withers who had 26 cats! And that reminds me how much I enjoyed learning about the lives of the side characters. The most glorious of course would be Mrs. Golly, who truly is unforgettable and the perfect person to (mostly) raise someone like Harriet. The book really is so rich, with all kinds of depth!

UPDATE: I checked on my post Monday morning and found I had a mental glitch and it wasn’t properly scheduled, so here it is now and thank you all for your patience if you stopped by earlier! For the rest of the Marvelous Middle Grade Monday reviews, spotlights, interviews and giveaways stop by Greg Pattridge’s blog, and happy reading!

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