Guide Note

Harriet the Spy is a children's novel by Louise Fitzhugh about a young girl who aspires to be a writer and spy. It was made into a film in 1996 starring Michelle Trachtenberg.

Fast Facts

1. Author: Louise Fitzhugh
2. Publication Date: 1964
3. Genre: Childrens Books
4. Publisher: Harper & Row
5. Pages: 298
6. Recommended Ages: 11-14
7. ISBN 9780440416791
8. Adaptations: Film, 1996

Living with two very inattentive parents, Harriet writes down everything about everyone - something that helps her discover her aspirations of becoming an author. After Harriet loses her diary, her friends read some of the nasty comments she has written about them get mad at her. After realizing her mistake, she tries to regain the trust of her friends.

• "Thirty-two years before it was made into a movie, Harriet the Spy was a groundbreaking book: its unflinchingly honest portrayal of childhood problems and emotions changed children's literature forever. Happily, it has neither dated nor become obsolete and remains one of the best children's novels ever written." - Amazon.com Editorial Review

• "Baby boomers who read this charming, insightful book in the Sixties should pick it up again. It will help them remember how complicated life can be at eleven. And they ought to share it and talk about it with their children." - Barbara Moshofsky