Harriet the Spy Book Summary

'Harriet the Spy' follows the adventurous and curious Harriet M. Welsch, a young girl determined to become a writer by secretly observing and recording her friends' lives in a notebook. As Harriet's keen observations blur the lines between insight and invasion, she discovers the repercussions of her spy game when her notebook is discovered. The fallout leads her to face the complexities of friendships, betrayal, and growing up in an unpredictable world. With wit and heart, Louise Fitzhugh explores the challenges of a young girl's quest for identity and belonging. Can Harriet learn to mend her fractured relationships and find her place in a world that feels increasingly alien?

By Louise Fitzhugh

Published: 2002

"I am not an ordinary girl; I’m a spy."

Book Review of Harriet the Spy

It's no secret that Harriet the Spy is a timeless classic that kids will love! Every day can be an adventure if you just look carefully enough! Harriet M. Welsch is a spy. In her notebook, she writes down everything she knows about everyone, even her classmates and her best friends. Then Harriet loses track of her notebook, and it ends up in the wrong hands. Before she can stop them, her friends have read the always truthful, sometimes awful things she’s written about each of them. Will Harriet find a way to put her life and her friendships back together? "What the novel showed me as a child is that words have the power to hurt, but they can also heal, and that it’s much better in the long run to use this power for good than for evil."—New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot

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I am not an ordinary girl; I’m a spy.

Harriet the Spy

By Louise Fitzhugh