Friday, March 29, 2013

Throwback Thursday - Harriet the Spy



In honor of the last Thursday in Women in Literature Month, I'd like to remember one of the first strong female protagonists (and a stellar female author). Harriet the Spy was a book I got as part of a book club my parents subscribed me to. They took the base two books every month, no matter what they were; I had no choice. And I devoured every one that came.

Harriet was the first female protagonist I remember. She was precocious, smart, and energetic. She made mistakes and learned from those mistakes. I read the book three times the first year. I felt her pain and could see in the relationship of Sport, Janie, and Harriet the interactions of some of my friends and myself.

Unfortunately Louise Fitzhugh had died by the time I read Harriet and I did not read any of her other novels. However, she and Harriet are rightfully judged "a milestone in children’s literature" (Neva Grant, NPR 2008).

Anyone else love Harriet as a kid?

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