SLIS 5420 - Module 2 - Harriet the Spy and The Outsiders

Bibliography

Fitzhugh, L. (1964). Harriet, the spy. New York: Harper & Row.

Summary

Harriet is an eleven year old girl with a desire to know everything about everybody. What she learns, she writes down in a notebook that she always carries with her. She is encouraged to learn everything she can by her nurse, Ole Golly, who is at the same time her best friend and her guardian (even though she has two parents living in the house with her). Harriet’s life is a pleasant one, involving little less than going to school and going on her spy route every afternoon after her daily cake. But everything goes wrong when Ole Golly moves out to become married. Harriet’s routine is thrown into disarray and she has a difficult time interacting with her parents. Even worse is that her diary filled with secrets about everyone in her class and neighborhood, including her friends, is found and read by the people she has been writing about. Suddenly everyone is her enemy and Harriet becomes more and more isolated from everyone until the point she receives a letter from Ole Golly telling her how to fix her current situation and to not miss her, because it’s time for Harriet to be on her own. Harriet repairs the relationship with her friends and rejoins them at the end of the book.

Impressions

The books ending felt very satisfying to me in that Harriet didn’t give up what made her unique in order to make up with her friends. At the end of the book, Harriet was still a spy, and would continue being a spy and writing down what she saw. It was an interesting look into how someone at a very pivotal point in their lives reacts to everything changing. It surprised me that the parents had no idea how to handle their daughter, but I suppose that was the point of the book, that no one but Ole Golly really knew how to handle Harriet.

Reviews

“The fascinating story is about an intensely curious and intelligent girl, who literally spies on people and writes about them in her secret notebook, trying to make sense of life's absurdities. When her classmates find her notebook and read her painfully blunt comments about them, Harriet finds herself a lonely outcast. Fitzhugh's writing is astonishingly vivid, real and engaging, and Harriet, by no means a typical, loveable heroine, is one of literature's most unforgettable characters.”

Harriet the Spy. (2010).Amazon.com Editorial Reviews: http://www.amazon.com/Harriet-Spy-Louise-Fitzhugh/dp/0440416795

“Harriet plans to become a writer when she grows up. To prepare for her future career, she keeps a secret notebook, in which she records her thoughts and observations about her friends, neighbors and even strangers. The more Harriet spies on people, the bigger her notebook grows, until one day some of her classmates discover the notebook and read what Harriet has written about them. Find out what happens when all of Harriet's innermost thoughts become public.”

Harriet the Spy. (2010). Bookhive.com. http://www.plcmc.org/bookhive/books/details.asp?id=768

Library Use

The book is a fantastic read for kids that feel that they are outcasts and too different to fit in. This could be a good recommendation for children who felt like everything was changing and they didn’t fit in any more. It could also be used to encourage kids to be more inquisitive and pay closer attention to what is occurring around them.




Bibliography

Hinton, S. E. (1967). The outsiders. New York: Viking Press.

Summary

Ponyboy is a Greaser, a tuff kid from a rough part of the city. He lives with his two brothers, Sodapop and Darry. Darry takes care of Ponyboy and Soda ever since their parents died in a car wreck. One evening when Ponyboy is walking home from the movies, he’s jumped by a bunch of Socs, the rich, privileged kids from the other side of town who rough him up until another Greaser, Two-Bit, and his brother Darry save him. Later that night, they go to the movies and meet two Soc girls who turn out to be nice and sit and watch the movie with them. The Soc girls jealous boyfriends see them walking the girls home and come back later and gang up on Ponyboy and his friend Johnny. Johnny had been hurt badly by Socs before, and was scared that Ponyboy was going to die, so he killed the Soc attacking Ponyboy. Ponyboy and Johnny leave town and end up in a church hiding from the law. They decide to turn themselves in, but before they can, the church they were hiding in catches fire, trapping children inside. Johnny is hurt trying to save them, and dies a hero. The story is a sad look into the lives of the “underprivileged” youth and the problems that they face every day.

Impressions

The book is amazing in its ability to draw you into the story. The story is written by Ponyboy, so you see everything from his perspective and experience all of his feelings and thoughts. The emotion of the book is the most impressive part of the writing; when you feel exactly what Ponyboy feels, and you want to help him so badly, you know that the story is good.

Reviews

“The Outsiders is about Ponyboy Curtis, a teenager who discovers what is important in life. Ponyboy comes from the rough side of town. His parents died in a car accident, and Ponyboy and his brothers are struggling to stay together. A series of suspenseful events causes Ponyboy to get in trouble, become a hero, and lose two friends. Finally, Ponyboy figures out that being tough isn't everything, and that the deepest love is sometimes hidden.”

Page, S. (2002). The Outsiders (Book). Scholastic Scope, 50(14), 2.

“Peer relationships, poverty, sacrifice, and a search for self underlie this story about Pony~boy, Sodapop, and Darrel--"greasers" who face death, defeat, and socioeconomic struggles. Realistically written, this action-filled novel with a touch of romance appeals to almost all young adolescents.”

Booklist Reviews. (1990). The Outsiders. Booklist. March 1, 1990.

Library Use

I could see this book being recommended to someone who wanted to show their child that there was a different way of life other than the one they lead. One of the major focuses is the book is that no matter what social status you have, there are problems everywhere. This could be a good example to help others understand that everyone has issues and can overcome them.