Harriet the Spy

By Louise Fitzhugh

Book #1 in the Harriet the Spy series

A young spy's secret notebook falls into the wrong hands, threatening her friendships.

4.0/5 Goodreads · 101,189 ratings

300 pages· 57,761 words· Est. 8 hour read

$8.99Save 5%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

Harriet M. Welsch, an 11-year-old spy, meticulously records her observations about everyone around her. But when her notebook is lost and discovered by her friends, the harsh truths she penned threaten to unravel her world. Can Harriet mend her friendships and learn the true power of words? Dive into this classic tale of honesty, betrayal, and redemption set in the bustling streets of New York City. Will Harriet's sharp insights lead to healing or further chaos?

From the publisher

“The 50th annivesary edition of Harriet the Spy includes tributes to this timeless coming-of-age story from Judy Blume, Rebecca Stead, and other notable authors.” - Seira Wilson, Amazon Editor

This special 50th Anniversary Edition of the classic and ground-breaking coming-of-age novel, Harriet the Spy, includes tributes by Judy Blume, Meg Cabot, Lois Lowry, Rebecca Stead, and many more, as well as a map of Harriet’s New York City neighborhood and spy route and original author/editor correspondence.

Using her keen observation skills, 11-year-old Harriet M. Welsch writes down in her notebook what she considers the truth about everyone in and around her New York City neighborhood. When she loses track of her notebook, it ends up in the wrong hands, and before she can stop them, her friends read the sometimes awful things she’s observed and written about each of them. How can Harriet find a way to keep her integrity and also put her life and her friendships back together?

“I don’t know of a better novel about the costs and rewards of being a truth teller, nor of any book that made more readers of my generation want to become fiction writers. I love the story of Harriet so much I feel as if I lived it.” —Jonathan Franzen, author of Freedom and The Corrections

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