Harriet the Spy

Today would be my sister Gail's 48th birthday. Wow. In honor of Gail, I will review one of her favorite childhood books, Harriet the Spy. Lydia and I read Harriet a few months ago. I remember loving it as a child, but as I read it as an adult I realized what a different child Harriet is. She is a girl walking her own path who never really seems to fit in. She is true to her self and has strong opinions that she finds release by writing about them. It is a great book for today's youth (even though I occasionally thought Harriet might be unbalanced) because it is about a girl who loves herself as she is who learns through the story's events to be a bit more compassionate toward others. She is bold, funny, smart and quirky. These were qualities my sister had as well, and I can understand why she loved this book. Gail even went through a period where she looked like Harriet. Whenever I see this book, I think of her. Lydia can't wait to read the next one.