Harriet the Spy

"As a kid I just thought it made me want to be a spy. But now I see that it’s an excruciatingly accurate depiction of the compulsion to write (and draw — Louise Fitzhugh illustrated the book herself), and the toll that this exacts on one’s life."

"Books were a call to action: Harriet the Spy inspired us to make our own tool kits and hide in the bushes outside the house of our elderly neighbors."

""Harriet the Spy," by Louise Fitzhugh"

""Harriet the Spy," by Louise Fitzhugh."

"As with a lot of writers of my generation, it’s “Harriet the Spy.” My recollection is that her creator, Louise Fitzhugh, died in her 40s. Did she have any idea how many young people decided to be writers after reading her two books about Harriet?"

"Harriet the Spy. She's fascinated by people, yet feels joyous and all-powerful in solitude: a portrait of the novelist as a young woman."

"I loved "The Wizard of Oz," all the "Eloise" books, "Alice in Wonderland," "Harriet the Spy.""