Shelf Discovery Challenge: Harriet the Spy and The Long Secret, by Louise Fitzhugh

Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh
Juvenile, 1964

From Fantasticfiction.co.uk:
Harriet the Spy 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.
An absolute classic, this is a book to read over and over, at least when you're a kid. As a precocious child, Harriet deals with a move, among other changes in her life, and that horrible moment when you realize everyone just might be against you. With unforgettable characters like Ol' Golly and Sport, this is a fully fleshed and excellently written story. Graded an A.

Harriet the Spy was also made into a movie a few years back, which oddly enough wasn't too bad. Maybe about a B.


The Long Secret, by Louise Fitzhugh
Juvenile, 1965
Also from Fantasticfiction.co.uk:
Harriet the Spy refuses to become ruffled when an unidentified person starts leaving disturbing notes all over the quiet little beach town of Water Mill. She's determined to discover the author of the notes. And she drags her best friend, mousy Beth Ellen, into all kinds of odd and embarrassing situations in her efforts to reveal the culprit. Observing in her own special, caustic way with her ever-present notebook, Harriet the Spy is on the case. But will she be ready to face the truth when she finds it?
A similar write to Harriet the Spy, these further adventures are plenty of fun. Graded an A-.

Don't forget to check out the rest of Fitzhugh's Harriet books:
Sport (1979)
Harriet Spies Again (2002) (with Helen Ericson)
Harriet the Spy, Double Agent (2005) (with Maya Gold)