Harriet the Spy, Double Agent

Read Harriet the Spy, Double Agent Storyline:

From School Library JournalGrade 5-8–Harriet's new neighbor, Annie Smith, has moved to New York City to live with her aunt and uncle. When Harriet befriends her, she discovers that there is more to the girl than meets the eye, including her persona as new classmate Cassandra D'Amore. She also learns that Annie is hiding a lot of secrets. By making her a partner in her spy escapades, Harriet hopes to learn more about this unique person. All she knows is that Annie comes from Boston, is well read, and that she is in love with an older man. Frustrated, Harriet becomes a double agent and spies on her own colleague. She discovers that Annie has been lying about her life, which leads to an explosive climax. The characters lack spark and personality, and the plot is slow and repetitive. Except for the protagonist's familiar name, there's not much to interest readers here.–Amanda Conover Le, St. Johns County Public Library System, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. From BooklistGr. 4-7. Harriet the Spy is back, and Gold does a credible job of maintaining the special character and her crusty charm. Still attending a private Manhattan school, Harriet is fascinated with a new student, Annie, who has a zillion marvelous aliases. Harriet's best friend, Sport, has a tongue-tied crush on Annie, and Harriet herself is rather taken with this mysterious girl, who has secrets that Harriet feels compelled to uncover. Annie turns out to be a natural spy, and as she joins Harriet in her efforts to uncover the mystery of the Korean grocer and a Christmas tree lot, Harriet tries to figure out what Annie herself is hiding. Fans of Fitzhugh's books will be pleased by the continuity of character development, but careful readers will miss the slyness of Fitzhugh's wry prose. Still, those meeting Harriet for the first time may be inspired to pick up the earlier titles. For more about the series, see "Reflections on Fiction Spin-offs: Should Harriet Spy Again?" in the December 1, 2002, issue of Booklist. Debbie CartonCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved