This blog is created in conjunction with the These Books Made Me podcast. Check out the corresponding episode, Harriet the Spy, on Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you normally listen to podcasts. Or you can simply click on the link to the episode to listen.
Did you love Harriet the Spy as a kid but are now looking for something with more spying and less… meanness? Maybe something a little more modern? Try out some of these books either for yourself or the young ones in your life:
- City Spies by James Ponti
If you want some actual, pretty cool spying. Teen hacker Sara Martinez secures a get of jail (or juvenile detention) free pass by agreeing to go to an MI6 connected spy school. Sara teams up with her fellow too-clever-for-their-own-good classmates on a mission, finding friendship and identity along the way. - Dork Diaries by Rachel Renee Russell
Russell’s best selling series enhances the text with graphic elements, much in the same way Fitzhugh’s sketches helped bring Harriet to life for readers. The series follows the day to day life of 14 year old Nikki Maxwell as she navigates not quite fitting in, crushes, and other perils of adolescence. For kids who want to be writers or like the diary/journaling element of Harriet’s story. - The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin
After the murder of local millionaire recluse Sam Westing, Turtle Wexler and her fellow residents at Sunset Towers find themselves pawns in an elaborate game of clues, puzzles, and deception as they rush to solve the murder and win the prize, being named heir to the Westing fortune. Kicks to the shins, a lack of a filter, and bombs feature prominently in this classic for kids who admire the spunkiness and intelligence of Harriet, but wanted a little more mystery.
Maybe you’re looking for a Harriet-esque book for a more mature reader? Try some of these titles found in the teen and adult sections of your local library.
- Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
World War II provides the setting for a story of friendship, espionage, and courage. This Printz nominee and Edgar Allen Poe award winning novel is told from the two separate perspectives of a spy and her pilot and devoted friend. The novel features daring and headstrong heroines, a memoir-like style, and an absolutely mindblowing twist that demands an immediate reread. - The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Hyperobservant female protagonist… check.
She finds her calling as an investigative journalist… check.
Her observations sometimes lead her down the wrong path… check.
Dark family secrets in a gothic ghost story… record scratch.
This is Harriet gone very dark and suspenseful and definitely for adults.
