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From Horn Book

July 1, 2001
The character of Harriet M. Welsch, aspiring writer and neighborhood spy, remains as original as she was when this novel was first published, helping to usher in a new age of modern realistic fiction. Though never out of print, the novel now has a different publisher, still containing Fitzhugh's own black-and-white illustrations, and stands as a testament to the author's unique creative vision.

(Copyright 2001 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

From School Library Journal

August 1, 1999
Gr 3-5-Harriet is determined to become a famous author. In the meantime, she practices by following a regular spy route each day and writing down everything she sees in her secret notebook. Her life is turned upside down when her classmates find her notebook and read it aloud!. By Louise Fitzhugh.

Copyright 1999 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

From AudioFile Magazine

Harriet wants to be a writer, so she writes down in her notebook everything she sees and hears on her daily "spy route." She innocently piles up details about her friends and neighbors. All is well until her notebook is discovered by her classmates and read aloud, and Harriet must deal with the consequences of her spying. In this reading Anne Bobby is especially adept at maintaining Harriet's kid voice, even though the novel is not told in the first person. She switches voices well, especially among the kids, so the readers can keep them straight. Beyond that, she keeps the pace of her reading moving along smoothly. P.B.J. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine