The Great Gilly Hopkins

by Katherine Paterson Published by Harper Trophy 1978 Contemporary Realistic Fiction 178 Pages Summary: Our dear eleven year old Gilly has been through a few foster homes that were unable to tame her crazy brash life style. She find herself being taken to yet another foster home as we open the book. She thinks it's another home she can cross off her list. She is very proud, racist, and quite the handful. She thinks she will just write her birth mother and tell her about all the horrid things that she is living through, like eating dinner every night with their colored blind neighbor, or the fact that her teacher at school is fat, or that Trotter is quite a large woman. However, our dear Trotter is able to find something in her she doesn't even know is there. At first Gilly can only think of toruring her dear little foster brother. The poor thing is scared to death of her. But as they grow together, she teaches him to fight and stand up for himself. As Gilly starts loving her new family and understanding the importance of a good family, he birth mother sends her lawyer sending for Gilly. So Gilly is taken to live with her Grandmother. Her Grandmother buys a ticket for Gilly's mother to come for Christmas, and Gilly learns that her mother wants nothing to do with her. So she decideds she wants to go back to live with Trotter, so she calls and Trotter tells her she must be strong and be there for her grandmother. So she stays. My Reaction: It's always sad to not see a happy ending, but this book was quite a thinker. I liked that it ended with a wonderful lesson. I really enjoyed getting to know Gilly and how she affected the others in her life. How funny! Possible Problems: This book does bring up abandonment, and a lot of racism and prejudice. This could be a little for some parent's to swallow, but it is very good, and worth it for the lessons. Recommendations: I think this is a wonderful book for anyone probably 5th grade and up.