The Great Gilly Hopkins

The Great Gilly Hopkins

By Katherine Paterson

Published by HarperCollins Publishers (1987)

Reading Level: ages 9-12 years

Pages: 148

Genre: Modern Realism

Summary: Gilly is a foster child that has been moved to several foster homes. She is very smart and refuses to be good. She is sent to the home of Maime Trotter. Trotter is also taking care of a little boy named William Earnest Teague, and Gilly thinks he is stupid. A blind African American gentleman, named Mr. Randolf, comes over every night for dinner and Gilly doesn't like to touch him. Gilly is also upset that her teacher is also African American. Tries all of her tried and tested methods of the past to drive people crazy, but it doesn't work. She tries writing a letter to her mother and also she steals money and tries to run off to California to live with her mom, but the station master turns her in and she decides she likes living with Trotter. She helps around the house and helps William Earnest with his words and teaches him to fight. But when everyone gets sick her biological grandmother comes by because of the letter Gilly sent to her mother and decides to take Gilly with her. Gilly has to leave Trotter and lives with her grandmother, who she likes, but she still misses Trotter. Her mom comes to visit for Christmas and she isn't anything like what Gilly had envisioned and doesn't love her and only came because Grandma paid her to come. Gilly wants to run away and calls Trotter, but Trotter talks her out of it and Gilly tells Trotter she loves he and then Gilly decides to stay with her grandmother and brave things out.

My Reaction: I don't know how many required books in this class that I wasn't looking forward to reading I ended up loving. This is one of them. I didn't think the story looked like one I would enjoy, but I absolutely loved the book! I think Gilly is a very real girl and I loved Trotter. I think that this book was profound and beautiful.

Potential Problems: Gilly swears a lot.

Recommendations: I would recommend this to older children or foster parents.