Product Description

Harriet M. Welsch has just received the best news of her eleventh year—Ole Golly is coming back! Harriet can still remember how sad she was when her beloved nanny married George Waldenstein and moved away. But the circumstances of Ole Golly’s return remain unclear. Where is George Waldenstein?

With Mr. and Mrs. Welsch living in France for three months, Sport confiding that he has a crush on a girl at school, and the arrival of a mysterious new neighbor, who’s going to require a whole lot of spying, Harriet already has her hands full. Then she overhears Ole Golly saying she’s innocent—but innocent of what? Harriet the Spy is on the case and ready to help Ole Golly in any way she can.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #664675 in Books
• Published on: 2002-03-12
• Released on: 2002-03-12
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

From Amazon.com
Purists may shudder, but Harriet the Spy is back--even though her original creator, Louise Fitzhugh, is long gone. Author Helen Ericson has developed an intriguing new episode in Harriet's life for her latest fans, many of whom were introduced to Harriet the Spy--the book--only after the movie. When Harriet's former nurse, Ole Golly (who went off to live in Montreal last year after getting married to Mr. George Waldenstein), temporarily returns to her old post in the Welsch household, Harriet is deliriously happy. Unfortunately, Ole Golly is not acting like her brisk, no-nonsense self at all, and Harriet has been instructed to "expunge" the husband from her memory. What's up? This looks like a job for our girl sleuth extraordinaire! Side plots involving Harriet's friend Sport's impending puberty and a mysterious new neighbor keep things moving along at a rapid pace, but there's no denying it: it's just not the same. Ericson captures much of Harriet's essence, but she seems to be trying too hard. And the denouement (fairly easy to figure out early on) is downright odd. Still, for those who are hungering for more Harriet, this taste serves as a nice little snack. (Ages 10 to 14) --Emilie Coulter

From Publishers Weekly
With the approval of Louise Fitzhugh's (author of Harriet the Spy) estate, Ericson revisits the life of Harriet M. Welsch and the executors' trust was well placed. An author's note reports that Ericson became a fan when this self-styled young spy first appeared in 1964, and her affection for the feisty character comes through in this new misadventure. Even the young detective's fascination with words and her inclination to write her notebook entries in CAPITAL LETTERS endures. When Harriet's parents leave Manhattan to spend three months in Paris, her former nanny, "Ole Golly," returns from Montreal (where she had moved with her new husband) to stay with the soon-to-turn 12-year-old. Though Harriet's mother warns her that Ole Golly has asked that no one mention her husband's name, the curious sleuth sets out to discover what transpired in Montreal. Harriet, while eavesdropping, believes she hears Ole Golly announce that she's innocent, which leads the girl to conclude that the nanny accidentally killed her husband. Meanwhile, another mystery percolates in the townhouse across the street, where husband-and-wife doctors appear to be keeping a girl captive. As Harriet doggedly attempts to crack these cases, her processing of misinformation makes for some comical scenarios. Although the novel does not plunge directly into the mystery (as Fitzhugh's works did) and a few sluggish subplots including Harriet's creation of a timeline of her life bog down the pace, overall Ericson has shaped a spirited tale and gives her follow-up to Fitzhugh's novels a fittingly timeless feel. Ages 10-up.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 4-7-Ericson has written a worthy companion to Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet the Spy (Harper & Row, 1964; o.p.; Delacorte, 2000). The irrepressible heroine and many of her cronies return in a story that's rich in mystery, wry humor, wonderful wordplay, and an ending that suggests more to come. The action begins the summer before seventh grade when Harriet's parents announce that they're going to Paris for a few months and that her former nurse, Ole Golly, will return from Montreal to take care of her. But Ole Golly's presence gives Harriet less comfort than she expected because the woman is remote and sad, owing somehow, Harriet is sure, to her disastrous marriage to Mr. Waldenstein, which the girl is forbidden to mention. Also, Ole Golly's activities are cause for considerable speculation. Why does she make regular visits to the doctors across the street, carrying a small bag with her each time? When she finally figures out the truth-that Ole Golly is pregnant-Harriet tracks down Mr. Waldenstein and sets up a dramatic reunion that makes for a happy ending. A parallel plot introduces a quirky new character, Rosarita Sauvage aka Yolanda Montezuma aka Zoe Carpaccio aka Annie Smith. Ericson has perfectly captured the voice and pacing of Fitzhugh's original novel in a seamless rendering of a fresh, enjoyable story for today's readers. A few anachronisms and some minor missteps in chronology-here Sport's father has remarried during the summer while in Sport (Delacorte, 1979; o.p.; 2001) his marriage takes place after school begins-don't detract from this truly welcome publishing event.
Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.