Customer Reviews

The Great Gilly Hopkins

5 star:		(65)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(12)

 

 

Contemporary. Absorbing. Insightful. Reflective. Dramatic. Humorous. These are just a few adjectives that can be heaped on this excellent novel for children. Ms. Paterson has written a book that can stand the test of time with its multiple themes: conflict resolution, facing reality, the universal need by all for security, and to a lesser degree, the inhumanity of man to man. As Gilly may have put it, "This is one damn good book!'

As I began to read the selection, I was unnerved somewhat by Gilly's frequent uses of profanity. I thought this be unsuitable in a book intended for children. However, as I progressed, I realized that his provided the reader with an essential character trait of the young lady. From years of being shuffled from one home to another, Gilly had become angry and mistrusting of others. Her language and actions were defense mechanisms she used to cope with her feelings of unworthiness.

I could relate to the child's prejudices because as an African-American, I have been witness to some of the same ignorance possessed by the story's central character. It is admirable of the author to include such thinking for it promotes discussion about how we see each other.

The supporting characters are memorable and well developed. From the kindness of the overweight Maime Trotter to the poetry-reciting blind Mr. Randolph, the "people" in the story are so realistically portrayed that the reader cannot help but have concern for them. Honestly speaking, I almost shed a tear when Gilly had to leave her new "family."

Speaking of Gilly, the young lady changes from an angry child to a loving individual who discovers that life is not always the way it's supposed to be.

In an era when foster families and abandoned children abound, this book speaks to all of us. It shows how important the family unit is, how children need support, and how we are dependent on each other.

Such a simple message this is, unfortunately, forgotten by most.

The Great Gilly Hopkins

The main character Gilly Hopkins is a self centered unloved 6th grader. In less than 3 years, she's been moved to 3 foster homes. When she meets her new foster family, which consists of a fat lady, named Trotter, a punny retarded 7-year-old William Ernest and a blind black old man Randolph. She tries lots of things to get away from them and the old run down house. She even steals, cleans and gives William Ernest reading lessons. She does all that hard work just to get caught. The one-day she gets taken away to live with her grandma and then she realizes how much she loves and misses her foster Family. Then she meets her real mom and finds out she doesn't love her. Next she figures out that the Trotters love her and she loves them.

I thought it was great how Gilly changed so much and how she learned it was okay to be loved and love. I really enjoyed when she was teaching William Ernest how to fight and stand up for himself and I need to learn how to stand up for myself. I thought it was a wonderful book with lots of detail and feelings that a kid might feel in their everyday life.

We are class 5T in Holland Elementary School in Holland, Massachusetts. We read The Great Gilly Hopkins for our second literature study book of the year. Our age group is from 10 to 11 years.

Gilly Hopkins is about an angry foster child who has a history of moving through many foster homes. She arrives at Maime Trotter's house hating her foster mother. During her stay at Trotter's house, Gilly learns love, self-control, and respect for others.

This is what we liked about the book. We became emotionally touched by Gilly's situation. Some of us cried while we read the book. Gilly was an interesting character because she changed from having hostile feelings for others to being a loving person. Some of us thought the author used vivid vocabulary that made Gilly seem real and interesting.

There are a few things we did not like about the book. Some of us thought the ending was sad. Gilly uses a lot of swears, and some of us didn't approve of that. There wasn't a lot of action in the story. People who like adventure stories might not like Gilly Hopkins.

Gilly Hopkins, the main character of this book, is an imaginative and manipulative 11-year-old in the trying to control her life in the midst of the foster care system. The story begins with Gilly and her social worker going to meet Gilly's new "family" for the first time. This new family consists of a "mammoth-sized guardian and a freaky kid." As we learn that this will be her third foster home in as many years, we know that we are in for an exciting and tumultuous adventure!

Gilly's initial reaction to her new setting is that it is dark, cramped and filthy. Inside this home is where the majority of the book takes place, as they dine nightly with the old and blind man next door and where she concocts the drama behind her escapades.

Written in a limited point of view, the reader is given insight into understanding the mechanisms this child has adopted in order to adapt to her environment. She creatively gets the attention of her teacher, uses a classmate to her very best advantage, and uses loads of intimidation to control another foster child in the home. The plot is one of the individual (Gilly) against society (in this case the foster care system), and we receive creative insight into the workings of such a complicated system in our society.

Gilly's main goal is to escape her current situation, dreaming of the pot of gold at the end of her rainbow. She eventually gets her long awaited wish, only to be disappointed again by life. Gilly is eventually able to bond, in a unique sort of fashion, with the "misfits" whom she was thrust into a relationship with. She is able to care for them when they are sick, and form her own important place in the family structure. The tone of the book can at times be very dark and lonely as this child struggles with what she perceives as an intolerable circumstance with little or no support structure.

The simple sentence structure and vocabulary of this book makes it a good choice for the young reader. The use of short and concise sentences make it easy to read and the dialogue is easy to understand. While the book focuses on a very grown-up theme, it is a wonderful example of the fact that life is not always fair, and it is an excellent choice for the reader who would be at ease with the reality that not all stories have happy endings.

Let me begin by giving full praise to the original cover of "The Great Gilly Hopkins". I've seen the reissued covers and they fill me with sadness. On the original front cover is Gilly Hopkins herself. Hands placed firmly on her waist, elbows akimbo, she's blowing a bubble the size of her head. Her hair is short and mousy colored and she's wearing a shirt that I myself wore, I'm certain, in 1982. On the back cover the bubble has popped all over her face, giving her an odd bubbley mask. Compare such a beautiful illustration of this human being with the current spunky pink cheeked aw-ain't-she-sweet kid on the current covers. For shame, Mr. Publisher. For shame.

Now this book is great. Doggone it, I do this with every Katherine Paterson book. I walk in with the vague hope of not hating the book (paging "Bridge to Terebithia") and end up loving it as much as everyone else in the world loves it. What is not to like about this book? You begin with a thoroughly unlikable character. Sure, maybe she's been having some ups and downs in her life, but she's a racist, thieving, conniving little brat. And doggone it if you don't end up loving the little whelp by the end. Gilly changes, the reader changes with her, and the people around her are great. And the ending is far from perfect for poor Gilly, but she did bring it on herself and she's strong enough to survive it. The book's got pep, the girl's got pep, and the whole thing is thoroughly enjoyable. Two thumbs way way up for the Gilly gal.

The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. Another junior literature book--do you sense I have a 9 year old reader? This book made me cry. But I couldn't really cry because I was reading out loud to my daughter; and crying and reading--especially in voice--don't mix. So I just streamed tears and read, in voice, but with a slightly constricted throat. Afterwords I suffered the requisite headache one gets from not crying when you need to cry, which made me feel what was the use of holding back. I don't think Camden noticed any of this because she was completely swept away with the anger and passion of the lead character, Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins. Gilly is a foster child who is very smart, and tougher than any kid--boy or girl in her school. Her life is based on this toughness born out of a of an indiscrimate hate and resentment of life. Along the way, the hard way, she learns about love and family and committment, and, well, loss and the consequences of one's actions. Did I mention previously about injustice and cruelty of life? Some pretty harsh language that I found myself editing out as I read, but a beautiful moving book.

I read and RE-read this book about 100 times as a pre-teen and teenager. I found it absolutely fascinating because I didn't know anyone like Gilly in the real world.

Evidently some parents aren't giving their kids enough credit when it comes to reading books that have curse words or so called "questionable" issues. This is the real world and it has plenty of angry, hurt, and confused foster kids, cursing, and racial inequality. I was only about 10 or 11 when I first read the book and reading it did not make me cuss or use racial slurs. I inherently knew that the subject material must be sensitive and to me it was eye-opening. As I got older I read and re-read the book and learned more every time.

Parents, give your children more credit and if you don't like the book then talk to your kids about it. If nothing else it will facilitate a meaningful conversation about people that you may otherwise not have in your life. Do not make the mistake of simply not reading it because of these other poor reviews.

Eleven-year-old Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins has been shuffled from foster home to foster home since she was three years old. Every time she becomes used to a new family, they find a reason to get rid of her. And so, to protect herself against the hurt, Gilly's decided to be awful to everyone. So what if she doesn't have friends? Gilly's decided that pushing everyone away from the onset is the only way to survive...that, and refuse to give up the idea that the beautiful mother she last saw as a toddler is actually planning to come rescue her any day now.

However, Gilly's newest foster mother, Trotter, isn't so easily pushed away. She's used to difficult children, and she's determined to get through to Gilly -- who, in turn, is repulsed by her large size, by quiet little foster brother William Ernest, and by Mr. Randolph, the elderly blind neighbor who eats with the family each night.

Just when Gilly's finally beginning to accept Trotter's home as her own, fate intervenes, and once again, Gilly's world is turned upside down.

Some readers reject this book, as Gilly is something of a racist, and there is a particular scene where she writes a nasty poem to her sixth-grade teacher, who is black. However, I disagree with banning it -- I feel that Gilly's behavior is on target with her upbringing and inner turmoil. Paterson isn't throwing in racist situations gratuitously, but rather using them as fodder for Gilly's personal development -- and, in fact, showing readers the world as it really is. It's up to Gilly, and everyone, to learn how to deal with prejudices and establish a strong sense of self.

The Great Gilly Hopkins is a book about a foster child who doesn't trust anyone. One day she has to move. She has to live with a little boy who is scared of her and a woman named Trotter and the blind man who lives next door and who always comes to dinner. Gilly really wants to live with her mother, Courtney but she's not allowed to. So Gilly writes a letter to her mother telling her to please send money for a bus ticket so she can live with her Gilly also tells her mother about the awful foster mother and the dumb boy she has to live with. Will Gilly ever learn to love theses people. One day after school she makes a paper plane for the boy, William Ernest and she learns to love Trotter. When her grandma comes will Gilly want to leave trotter and William Ernest? Read the book and find out! If you read The Great Gilly Hopkins I know you will enjoy it.

The Great Gilly Hopkins is a really good book. It's full of adventure, sadness and humor. It's a touching story about a young orphan girl named Gilly who struggles with her foster parents. Her goal is to find her mother in California. It takes Gilly a while for her to realize that you need to be careful of what you wish for. The end is very happy, but to know it you'll have to read the book. So read The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson. Happy Reading!