The Great Gilly Hopkins (Paperback)

~ (Author) "ILLY" said Miss Ellis with a shake of her long blonde hair toward the passenger in the back seat..." (more)
Key Phrases: brown chair, William Ernest, Miss Ellis, Miss Harris (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Gilly Hopkins is a determined-to-be-unpleasant 11-year-old foster kid who the reader can't help but like by the end. Gilly has been in the foster system all her life, and she dreams of getting back to her (as she imagines) wonderful mother. (The mother makes these longings worse by writing the occasional letter.) Gilly is all the more determined to leave after she's placed in a new foster home with a "gross guardian and a freaky kid." But she soon learns about illusions--the hard way. This Newbery Honor Book manages to treat a somewhat grim, and definitely grown-up theme with love and humor, making it a terrific read for a young reader who's ready to learn that "happy" and "ending" don't always go together. (Ages 9 to 12) --Richard Farr

Review

"The arrogant, bitter heroine of this moving story is a wisecracking, gum-chewing kid who has been shuttled from one foster home to another. . . . [She is portrayed] with warmth and wit, in a story filled with love and compassion." -- "CE"

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9-12
  
• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (June 17, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0064402010
• ISBN-13: 978-0064402019
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (111 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #42,787 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent and Provocative Prose for Pre-Teens, June 29, 2000

By	Reginald D. Garrard "the G-man" (Camilla, GA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

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.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Made me cry, and I don't like to cry., January 21, 1998

By A Customer

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.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars 5th grade class captivated with Gilly's life and personality, October 17, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Great Gilly Hopkins (Hardcover)

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.