Gutsy Gilly

Author: Katherine Paterson
Title: The Great Gilly Hopkins
Publisher: Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1978.

Grade Level: 3-5

Summary: Gill struggles in the foster care system to find her place and her “family.”

Strengths: Gilly is one of my all time favorite characters. She is tough, independent, gutsy, and longs to find a place to call home. She’s the picture of perseverance and the results of being knocked around in the world. I think readers are shocked by Gilly, yet root for her throughout the book.

Concerns: Language, racism, and a tough ending are my main concerns with this book. The language and the racist remarks must be taken in context, yet teachers and parents must be aware of it. As for the ending and the tough message, I applaud Paterson for not wrapping this book up neatly. It’s not how Gilly would have wanted it. Paterson isn’t afraid to tell her reader that not everything is easy, not everything ends up like you would like it to, but that’s where perseverance and endurance comes into play. Maybe as an adult I can appreciate that message more, but Gilly is certainly not to be dismissed due to these concerns.

Classroom Use: I think this would be a great class read aloud. This would provide the opportunity for teachers to skip the language and explain some of the tough issues and messages of this book, without missing out on Gilly.

(image from Amazon.com)