"> Name: Louise Fitzhugh's Harriet the Spy

Date:  1951 - 1975

Location:  North America

SubjectOther

MediumLiterature


Artist: Louise Fitzhugh

Confronting Bodies: Parents, teachers, librarians and literary critics across the United States

Date of Action: 1964 to present

Specific Location: United States

Description of Artwork: "Harriet the Spy" is a children's book about a young girl, Harriet, who wants to become a spy. She gets into trouble when she writes harsh criticisms about her classmates in her journal and is caught. Harriet gets advice from her nanny, Ole Golly, to lie about what she wrote.



Description of Incident: "Harriet the Spy" recieved praise from Library Journal, the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books and the New York Times Book Review. However, other critics rebuked the story for its alleged immorality, refering to the advice given by Ole Golly. Libraries and schools across the United States created committees to decide whether or not to offer the book. Parents and teachers claimed that children were and would begin to imitate Harriet's window peeping



Results of Incident: "Harriet the Spy" has been removed from library shelves across the United States.



Source: Censorship, A World Encyclopedia, ed. D. Jones

Submitted By: NCAC



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