8/13/19 • 4 Stars
I'm sure I read this to my daughter when she was in the 5th or 6th grade, but I'd forgotten almost everything about it so decided to re-read it. I'm pretty sure I enjoyed just as much this time as I did all those years ago. In fact, I think I've enjoyed everything I've read of Katherine Paterson's books, including her Christmas stories and essays.

I really did not like this book. I have a difficult time seeing its purpose or value. It was to me a glorification of a bully. The main character was rude, disrespectful, and often down right mean. I understand that the character had a hard life but why do authors feel that creating heroic figures out of characters with terrible attitudes is appropriate? Gilly never faces any direct consequences for her bad behavior and there never comes a point of personal improvement or change.

Perhaps I am just a reader who needs a happy ending but I was really disappointed that Gilly did not make a significant turn around in circumstance or attitude.

This novel carries Katherine Paterson's typical edgy, almost dark style. I did not mind that so much in a story such as "...Terebithia"- at least that story had a point and characters that could be admired and even emulated. I think she went too far off on this one- it felt like she was trying too hard to appeal to social workers, inner-city do gooders, and politically correct educators. Perhaps it's good to have a story that appeals to all of them but it doesn't work for me.

I have read this book with each of my tweens. It is an excellent launchpad for conversations about empathy, privilege, social norms, and meeting people where they are. There is some crass language, but it is appropriate to the character and her world view.

The Great Gilly Hopkins believes she is longing for her mother, who named her, gloriously, Galadriel.

But what she is really longing for is love, and the misunderstanding may threaten her achievement of what she really needs.

I loved these characters and would be pleased to have them move into the house next door.

Touching story about a foster child and how important that humans not be just disposable.

کاترین پترسون پایان‌های شگفت‌انگیزی‌ می‌نویسه. با اینکه بسیار غمگین و کاملا واقع‌گرایانه‌ست، ولی بعد از اینکه کتاب رو می‌بندی، یک چیزی از کتاب همراهت می‌مونه.
گاهی وقت‌ها چیزی که آرزوش رو داری، واقعا همون چیزی نیست که می‌خوای.

خیال می‌کردم دوران گریه کردن با کتاب‌ها دیگه برام تموم شده ولی خوندن هر کتاب پترسون=یک عالمه اشک ریختن.

علاوه بر این‌ها، خود کتاب هم برام خیلی ارزشمنده؛ چون اولین کتابیه که توی هم‌خوانی با یه شخص خیلی عزیز خوندمش.

This book has the same general premise as Anne of Green Gables, minus the humor, beautiful scenery, and a main character who is likeable and grows through her mistakes.

Gilly is a tough kid. She's mean, she lies and she only cares about herself. She isn't the most likeable of characters, but if you stick with reading this short book, she captures your heart by the end (or at least she did mine). Not the happiest of endings, but probably the most realistic considering the circumstances. I'd recommend this to 3rd-6th graders.

Although this novel is comical at times when I look below the surface of this novel and look a little dipper I believe that the author is bringing to light a problem that we have in our foster care system, children are being passed along from one family to another never having a sense of security, comfort or happiness, left to their own devices as they attempt to survive in a world that do not love or care for them.
The setting for this novel seems to represent how Gilly feel’s about life. After being moved from foster home to foster home not having a permanent family she starts to feel dark and messy as if no one care’s about her at all, small like her room indicating how insignificant her life is, a small spec hardly noticeable.
The author used a little bit of a shock factor by giving Gilly a somewhat filthy mouth. I do not think that this kind of language is appropriate for the intended audience or any audience at that. Although Gilly changes her language I still think that by using profanity it teaches children that it is fine to curse or swear when they get upset. Even if it only affects one child in that manner I think that one is too much. I would not allow my child to read this book nor would I recommend it to anyone.

One of the meh-est of meh books I've ever read.

I read lots of reviews where people either LOVED it so much and thought Gilly was just the best or HATED Gilly and thought she was a little racist brat. (Which, to be fair, she kinda was.)

I didn't feel any strong emotions either way. I think that has to do with a couple of reasons. Anyone that's been following my reviews, has probably noticed a whole slew of Newbery books come through. I'm currently working on reading all the medal and honor books. Foster children, adopted children, abandoned children, just plain difficult children, etc., looking for their place is a VERY common theme among all the Newbery books. VERY. Common. It is an important theme, but I've been so inundated with it lately that I've lost all feeling for it. I just plain don't care anymore. It's grown old and stale to me. So when I encounter books with "Gilly's" in them, I just feel a bit bored. I don't really care.

I did quirk an eyebrow or two at the blatantly racist comments Gilly makes, and I don't really care for them. I didn't blink an eye at her bad language or poor behavior, because I've seen it so much.

Another thing is, I don't really like any of Paterson's other books, so I wasn't expecting much. I hate "Bridge to Terabithia" and thought "Jacob, Have I Loved," was weird with the old man crush. I've noticed in the Newbery library there seem to be certain authors that appear again and again, and I don't really know how I feel about that. I feel like maybe we've missed out on some great books because certain authors were given preferential treatment. I have no proof of that, but it does seem odd to me that the same authors get awarded again and again and I don't really think it's fair.

The audio was well done, I just didn't care for the story that much.

I really enjoyed this book (expect for the swear words). Gilly's character was thought out very well, though, so I can understand why the author added so much language. The ending was very unexpected and bittersweet.

This book was lying around my house so I decided to read it as a quick palate cleanser between other, harder books. It made me cry my face off. I think that's Katherine Paterson's thing.

The protagonist, Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins, is rather a horrible child. Abandoned by her mother, she's been messed around by the system and various nasty foster parents until she's almost a lost cause. Her social worker finally puts her with Trotter, the foster mother of last resort. Trotter is a huge, messy woman who lives in a huge, messy house with a small, possibly developmentally delayed foster son name William Earnest and a black neighbour. Snobby, racist Gilly is disgusted by this turn of events.

The book concerns Gilly's change of heart about her new foster family (and foster neighbour) — and how she manages to catastrophically screw it all up anyway.

I love that Paterson lets the catastrophic screw-up stand, and shows how Gilly recovers and uses what she learns at Trotter's house to figure out how to survive in her latest new life.