i love it! i can actually relate to it! i know it has some curse words i it but it's maturity. You have to be mature enough and tough enough un like my boyfriend Rashaun to read it!
The Great Gilly Hopkins
(1978, Fiction - Family life, Written by Katherine Paterson)
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Is it age appropriate?
About our ratings -
Is it any good?
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Common Sense says
A great choice for reluctant readers.
Why We Rated This 
for Ages 11 and Up
What to watch out for
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Violence:
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Sex:
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Language:
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Consumerism:
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Drinking, drugs, & smoking:
What Parents Need to Know
This review of The Great Gilly Hopkins was written by Monica Wyatt
Parents need to know that this book is highly appealing, especially to kids beginning to rebel against authority. Fresh and inventive writing keeps readers engrossed.
Families Can Talk About
Talk to your kids about the media in their life. We have more tools and tips that can help
- Families can talk about expectations. Why are Gilly's expectations for her mother so high? How does Gilly try to protect herself from disappointment?
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More on The Great Gilly Hopkins
Book Summary
Gilly is one tough kid. She intends to destroy every one of her foster mothers so she can live with her mysterious real mother. She meets her match in Mrs. Trotter, an overweight, uneducated woman who's only weapon is total love for her foster kids. Can Gilly prevail against that? A great choice for reluctant readers.
Is It Any Good?
She beats boys up. She terrorizes teachers. She drives unsuspecting foster parents to nervous breakdowns. Katherine Paterson has created a believable character in Gilly, and readers learn how pain drives the bad behavior of this foster kid.
Gilly thinks she's smarter than any authority figure -- until she meets a woman who has had little education but who has wisdom in spades. Mrs. Trotter knows kids, and she knows how to handle Gilly. Gilly ridicules Mrs. Trotter's deep religious faith and defies her at every turn, but she just can't escape the woman's relentless love. Readers are satisfied with the ending, as Gilly resolves her issues and learns to love and be loved.
Publisher’s Details
Publisher: HarperTrophy, Publication date: 1/1/1978
Number of pages: 148, Price: $5.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 10+, Read Alone: 11+
Number of pages: 148, Price: $5.99 (paperback)
Read Aloud: 10+, Read Alone: 11+
Our Members Say
See 14 member reviews
Most Recent Reviews
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
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I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- Negative role models
Okay but.....
I read it in 4th grade. Some language.
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I rate this title on for age 11 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
- Educational
Not for everyone
Mr. Kurz Per. 1 The Great Gilly Hopkins by Katherine Paterson is a realistic fiction novel that begins in Thompson Park, Maryland in the 1970s. Gilly, the main character, is a smart but very violent girl who is motivated to find her mother. She has been moving around as a foster child for eight years and tries to sabotage every relationship she has. Trotter, Gilly’s new foster mother, is a loving, caring person, but Gilly does not want to have anything to do with her. Two of her other disappointments at Trotter’s are her new foster brother, W.E., who she thinks may be retarded, and her blind neighbor, Mr. Randolph, who happens to be black. Slowly, throughout the book, Gilly’s feelings begin to change. After receiving a letter from Courtney, Gilly writes a letter back to her mother with false information exaggerating how unhappy she was at Trotter’s. She hopes this letter will re-unite her with Courtney; however, it drastically changes Gilly’s life in a way that she didn’t intend. The author shows how hard the life of a foster parent or child can be, being that she herself was only able to handle that responsibility for a few months. Some of the lessons that Paterson teaches through Gilly’s experiences are that life does not always have a happy ending, and people should find something positive in their lives and make the best of it. This book is realistic in that it includes real-life problems and believable characters. Clever similes and metaphors are placed throughout the story, while characterization is incorporated to keep readers gripped. Paterson effectively changes the mood and pace at which the story is read, and breaks up narration with dialogue. The writing leads readers to believe the story will go one way, when suddenly the plot takes a sudden turn. Every time a reader comes to the end of a chapter, Paterson makes them want to read more with clever foreshadowing. This book best fits a young, mature reader, but it is recommended to people who enjoy emotional, unique books. Foster children who are disappointed with their lives, could learn to make the best of it, while foster parents will be able to relate to Trotter as they probably had to deal with kids like Gilly.
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I rate this title iffy for age 9 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Excessive violence
- Negative role models
good but bad rolemodels.
i thought this book was awsome! but i have to admit Gilly isnt a good role model she steals things, swaers, and is someone that nobody wants to be around.
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I rate this title iffy for age 10 and give it
- My concerns are:
- Inappropriate language
- My highlights are:
umm good for 4th to 6 th graders
i think this is a good book very entertaining
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Ratings at a Glance
| 33% | of parents say it's educational |
| 33% | of parents don't feel there are good role models |
| 33% | of parents say it has language their kids can't use |
| 33% | of parents say it's too violent |
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