The Great Gilly Hopkins

The Great Gilly Hopkins. ISBN 0-06-40201-0. Katherine Paterson. 1978. Newberry Honor. Ages 9-12. Multi-Cultural.

The Great Gilly Hopkins, by Katherin Paterson, is the story of a tough-skinned, yet smart and creative, young girl who has been through many different foster homes in her young life. Gilly is an eleven-year-old girl growing up in Maryland, having a hard time adjusting to her new foster family, the Trotters. She has formed racist opinions and Mrs. Trotter's best friend is African-American, along with her new teacher. She has trouble at school, making only one friend, Agnes, and enjoys bullying her young foster brother, William. After discovering money in blind Mr. Randolph's book shelf, Gilly decides to buy a bus ticket to San Francisco where she knows her mother lives from a return address on a postcard that she sent. When the police pick her up, William begs her to come home, which she agrees to do. She then starts to turn things around for herself, doing better in school, reading Mr. Randolph's books, and teaching William to read. Just then, she is taken away to live with her grandma, Nonnie, in Virginia. Again, she has to adust to her new life, but never loses hope that her mother will take her to San Francisco. When her mother visits for the holidays, Gilly discovers that she has no plans of caring for her, and that she is only there because Nonnie bought her a ticket to visit. Gilly begs Trotter to take her back, but finally accepts her new home with Nonnie.

This book could be used in a classroom to identify with the struggles of others, and create empathy. I think it is a very sad story, but one that many children live in real life. There may be students in my classroom who are being fostered who could relate to this story very well. I'd like to discuss in my classroom how life involves choices that can either help you to succeed or cause you to fail. Life doesn't always give us what we expect or hope for, but it is possible to turn a bad or disappointing situation into a learning experience, and a positive experience. Many of the students should appreciate their own families and home lives more after reading this story.