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41st out of 80 books
—
34 voters
Sport (Harriet the Spy)
Eleven-year-old Sport Rocque is living a happy life, keeping his father's absentmindedness under control and managing the family budget. When Kate, Sport's new and nice stepmother, enters the picture, things couldn't be better. Then comes the news: Sport's wealthy grandfather has just died and Sport is a multimillionaire.
But millions of dollars equals millions of problems...more
But millions of dollars equals millions of problems...more
Paperback, 240 pages
Published
February 17th 2010
by Yearling
(first published March 28th 1980)
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Everybody says this book is the worst of the Harriet books, worse even than The Long Secret, although I couldn't imagine how that could be so since, in Harriet the Spy, I love Sport and I don't care about Beth Ellen. And I did enjoy this one well enough while reading it for the first time--it's fast-paced and Sport's internal monologue is very true to his Harriet the Spy characterization: slightly less witty and mean but more world-weary and random and the result is just as funny. But having fin...more
I read Harriet the Spy and The Long Secret in grade school and it was only a couple years ago that I discovered there was this other book, Sport. I was excited because I'd liked Sport in Harriet the Spy and was looking forward to reading more about him. Sport reminded me of myself because I was also the only child of a single parent and I took on a lot of worry and responsibility about money. But when I finally managed to lay hands on a copy, I was disappointed. Her writing wasn't nearly so pith...more
I understand the publisher rejected this book, sending it back to Fitzhugh with substantial changes; she put it aside, and there it sat until she died. Published after her death to cash in on Harriet's popularity; the original decision not to publish was correct. Harriet makes a couple of cameo appearances (one with Janie), but otherwise has no part in the story at all.
Mind-blowing. On the first page, Sport's (hated, and justly so) mother tells him, 'You've got a goddamned literal mind.' Such a shot across the bow is Fitzhugh's warning that this will not be your standard middle-school fare. It put me in mind of Susan Patron's dropping in 'scrotum' on page one of 'The Higher Power of Lucky' and all the fuss that caused. Come to think of it, Lucky Trimble owes a debt to Harriet Welch; she's even also a spy. 'Sport' is a sequel to 'Harriet the Spy' and sent me ba...more
This is the second companion novel to Harriet the Spy, though Harriet is more of a cameo (more like an in-joke for faithful readers than further development of Harriet's character as The Long Secret was). This was published posthumously, after being rejected for it's fairly ludicrous plot and flat characters. Perhaps the now "period setting" and idiosyncratic voice lifts this novel, because I enjoyed it, though perhaps I should create a new tag for myself and file this under guilty ple asure.
b...more
b...more
Wes Anderson must make a film of Sport. I am willing to bet he read it growing up. Simultaneously laugh aloud funny and heart-breaking. Fantastic parody of late 60s NYC and old money/boho clashes. Cocktails, Brooks Bros, integration, and a kidnapping to the Plaza Hotel, much if it apparently based on Fitzhugh's own experiences as a pawn in her parens' bitter divorce.
Weirdly for a lesbian feminist author, the character of Kate is portrayed in a very sexist way. But perhaps this is also Fitzhugh'...more
Weirdly for a lesbian feminist author, the character of Kate is portrayed in a very sexist way. But perhaps this is also Fitzhugh'...more
Sport is my favorite of Louise Fitzhugh's books. Sport (really Simon) and his poor writer father live in a dump of an apartment; Sport's mother (divorced from his father) is wealthy and spoiled. Sport's mother's father dies, precipitating his mother to attempt to kidnap him.
The characters are fun, though not all that deep (but the book is for children, after all).
The characters are fun, though not all that deep (but the book is for children, after all).
This was a really dark book! Between racist quips (from everyone, even the protagonists!) to kidnapping, Sport's life is definitely shown as being a lot less sheltered than Harriet's. While I enjoyed the expansion of Louise Fitzhugh's Upper East Side Manhattan world of 11-year-olds, I got very sad at different parts throughout this book. These kinds of parenting styles may have been the norm back in 1979 when this book was written, but I found my mouth dropping open at pretty much every interact...more
Sport Rocque inherits a huge wad of money when his grandfather dies, and his grasping mother wants to get her claws into it. Enjoyable enough, but not spectacular. Doesn't really fit with the companion novels Harriet the Spy or The Long Secret as its humour is far more broad and its realism concomitantly much less.
Lucy Longstocking review http://www.wcl.govt.nz/blogs/kids/ind...
Harriet only plays a guest role in the third book which is set back in New York. Sport focuses on Harriet’s friend Simon who is nicknamed Sport, and lives with his really nice but really hopeless Dad. There is not so much mystery in this one, but a lot of action. Poor Sport is really put through the wringer as his evil mother (no, not evil stepmother – just plain old evil mother) tries to gain custody of him so she can get her gree...more
Harriet only plays a guest role in the third book which is set back in New York. Sport focuses on Harriet’s friend Simon who is nicknamed Sport, and lives with his really nice but really hopeless Dad. There is not so much mystery in this one, but a lot of action. Poor Sport is really put through the wringer as his evil mother (no, not evil stepmother – just plain old evil mother) tries to gain custody of him so she can get her gree...more
Sep 04, 2011
Cheryl
added it
I like the style of writing. It allows me to continue to read - even if a story that is sometimes predictable. I misses the books growing up and have always (and now have) wanted to read them!
Sep 04, 2007
Leslie
rated it
3 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
spies, misfits, and other kindred spirits
This book made me shout so with laughter that my mother came running to see if I was alright. I read it the summer after high school when I was stuck home with a broken leg, and I must admit I don't remember the plot all that clearly. But it has to do with Sport, one of the two best friends of Harriet the Spy, the son of a starving writer who tries to balance his dad's impracticality by learning to keep the books and cook the vegetables (all before turning 10, I believe). Harriet is quite a shar...more
I loved Harriet the Spy when I was a kid, but man I FLIPPED for this book. I can still see the blue library copy I must've read a dozen times.
I read this when I was a kid after Harriet the Spy and remember being really disappointed. It has none of Harriet's charm or originality.
Touching story of a child caught in a custody battle when he unexpectedly inherits his grandfather's fortune.
I listened to this. I am a fan of Harriet the Spy and this is about her friend Sport.
although i have never read this it seems good because the others are so good.
Any book featuring my hero Harriet M. Welsch earns at least 4 stars.
I must have read this as a kid, I know I read HARRIET THE SPY, then read it in 2004 and was blown away and probably got more out of it as a 38 year old than an 8 year old. A true classic. Like The Chocolate War, it's head and shoulders above most of the competition. Deals with some tough issues--is Sport's dad an alcoholic? In a very real, non-dogmatic and ovbious way, which is my beef about quite a bit of the children's and YA stuff that I read today--everything is spelled out in big bold lette...more
I really liked this book when I read it as a kid.
Very funny! Great outllok on a boy's life
This book actually deals with some rough stuff--Sport's family life? Kinda sucks. REALLY kinda sucks. A lot of folks seem to have disliked this one greatly, but I enjoyed it. No, not as much as I did Harriet the Spy and The Long Secret (the main thing is, it's just a more serious story--much less general hilarity, though there are some funny bits as well), but I still think it's a good story and I really liked that Sport got a book of his own--I always really liked him in Harriet the Spy.
Loved it!
Sep 20, 2007
Jackie "the Librarian"
rated it
4 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
Harriet the spy readers
Shelves:
childrensbooks
The story of Harriet the spy's friend Sport, whose poor writer dad inherits money, and suddenly they have all kinds of money where before they ate a lot of baked beans. Now, Sport is living at the Plaza and watching out for kidnappers. I think. It's been a long while since I read this.
Not the greatness that is Harriet the Spy - this is just a fun kids's book.
Not the greatness that is Harriet the Spy - this is just a fun kids's book.
Been a really long time since I've even seen this one hanging around bookstores or libraries. (Guess nobody was interested in Fitzhugh's books about boys.) But the kidnapping and being locked in his room subplot was great. I loved reading and re-reading this one, back in the day.
This book was way different then I expected. But different is good. It was really good- it had lots of excitement, the characters were well developed, it had a good ending...i would really recommend this book.
My dad is a crazy writer and my mother is an even crazier rich, ridiculously acting woman. My best friend is Harriet, and she spends all her time writing in notebooks.
Again, what more can I say?
Again, what more can I say?
A mediocre story about one of Harriet the Spy's friends. Not near as fun as the original spy book or The Long Secret.
Reviewed on my blog: http://sharingsoda.blogspot.com/2012/...
I have no idea why I like this more than Harriet the Spy, but this is just such a great book.
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Born in Memphis, Tennessee. She attended Miss Hutchison's School and three different universities, without obtaining a degree. According to her obituary in the New York Times, Fitzhugh graduated from Barnard College in 1950. She lived most of her adult life in New York City and had houses in both Long Island and Bridgewater, Connecticut.
She was married briefly to Ed Thompson, whom she dated in hig...more
More about Louise Fitzhugh...
She was married briefly to Ed Thompson, whom she dated in hig...more
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