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    The Great Gilly Hopkins
    The Great Gilly Hopkins
    The Great Gilly Hopkins
    Audiobook4 hours

    The Great Gilly Hopkins

    Written by Katherine Paterson

    Narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    The timeless Newbery Honor Book from bestselling author Katherine Paterson about a wisecracking, ornery, completely unforgettable young heroine. 

    Eleven-year-old Gilly has been stuck in more foster families than she can remember, and she's hated them all. She has a reputation for being brash, brilliant, and completely unmanageable, and that's the way she likes it. So when she's sent to live with the Trotters—by far the strangest family yet—she knows it's only a temporary problem.

    Gilly decides to put her sharp mind to work and get out of there fast. She's determined to no longer be a foster kid. Before long she's devised an elaborate scheme to get her real mother to come rescue her. Unfortunately, the plan doesn't work out quite as she hoped it would...

    This classic middle grade novel has moved generations of readers and inspired a major motion picture starring Octavia Spencer, Kathy Bates, Glenn Close, and Danny Glover. The acclaim for the book included the National Book Award, the Christopher Award, and the Jane Addams Award.

    The joys and struggles of adoption, told in a real and accessible way, are beautifully expressed in Katherine Paterson's The Great Gilly Hopkins. Don't miss it!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateAug 18, 2009
    ISBN9780061845505
    Author

    Katherine Paterson

    Katherine Paterson is one of the world’s most celebrated and beloved authors. Among her many awards are two Newberys and two National Book Awards, and she was recently named a ""Living Legend” by the Library of Congress. She has been published in more than 22 languages in a variety of formats, from picture books to historical novels.

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    Reviews for The Great Gilly Hopkins

    4.5/5

    72 ratings54 reviews

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    • 4/5
      Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins is one of those protagonists that I immediately despised and grew to dislike more as the book went along. It was clear from the beginning that she would learn some life lessons and be a better child in the end, but it was rough getting there for a reader like myself, who particularly enjoys liking the main character.Gilly is in foster care and has been passed from family to family. Nobody manages to keep her very long because she is just awful, and since no one seems to want her, she doesn't want anybody. But then she is placed with the old and obese widow Mrs. Trotter and her other foster child, a younger boy who Gilly suspects is mentally handicapped. And next door lives an ancient blind black man with a penchant for fine poetry, who always eats dinner with Mrs. Trotter and her foster children. Gilly, who is completely unreligious (Mrs. Trotter is a faithful baptist) and who is also rather racist in her attitudes, thinks this is the worst house she's ever been put in.Around the half-way point of the book, she starts turning the corner and improves. The ending was not at all what I expected or what I hoped it would be. But it was the perfect ending for the book all the same.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 5/5
      The story of Gilly Hopkins seemed as though it could be real. There were details provided to produce a great setting and I felt as though I were reading the story of a child who went through the foster care system. The setting of the house where she was living seemed so real. I could see all of the books in Mr. Randolph's house going every which way on the shelf and the dust that would be in the house of a blind man. These details made the story come alive for me. This story however, was not based upon a real story, so it is realistic fiction.
    • 5/5
      This wasn't as exciting as a lot of stories. It wasn't as emotionally powerful, or at least not in the same way, as a lot of stories but when I finished there was never any question or debate as to what I would rate it. It was exactly what it needed to be and I loved the characters and the writing. Gilly is alive and real and I miss her already.
    • 3/5
      I thought Gilly was a great book. It is about a young girl named Gilly ,who is clever, stubborn and smart at first. Her goal and what she really wants with all her heart is to go and live at her mothers house in Virginia. She goes to a new foster mom, at the beginning of the book, named Trotter and her stepson, named William Ernest. Gilly absolutely hates that family at first, but over time she has to live with them and go to school, and she figures out how smart William Ernest can really be and how nice Mrs. Trotter can really be too. Gilly loves trotter and William Ernest so much at the end of the book, that she can't bear to leave them, because her grandmother is coming to take her to her house.( Gilly shows does she does not want to go.) I thought that Gilly ended horribly because she ends up staying with her mother that she really doesn't want to end up with. She misses Mrs. Trotter a lot and she can't believe that her grandmother paid her mom to come. She sends William Ernest lies about her grandmother when she's at her grandmothers house just to make him feel better. I think that shows that she loves him. I think the start of the book and the middle of the book are great and it makes you feel like your Gilly,(and having the hard moments at school or at home.) This book was great about how Gilly changes and I think it is a great book for learning what you can do if you're really angry.
    • 5/5
      In my opinion this was an excellent book. The book was about a foster child, Gilly Hopkins, who did not have a steady home for all of her life. Finally, Gilly comes across a home where she is wanted, but Gilly’s attitude towards that family is bad. As a result, Gilly goes looking for her mother, but is very disappointed when she finally meets her. She ends up getting forced to live with her grandmother and not with the family that really cares about her. I liked this book because of the plot. There was a clear conflict of Gilly being wanted and finding her home. The story was suspenseful because you did not know what would happen next for Gilly. The pace of the book was also very good and it was a book that could not be put down. A second thing I liked about this book was that it pushed readers to think about tough issues. Gilly was a foster child and her life was not easy. It was easy to feel sad for Gilly and hope that she found happiness. The big idea of this book was acceptance. Gilly was unable to accept her life without her mother in it. She learned the hard way that she should have accepted Trotter and William Ernest because they actually cared about her, where he mother did not and was a huge disappointment to Gilly.
    • 5/5
      In my opinion, this was a wonderful book to read. I really liked the language the author used. For example, its setting is around the 1960-70s in the South. Gilly has moved around a few time so she isn't aware that Black and White people now get along. She doesn’t like her teacher, Miss Harris and even writes her a poem proving it. However, they both discover how alike they are as the story progresses. I also liked the plot of the story. It was a very unique plot line. For example, I expected a very happy ending: Gilly was going to be with her mother once again. But, plot twist! Gilly’s mother didn’t want her back. When Gilly is forced to move to Virginia with her grandmother, she ends up not liking it there. Finally, even though there were no pictures in the book, the author used such descriptive words that it was easy to create a vivid image in your mind. The way Trotter, Mr. Randolph, and William Earnest were depicted was so specific that is was almost like you became Gilly as you read the book. The main message of this story is to not judge a book by its cover. Trotter and William Earnest in the end of the book are not what Gilly expected them to be. Neither is her mother. Gilly herself goes through a shocking transformation.
    • 4/5
      This book is about a girl named Gilly. She is a foster child. Gilly hates being a foster child! She believes that her mom is going to one day pick her up from her foster home and take her home to her mom's house. She makes a plan to have her mom come rescue her by sending her a letter, but, the plan doesn't turn out the way she planned it. If you like books about foster children, naughty children, and if you want to find out what is in the letter, I think this book is for you.
    • 3/5
      It had a good moral and the story/characters were interesting, but something about this felt incredibly dated. I can't put my finger on it, but it felt like it took place in the 70s or 80s.
    • 2/5
      I was interested in reading this chapter book just by the short description on the back cover. I thought this book was going to be a lot different. The first two chapters struck me as misleading in relation to the blonde haired girl on the cover. I had mixed feelings of this book after I completed reading it. I found that it was very hard to like the main character, Gilly. This is because she was prejudice towards African Americans and she swore as an 11 year old. Not forming a liking towards the main character made it difficult for me to get to the climax of the novel. I did like how the author made so many relationships between different characters. For example, The relationship between Trotter and W.E. was a mutual love and appreciation. The giving of those emotions were evident from Trotter to Gilly but were not given in return. I also enjoyed that Miss. Harris was able to make a connection with Gilly and explain how she deals with all of her built up anger.I think this story was very realistic and I appreciated how the author had multiple climaxes to lead to Gilly's epiphany at the end. I also liked how the reader can see how GIlly transformed from the beginning of the book to the end and it was all because of the positive influences from Trotter, Mr. Randolph, and Ms. Harris. These positive mentors guided Gilly in realizing that she needed to change her perspective of others and life. The overall theme is to appreciate someone who loves you. Gilly found that Trotter's love for her was greater than anyone in the past, even though Gilly was mean and disrespectful towards her. She developed a sense of belonging and desire that she had never felt with previous foster families and her own birth mother. I did not like how misleading the content of this book was in relation to the cover and description. I did like the lesson that the book portrayed, however, I do not think it should be read in school because of the prejudice remarks and reference to stealing, lying, and bullying as a 11 year old, no matter the background of that child or circumstances.
    • 3/5
      11-year-old Gilly Hopkins has been shuffled through more foster families than she cares to remember, and when she arrives at Mrs. Trotter’s doorstep, she is determined to be a nightmare to this lady as well, so that her mother, off being an actress in California, will come and get her. But things don’t go as planned when Gilly finds herself actually caring about the new people in her lives.Although written over 30 years ago, THE GREAT GILLY HOPKINS will still be a cute read for the avid young reader, despite the fact that some aspects of the book, particularly the racist element, may be dated. Gilly is fiercely determined to hold on to her gruffness, which may delight young girls who love their anti-heroines. And yet she has a definite soft side, even though she may not want to admit it. I chuckled as Gilly’s attempts to stay cold and detached often backfired on her. Gilly comes from a time when racism is still latent, and so some of her reactions to people may be a little uncomfortable for us. Still, it’s important to note that the book itself isn’t a racist book, and that over the course of the book Gilly grows. I have other juvenile fiction contemporary favorites out there, but this one isn’t so bad.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed The Great Gilly Hopkins for many reasons. First, I loved the author’s style of writing. Although the story was not told in first person, the emotional connections created with Gilly allowed me to feel as if I knew her personally. “Trotter and Mr. Randolph chuckled happily. People were so dumb sometimes you almost felt bad t take advantage of them- but not too bad.” I loved the way the author describes what’s Gilly is thinking when she is not speaking. It gave a clear insight on Gilly’s negative attitude and bitterness toward life. if the book was not written this way, the message would not have been nearly this powerful. Second, I love the author’s language use throughout the book. Her use of analogies and descriptive words helped to paint a clear image of what was happening in the story. For example, the author used analogies to described the way in which Gilly was feeling, “Dread lay on Gilly’s stomach like a dead fish on the beach. Even when you don’t look at it, the stink pervades everything.” Using this type of language was much more useful than if she had said something along the lines of “Gilly was feeling anxious because she knew she was the reason her grandmother visited.” The language use and imagery allows readers to physically feel what Gilly had been feeling. Because this book contained such a serious topic, it is important for readers to get a feel for what a foster child might endure. I think the author did a great job of this. I believe the message of this book was a good one. Gilly endured so much as a child and still ended up finding a loving family that changed her for the better. I believe this demonstrates that you can still be strong and get through the many tough situations you may be given.
    • 2/5
      I was really disappointed with this book. When I read the short description of the book, I was excited to read of a little girl’s obstacles growing up in foster care. The book did do this, but I also expected to like Gilly, which I did not. Gilly was an angry little girl (understandably so). She was judgmental, racist, and disrespectful, with little redeeming qualities. Gilly cursed, made racist comments, and had little to no regard for the feelings of those around her. This character betrayal of Gilly made it nearly impossible for me to like her. Therefore, I did not enjoy the book.The main idea of this story is to appreciate and notice the people in your life that truly care for you. The grass is not always greener on the other side.
    • 5/5
      This was a great realistic fiction novel about a gifted student who spends her life in the foster care system from the time she is 3. She is used to being passed around from house to house and so she tries to gain control over the people in her life. She is very gifted and has found that she can get control over the people in her life by suddenly started to fail her school work for no reason. Eventually she finds a foster home with a women and another foster boy whom she starts to actually like. During her first few weeks in this new home Gilly wrote a letter out of anger to her biological mother asking her to come get her. She holds this hope throughout the book that her real mother will come back for her someday. In the end her mother sends her grandmother to come and take her away from this foster home where she has finally found a family. Her illusions of her mother are shattered and Gilly learns to make a new life in her grandmother's home.
    • 5/5
      Genre: Realistic Fiction - This book is a good example of realistic fiction because it is a made up story but it is true to the everyday occurrences of life. Since the main character of this book is a young girl, the students will be able to relate to her . If a student who was also adopted has read the book they can relate to her as well, but if they have not been adopted they can just feel sympathy for her. It helps the reader to see into different perspectives of the world outside of readers life. We also see into what the human social behavior is like. This is a great story, and a lot of students can relate to this book because it is something that could really happen.Characters: The main character Gilly Hopkins is the protagonist of the story but I would also say she is the antagonist at the same time. She is starts off by being a brat and is mean to everyone and not thankful at all. She even starts stealing from people so she can get away. As the story continues, she begins to realize she is wrong and changes her attitude and starts to help people. She loves the family she lives with and wants to stay but it forced to leave, and finds something good out of that experience. She was a very well rounded character and she grew a lot through her experiences. Art Media: NoneStyle: While I was reading the book I could really visualize what was going on, because the author was using a lot of imagery. It was really helpful and it made the story more interesting. The author described a lot of the surroundings which I also liked too. It helped me to use my creativity as well to visualize what was going on.
    • 5/5
      The Great Gilly Hopkins is a story about an intolerable, manipulative foster child who learns that families come in all shapes and sizes as long as there is love. I really liked this book for a couple of reasons. First, I liked the fact that the author did not “sugarcoat” Gilly’s thoughts and actions. Gilly cursed, said mean things and thought even worse things about the people in her life. This was a realistic view of how a foster child in her situation may have felt and reacted. It allowed the reader to develop a personal attitude toward Gilly, just as though she were a real person. I personally felt angry, embarrassed and sorry for her throughout the story. Another reason I enjoyed this book was because of the message that just because someone gives birth to you, does not make them a mother. Gilly thought that everything would be perfect if she were with her mother who loved her. However, when she finally meets her and realizes that she does not love her, she understands that Trotter, her foster mother, loved and cared for her like she were her own daughter. Those in Gilly’s life were not conventional, but her family nonetheless.
    • 5/5
      Tough foster kid Gilly is not interested in making friends when she is placed in a new home. All she wants, all she's wanted her whole life, is for her mother to come for her -- or for her, Gilly, to find some way of getting to her mother. Will Gilly find a way to make her dreams come true -- or will foster mother Mamie Trotter be able to win Gilly over to a different idea of family?I had read this before, but it's been at least ten years. This time, I listened to the audiobook. I had forgotten that this book is, in its own way, nearly as emotionally evocative as Bridge to Terabithia. Gilly is a complex and initially unlikable character, judgmental and racist, and her development over the course of the story is impressive.
    • 5/5
      Gilly pushes away all people who try to get close to her as a method of self-preservation. She has been abandoned so many times, she tries to believe that she doesn't need anybody and that her biological mother will love her if given the chance. Finally Maime and William Earnest give her a home with unconditional love and acceptace. Gilly's previous search for more, however, leads to her maternal grandmother finding her and removing her from the system. Gilly ultimately accepts that, while this might not be the place that will bring her the most happiness, she must represent Maime and all Maime taught her well and be there for her lonley grandmother.
    • 2/5
      I did not particularly like this book. I believe that there was no overall plot to this story. It ended abruptly and left the reader hanging wondering how her experience would be with her mother. I did however like the character development throughout the book. I really enjoyed seeing how Gilly softened up to Trotter and William Earnest and how she helped them learn new things. I believe that this book provided a window into the life of children living in foster care. The overall message of this story was that with a little love and support you can change someone's life.
    • 4/5
      Critique: Genre: This example of a child in foster care could easily happen because she has a desire to be loved and wanter by her mother. She deals with intense feelings that most children in foster care or orphans would deal with concerning bitterness, the lack of feeling love, and the need to feel worthy. Through her family she is with, she is able to break down these barriers and realize that she loves them and that she has room in her heart to forgive, move on, and love other people. Not all children could initially relate because they may not be adopted or being a foster child. However, many children can relate to the feelings that Gilly experiences. Character: William Ernest is a dynamic character in this book. He is a main character, though we don't know as much about him like Gilly, because it is not written through his point of view. He is initially extremely shy and scared of anyone and hides behind Trotter. However, after Gilly befriends him and shows him how to defend himself, he becomes more confident in who he is. His character is mostly revealed through his interaction and conversations with Gilly. We observe him through her point of view. Media: Mixed media
    • 4/5
      I liked this book for three reasons. One reason why I liked this book was because of the written text. In the beginning of the book, Gilly reads a poem to Mr. Randolph. I really liked the words the author used to describe Mr. Randolph's rendition of it by saying he recited the poem "powerfully and musically, on his own favorite lines." You could hear Mr. Randolph reciting these lines like you were sitting next to them reading the book. Another reason why I liked this book was the plot. The whole time you felt everything that Gilly was going through, like you are a foster child yourself. Especially the part where Gilly steals money from Mrs. Trotter and she says that she can go "all the way to Courtney Rutherford Hopkins, all the way home." You not only feel what Gilly is feeling but you feel hurt for Mrs. Trotter because she is trying so hard to make her home a home for Gilly. Another reason I liked this book was the realistic characters. Throughout Gillys stay at Mrs. Trotters, you can see her growth into a young adult. At the end when she calls Mrs. Trotter from the airport and tells her she loves her is the part when you can actually see Gilly grow up right before your eyes. The big message that I got from this book was that even though you may not have your biological family, you will always have a family that loves you.
    • 5/5
      Gilly has been bumped from one foster home to another, and has learned the hard way to stay tough and not get too attached to anyone or anything while she waits for her mother to decide that she wants her daughter. Then she gets landed in a home that she thinks is the worst yet, but she eventually realizes it's where she belongs and want to be.From the author who broke my heart with The Bridge to Terabithia, I should have known that I'd love this one, even though I started the thing really not liking Gilly at all. That's as Paterson wants it, of course, and then she makes you fall in love with the girl and her story. Very well done.
    • 5/5
      Gilly Hopkins is a foster child who has been moved from home to home. At the place where she expects to cause more trouble then ever, she discovers that it is actually the best place for her, and regrets a mistake she makes that takes her away.
    • 4/5
      This book is about a foster child Gilly who wants nothing but to get back to her mother so she has done everything she can to get kicked out of every foster home the state has put her in. In the book Gilly gets put with this family Mrs. Trotter and her adopted son W.E. who at first she can not stand and thinks that they are dumb and trashy. She tries to do everything she can to get them to dislike her. Not only does Gilly try to get Mrs. Trotter and W.E. to not like her she does this with everyone she comes in contact with because she has convinced herself that all she needs is her real mother and herself. In the book she tries to steal money and buy a bus ticket to go see her real mother and gets caught. After this she realizes how much every one in her life really cares for her, as well as them for her. She finally realizes this and her real Grandmother shows up to pick her up to live with her and she has to leave Mrs. Trotter and W.E. and Mr. Randolph who is a neighbor that always hangs out with Mrs. Trotter and W.E. and Gilly. So Gilly moves with her grandmother and realizes that her mother not only left her but left her Grandmother as well and they have some things in common and Gilly starts to like her Grandmother. Finally Gilly gets to meet her real mother and realizes that, her real mother never loved her and never wanted her. Mrs. Trotter tells her that life is tough and she tells Gilly she loves her and Gilly says it back.In this book one thing I like is that the way the narrator tells the story is from Gilly’s perspective which is being a foster child in the system. In the book you can see when Gilly says she likes moving around because staying in one place is boring and she also says in the book that all she needs is her real mother and herself to be taken care of. When you look at the way she is talking about her real mother you can see where a real foster child might feel the same way. Another reason I like this book is the way the author shows Gilly’s progression of going from hating everyone to loving them. In the book they show this by how she hated Mrs. Trotter in the beginning and at the end of the book she is telling Mrs. Trotter she loves her.
    • 5/5
      Gilly is known as the toughest girl in school and is living with an large, religious woman and her annoyingly shy son. Gilly who is in foster care gets placed with this family and immediately starts day dreaming ways to make their lives miserable. The affection the woman shows Gilly softens her heart, and Gilly will always love them for loving her. Based on plot I rate this novel a 5 star. The beginning chapter were engaging and strong reeling the reader in. The character of Gilly is humerous and keeps the atmosphere of the book light even with a heavy topic. The resolution at the end with Gilly meeting her mom and living with her grandmother is an okay resolution but what really yanks the readers heart is the change in tone, vocabulary and attitude. Gilly gives up having dreaming of the perfect ending for that perfect ending never came and will never come. The story ends suddenly allowing the reader to understand where Gilly, Mrs. Trotter and her mom are at but imagin where the rest of Gilly's life will lead her.
    • 3/5
      I had mixed feelings about this book. The first reason I liked the book was because it was about a young girl who learns to let herself be vulnerable and open up to others. I like the fact that at first she wants to be called by her real name, Galadriel, but when her teacher wants to call her Galadriel, she yells and says that her name is Gilly. I think it's funny and something readers can sometimes relate to in school. I also liked that Gilly did not want to let Trotter get to know her, but by the end she didn't want to leave and told Trotter that she loved her. It was shocking that Gilly didn't want to go live with her grandmother after all this time of only wanting to be with her real family. One thing I didn't like about the book was how slow the story progressed. I got a bit bored in the middle of the book and kept waiting for something big to happen. Another thing I didn't like was that Gilly was portrayed as a mean girl and didn't listen to anyone or follow the rules. That is not a good message to have in a book because kids are more likely to follow what they read. Overall, the big idea of the book was to be yourself no matter the obstacle.
    • 4/5
      This was a really interesting book. One reason I found it interesting was because of the racial references that were being made in the book. For example, “Almost half the class was black. And she would look dumb to them. A bunch of−” I was really surprised that the author would make a reference like that in a children’s chapter book. Another example was “… one of whom was black with millions of tiny braids all over her head. Like some African bushwoman.” This example came on a little offensive because it is making fun of a young black girl’s hair. I did not understand why those references were made. Another reason I found the book interesting was because of the wide range of emotions that Gilly showed throughout the book. For example, “I will be there soon get your fat self outta here!” Gilly showed a lot of anger in the beginning of the book that she channeled towards her foster mother. Another example of Gilly’s emotions was “…She couldn't push the word hard enough to keep the squeak out−“I Love you”. On the last page of the book for the first time Gilly said the words “I Love you”. I think the author had perfect timing because it left the reader feeling the emotions that Gilly felt in that moment. The big message of the book was that family does not have to be biological and even the toughest people can love and find love.
    • 5/5
      This fits into the genre of Realistic Fiction because it is convincingly true to life and allows children to see into to the life of someone else, and in turn examine their own lives. They are able to see the complexity of human interaction. A variety of people are present in the story who are unique.
    • 5/5
      This realistic fiction novel was a very enjoyable read. Gilly is quite the troublemaker as all she wants in life is to be with her mother and out of foster care-until she finally discovers the truth at the end that her mom doesn't want her.
    • 5/5
      This book was about a young girl who is a foster child and always got herself into trouble that she constantly had to move to a new foster home. But what caused her to act out so much was because she was determined that her mother would come back for her and take her home. The family that she is within the story actually loves her and accepted her despite her actions towards them, but she is not falling for it at all and just wants to leave. The big idea of this story was family because Gilly eventually learned and accepted that they were her family and she was happy there, until it was time to go, again. I really liked this book for two main reasons. The first reason I liked it was because of the cover illustration. The cover of this book showed Gilly as a strong girl who wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone and could handle anything that came at her. This picture of Gilly with her arms crossed, showing her muscle foreshadowed the story to come, and gave us as readers an idea of who Gilly actually was. The second reason I liked this book was because of the storyline. At one point in the story, Gilly was determined not to like the people she lived with. She wanted to treat them with no respect and love, but eventually, she did not even notice that she was actually enjoying her time there with them, and that her love for them had actually grown so much. For example, when everyone got sick, Gilly decided to take it upon herself to cater to her family and make sure that they all got better, even though she was terribly tired from working so hard. All she wanted was for her family to be back to normal again.
    • 5/5
      This was a good example of realistic fiction because the events and characters in the story were true to life as there really are foster kids who travel from place to place and have behavior problems as Gilly does throughout the book. As in realistic fiction books, we are able to see the complexity of human interaction as we watch Gilly go from hating the Trotters, to wanting to live with them.