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Harriet the spy is back! In 1964 Louise
Fitzhugh introduced the world to Harriet M. Welsch, girl spy, when
author Helen Ericson was only 9 years old. Ericson was thrilled
when, as an adult, she received permission from the estate of Louise
Fitzhugh to write a companion to the "Harriet the Spy" books. In
"Harriet Spies Again," Harriet is reunited with her old cohorts, Ole
Golly and Sport, as well as a new character.
The story begins in the summer before
Harriet’s seventh-grade year. Her parents announce that they will be
spending three months in Paris for her father’s work. Harriet is a
little upset until her mother tells her the good news that her
beloved former nanny, Catherine Golly Waldenstein, affectionately
known as Ole Golly by Harriet, will be returning from Montreal to
take care of her while her parents are away. There is one
stipulation to Ole Golly’s return, and that is that there be no
mention of her husband, George Waldenstein.
Harriet notices a difference in her
former nanny almost immediately. Ole Golly seems distant, there is a
sadness about her, and she uncharacteristically takes a lot of naps.
Harriet assumes that the change in her old friend must be due to her
unfortunate marriage problems. She is sure that Ole Golly will feel
better now that she is back with taking care of her.
Harriet has other things to think about
now, like helping her friend Sport adjust to a new school and
finding out what goes on across the street at the home and offices
of the Drs. Feigenbaum. Dr. Morris Feigenbaum is a psychiatrist, and
Dr. Barbara Feigenbaum is in obstetrics and gynecology. It is Dr.
Morris Feigenbaum’s patients that most intrigue Harriet.
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One day as Harriet is eavesdropping —
which everyone knows is common behavior for spies — on a phone
conversation that Ole Golly is having with Harriet’s mother, she is
sure that she hears Ole Golly refer to herself as innocent. That is
all it takes for Harriet; she decides that she will do whatever it
takes to prove that Ole Golly is innocent. Harriet decides that she
must have accidentally killed her husband, George Waldenstein, and
Harriet must prove that it was an accident.
Harriet starts a spy notebook on Ole
Golly. She records everything she says that may help her case and
everywhere she goes. The most unusual activity she observes is that
Ole Golly has started going to the house across the street and
carrying a small sack with her, but she doesn’t return with it.
Harriet and Sport decide that it must be some kind of a drop that
Ole Golly is being blackmailed into carrying out.
It makes sense to Harriet that Ole
Golly may need the help of Dr. Morris Feigenbaum because of the
unfortunate events of her husband’s death, but it never occurs to
her that she may be seeing Dr. Barbara Feigenbaum.
The story reaches a climax during a
memorable Thanksgiving meal with startling revelations, new
friendships and blissful reunions. This is a wonderfully humorous
book, and fans of the old Harriet will not be disappointed. This
book is recommended for age 10 and up.
For more
information about this book and others, please visit the library at
725 Pekin St. or call (217) 732-5732. Readers can also check out
Louise Fitzhugh’s "Harriet the Spy" and "Sport"
at the library.
[Linda
Harmon, Lincoln Public Library District]
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Thursday,
Sept. 12
"Breakfast
at Tiffany’s" (1961)
Audrey
Hepburn, George Peppard, Buddy Ebsen, Patricia Neal
Based
on Truman Capote’s novel, this is the story of a young jet-setting
woman in New York City who meets a young man when he moves into her
apartment building.
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Thursday,
Oct. 10
Horror/sci-fi
double feature
"Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" (1931)
Frederic
March, Miriam Hopkins
Based
on the story by Robert Louis Stevenson. Dr. Henry Jekyll believes
that there are two distinct sides to men: a good and an evil side.
He faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild
with a potion that changes him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.
"The
Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951)
Michael
Rennie, Patricia Neal, Hugh Marlowe, Sam Jaffe
An
alien (Klaatu) with his mighty robot (Gort) lands their spacecraft
on cold-war Earth just after the end of World War II. He tells the
people of Earth that we must live peacefully or be destroyed as a
danger to other planets.
Tickets
will be available at Serendipity Stitches, 129 S. Kickapoo; the
Lincoln Public Library Annex; at the door; or by calling (217)
732-4298. Ticket prices are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2.50
for children 13 and under. These features are one show only, with
limited seating.
[Logan
County Arts Association ]
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Lincoln Community Theatre
information
Lincoln
Community Theatre’s box office, phone
735-2614, is open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through
Saturday for the summer season. The office is located in the lobby
of the Johnston Center for the Performing Arts on the campus of
Lincoln College.
Performances of
"Dearly Departed" are scheduled for July 12-20, and "The King and I"
will be presented Aug. 2-10. Show times are 2 p.m. on Sundays and 8
p.m. Tuesday through Saturday.
The LCT mailing address is Lincoln Community Theatre, P.O. Box 374, Lincoln,
IL 62656; e-mail: lincolncommunitytheatre@yahoo.com.
Visit the
LDC website at www.geocities.com/lincolncommunitytheatre/index.html.
Pictures from past productions are included.
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