

Its action is contained in a single neighborhood in New York City’s Upper East Side. The novel takes place during the autumn months of an unspecified year contemporary to its publication. The New York Public Library recommends the novel for ages 10+, and the Association of Library Services for Children recommends it for ages 6-11, describing it as “appropriate for a child who is first learning to read independently.” Its Library of Congress subject headings include “friendship fiction,” “mystery and detective stories,” and “New York fiction.” This study guide and its page citations are based on the Kindle edition of the book. Leslie Brody also adapted the novel as a play. Apple TV+ aired a 10-episode animated adaptation of the novel in 2021-22 produced by The Jim Henson Company. Harriet the Spy was released as a movie in 1996 starring Michelle Trachtenberg and Rosie O’Donnell.
