One of my absolute favorite books is a children's book.

"Harriet the Spy" has more depth to it than first meets the eye.

It's a story of an eccentric little girl who sees the world a little differently than most 11 year olds.

Harriet wants to be a world traveling spy when she grows up, so she spends her afternoons 'training'. She spies on her parents, her neighbors, her friends, and anyone else she can conveniently watch without being caught. Her best friends are made up of a mature boy she calls Sport, Janie, a mad scientist in training, and her nanny, Ole Golly.

Ole Golly is always encouraging Harriet to see the best in people and to appreciate the differences that make us who we are.

She helps to broaden Harriet's world, which otherwise would leave the little girl in a lonely, upper class world.

This book makes me laugh out loud as well as cry when Harriet's hurting.

I think it offers quite a but of insight into the soul of all young people, as well as my own.

Her feelings are raw and unguarded. She is brave and she is independent.

She is very much like me.

I'm going to post some of my favorite quotes from the book. Most of which come from Harriet's wise nanny, who plays more a mother role than her actual mother.

It wouldn't take but a few hours to read it, so go pick it up!

"Ole Golly says there is as many ways to live as there are people on the earth and I shouldn't go around with blinders on, but should see every way I can." -Harriet

"Well nonetheless, that's how you feel. Feeling never makes any sense anyway, Harriet, you should know that by now." -Ole Golly

"I feel all the same things when I do things alone as when Ole Golly was here. The bath feels hot, the bed feels soft, but I feel there's a funny little hole in me that wasn't there before, like a splinter in your finger, but this is somewhere above my stomach." -Harriet

"Tears won't bring me back, Harriet. Remember that. Tears never bring anything back." -Ole Golly

"Another thing. If you're missing me I want you to know I'm not missing you. Gone is gone. I never miss anything or anyone because it all becomes a lovely memory. I guard my memories and love them, but I don't get in them and lie down. You can even make stories from yours, but remember, they don't come back. Just think how awful it would be if they did." -Ole Golly