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Katherine Paterson, the award-winning author of Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, is no stranger to writing meaningful stories for young readers. In The Great Gilly Hopkins, Paterson introduces her readers to eleven-year-old Gilly, a veteran of the foster care system who prides herself on being nobody's fool. As Gilly struggles to find her biological mother and a permanent home, her true character is revealed through interactions with surprisingly poignant characters, and her journey takes a very unexpected turn.

Galadriel "Gilly" Hopkins has spent her life in and out of foster homes. So when she is placed in yet another home, Gilly doesn't expect to be there long and is up to her usual tricks in no time-cursing in front of her "religious fanatic" foster mother, Maime Trotter; torturing her foster brother, William Ernest, for no apparent reason; and fighting six boys at once on the playground. While these antics are nothing new for Gilly, her desperation and loneliness lead to darker and more troublesome behavior. When Gilly gives her teacher a card that stops just short of delivering a racial slur, and when she steals money from her blind neighbor Mr. Randolph, readers wonder if there is anyone or anything that can redeem her.
Gilly seems to hate her life and everything around her. But when she receives a postcard from her biological mother and has a real chance to escape Mrs. Trotter's foster home, Gilly's life begins to change. Along the way, she discovers that things aren't always as they seem. Impossible, stubborn Gilly matures into a young woman who learns that life doesn't always turn out perfectly, and that love can find you when you least expect it.
Despite her bad behavior, Gilly is a lovable heroine, and Paterson's other richly drawn characters add depth and beauty to her story. The author handles issues such as racism, loss, abandonment, and morality directly and with refreshing honesty, challenging young readers to draw their own conclusions about what is right and wrong. The result is a novel that can both entertain and provoke thought. Even more advanced readers are sure to relate to Gilly's plight and will keep reading to see whether Gilly finds her home at last.

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