Harriet the Spy, with its sequels and spin-offs, forms the main subject of this web site. However, many of the issues that surround the Harriet industry also occur in relation to Fitzhugh’s other works. Her picture books throw light on her illustrations for Harriet and The Long Secret, while her last book, Nobody’s Family is Going to Change, shows the nature of her political thinking around the needs and rights of children which she began exploring with Harriet’s individuality and creative life.
Most difficult are the works published posthumously. They raise questions as to the artistic viability of continuing an artists work after their death. It is highly doubtful whether any of these manuscripts would have been published if not for the phenomenal success of Harriet the Spy. In this sense, though they are not sequels of that work, they are the logical result of it.