If you loved
The Great Gilly Hopkins
Katherine Paterson · Book · 2009
If you loved The Great Gilly Hopkins, you are drawn to stories about defiant, brilliant outsiders searching for belonging.
Films on the same thread
Matilda
Danny DeVito · Film · 1996
Like Gilly in The Great Gilly Hopkins, Matilda uses her sharp intellect as a shield against a world that fails to offer her the love and understanding she deserves.
System Crasher
Nora Fingscheidt · Film · 2019
Benni mirrors the unmanageable spirit of Gilly Hopkins from The Great Gilly Hopkins, showcasing a raw, heartbreaking struggle for connection while caught within a flawed and rigid social system.
The Glass Castle
Destin Daniel Cretton · Film · 2017
Much like the protagonist of The Great Gilly Hopkins, the young lead here navigates the instability of a dysfunctional upbringing, relying on her resilient imagination to survive a harsh reality.
A Little Princess
Alfonso Cuarón · Film · 1995
Sara Crewe shares the fierce, defiant intelligence of Gilly from The Great Gilly Hopkins, proving that even when cast aside, a strong-willed child can maintain her dignity and personal power.
Series on the same thread
Anne with an E
Moira Walley-Beckett · Series · 2017
Anne possesses the same spirited, outsider energy found in The Great Gilly Hopkins, capturing the intense emotional journey of an orphan fighting to find a place where she truly belongs.
Dickinson
Alena Smith · Series · 2019
Emily Dickinson embodies the same rebellious, uncompromising ambition as Gilly Hopkins in The Great Gilly Hopkins, refusing to let societal expectations stifle her unique voice and drive for personal growth.
The Queen's Gambit
Scott Frank · Series · 2020
Beth Harmon reflects the brilliant, guarded nature of Gilly from The Great Gilly Hopkins, showing how a gifted child creates her own path to success despite a lonely, institutionalized upbringing.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air
Andy Borowitz · Series · 1990
Will Smith brings a similar brash, fish-out-of-water charisma to his new environment as Gilly Hopkins does in The Great Gilly Hopkins, navigating complex family dynamics with wit and protective armor.
Podcasts on the same thread
Happier with Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Rubin / The Onward Project · Podcast · 2026
If you appreciated the focus on personal growth in The Great Gilly Hopkins, this podcast offers practical strategies for building the habits necessary to navigate life’s challenges with greater intentionality.
The Rachel Hollis Podcast
Three Percent Chance · Podcast · 2026
This podcast provides the same focus on empowerment and self-actualization that Gilly Hopkins eventually seeks in The Great Gilly Hopkins, helping you design a life rooted in growth and resilience.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is The Great Gilly Hopkins a Newbery Honor Book?
Yes, The Great Gilly Hopkins is a recognized Newbery Honor Book. This award is given by the American Library Association to honor distinguished contributions to American literature for children, acknowledging the quality of Katherine Paterson's writing and the impact of the story.
How old is the main character in The Great Gilly Hopkins?
The protagonist of The Great Gilly Hopkins is eleven years old. Gilly is portrayed as a brash, brilliant, and unmanageable young girl who has spent her life moving between various foster families, which has shaped her difficult personality and outlook on her living situations.
Who is the author of The Great Gilly Hopkins?
The Great Gilly Hopkins was written by Katherine Paterson. She is a bestselling author known for this specific work, which follows the life of a young girl navigating the foster care system while maintaining a tough exterior to protect herself from her unstable environment.
What is the central conflict in The Great Gilly Hopkins?
The central conflict in The Great Gilly Hopkins involves an eleven-year-old girl who has been moved through many foster homes and rejects every new family. She maintains a reputation for being ornery and unmanageable as a defense mechanism against the instability of her foster care placements.