My Most Excellent Year

Biblio Bits My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger, Dial Books, 2008 (ISBN 9780803732278)

Reading Level/Interest Age 1030 lexile/Ages 13+

Genre Realistic Fiction, Humor, Romance

Plot Summary

Ninth grade holds some surprises for T.C., Augie, and Alejandra. T.C. doesn't expect to fall head-over-heels for the new girl, Alejandra, the smart, politically-minded, daughter of an ambassador, who has zero interest in his attention. Augie, T.C's Chinese-American "brother," doesn't expect to direct the school talent show or to have his first crush on a boy (and he really doesn't expect that everyone already knows he's gay!). Alejandra (or Ale) has no idea what to expect from a public school, she doesn't expect to get on stage and perform in front of an audience, and she does not expect that she can ever live up to the plan that her parents have for her. She certainly doesn't expect that she'll ever give the time of day to T.C.! None of them expect that a deaf six year-old boy will change their lives. This romantic comedy is a roaring good time and is told in IMs, emails, and letters between the characters.

Critical Evaluation

What a crazy cast of characters, but somehow Kluger makes it all work so well together in this book. I was skeptical about the IM, email, and letter-written format when I started it, figuring it would be distracting and just a cute gimmick. But it really worked here and actually enhanced the flow and pace of the story. Each of the three main characters, T.C., Ale, and Augie, alternate "narration" in each chapter, yet the narration comes from their own content (letters), as well as content by others (parents, friends, and even some people who are mostly on the periphery). This is a classic romantic comedy, so we know the ending will be positive. But it's not just fluff, there's some real depth. Themes about identity and self-discovery, friendship, grief, and dreams. This is a book about engaged youth who care about each other, good causes, their families, and they are teens who ultimately do good things for the world.

Reader's Annotation

Dancing, theatrical productions, romance...Wait! Wait! There's also baseball, die-hard Red Sox fans, and baseball trivia. There's an ace lip-reader who steals pitching signs to tip off the batter. It's all tied up in this story about a few kids and the stuff they care about.

Author Information

Steve Kluger was born in 1952 and grew up in Maryland. He has worked as an actor and playwrite. He's a gay activist and an ardent baseball fan. Kluger has written plays and books for adults and youth, many of which feature baseball. He lives in Boston, "the only city in the world." (Information for this author biography are from his official website and the Gale's Contemporary Authors Online, 2002.)

Challenge issues

Some swearing, a pretty liberal worldview, and a gay protagonist might be the areas that would draw negative attention.

Booktalking Ideas

It's a tough sell to get this book into the hands of boys because of the darn girly cover (softcover has a slightly less girly look). So I would choose NOT to show the cover at all. I would introduce listeners to the three main characters who share the fact that during their ninth grade year, each of them faces some unexpected challenges...but I would stress the fact that I laughed my way through the whole book! It definitely falls in the category of Love with a Laugh, and I might pair it with An Abundance of Katherines (Green, 2006), What My Mother Doesn't Know (Sones, 2001), and Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging (Rennison, 2000).

Curriculum Ties

I love how the English teacher has the students writing letters. T.C. writes to his mom, Augie writes to movie stars, and Ale writes to Jackie Kennedy. (And of course Hucky writes to Mary Poppins.) With the exception of Hukcy, these letters won't be sent (many recipients are dead anyway). What does it mean to write a letter that you know won't reach it's addressee? Each of our three main characters has chosen their letter recipient to be someone who they feel knows them and their experience somehow. Have students pick someone to write to---alive or dead---who they share something with: share a problem or issue and ask for their advice. Students will need to refer to things in the recipient's life that show that they "know" them, like Augie, Tick, and Ale do.

Why this book?
Funny, funny, and funny. And then I cried at the end. But what I really love is how the friendship between Augie and T.C. is portrayed: totally supportive (including when they razz each other!) and completely believable.

Awards
None.

Rockport Public Library owns?

Yes.

Parrotfish

Biblio Bits Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger, Simon and Schuster, 2007 (ISBN 9780416916222)

Reading Level/Interest Age 790 lexile/Ages 14+

Genre Realistic Fiction

Plot Summary

Grady used to be a girl called Angela. Angela grew up knowing she was really a boy inside and fully aware that she had to pretend to be a girl. But that only worked for so long. Now, as a sophomore, Angela makes the decision to change her name to Grady and begin to live and dress as a boy. This isn't easy, but neither was living a lie. Some people think this is just some ploy to get attention on Grady's part (like the school principal); others just can't understand Grady's decision and are confused, embarrassed, frustrated, and even angry with his new identity as a boy (like Grady's mom, sister, former best friend, and most of the kids at school). A few people stand out because they support Grady during this difficult transition, including Grady's dad, brother, the gym teacher, and a new friend, Sebastian. Grady must navigate some tricky waters here, from telling his teachers to call him by his new name to figuring out where to change for gym class.

Critical Evaluation

Wittlinger has created an astonishing book about a tough subject. Wittlinger makes Grady just a regular guy: his first crush, the importance of friends, dorky family traditions, and family tension. It's refreshing that this book avoids the cliche of violence, but there is a believable amount of bullying, teasing, and cruelty from Grady's peers. The best part of this book, besides for normalizing the issue of transgendered teens, is that it shows the importance of having even a few advocates and supporters during a transition time like this one. Grady is a character readers can empathize with, who makes a courageous choice to be true to himself. This is a theme that has merit for any young adult, whether or not they are transgendered.

Reader's Annotation

What if you never felt right in the body you were born into? That's how it is for Grady, who was born a girl but has always felt like a boy inside. Grady is ready to stop pretending. Is the world ready for Grady?

Author Information

Ellen Wittlinger was born in 1948 and grew up in Belleville, Illinois. She attended Milliken University (IL) where she majored in art and sociology. Wittlinger attended the University of Iowa's Writers' Workshop for her graduate studies. She worked as a children's librarian in Swapscott, Massachusetts, which was how she became interested in writing for youth. Wittlinger has two grown children and lives with her husband in Swamscott. (Information for this author biography is from Gale's Contemporary Authors Online, 2008).

Challenge issues

There is some swearing in this book, but the main challenge for some will be the idea of a transgendered teen coming out.

Booktalking Ideas

The theme of how to be yourself and be O.K. with it is one that deserves repeating with tweens (see also Totally Joe)...over and over and over again. We could call the booktalk "I'm Different and I'm O.K.!" I would probably pair this title with Buddha Boy, Another Kind of Cowboy (Juby, 2007), Looks (George, 2008), and Stargirl (Spinelli, 2000), however, since they are more mature and serious. If a little levity was needed, I would also include My Most Excellent Year, since it adds a bit of humor to the theme of self-discovery.

Curriculum Ties

This would be a good book to tie into a health unit on sexuality for older middle schoolers. Students could read this book and discuss some of the issues it raises: gender vs. sexual identity, as well as the practical concerns (choosing a new name, family and friends, which bathroom to use, etc.). This discussion could precede a visit from a transgendered person, perhaps on a panel with gay, lesbian, and bisexual people who might be willing to share their stories with students.

Why this book?
This is an important book in the cannon of queer literature for youth. Placing it in the hands of the right reader could, quite literally, save a life.

Awards
New York Public Library, Books for the Teen Age.

Rockport Public Library owns?

Yes.

Book of Totally Irresponsible Science

Biblio Bits The Book of Totally Irresponsible Science: 64 Daring Experiments for Young Scientists by Sean Connolly, Workman Publishing, 2008 (ISBN 9780761150206)

Reading Level/Interest Age Ages 9+

Genre Nonfiction, Science

Plot Summary

The title of this book pretty much says it all: it's a book of science experiments for young scientists (and their responsible adults). The book is organized into chapters: "Core Concerns," "Harnessing the Elements," "Food for Thought," "How Moving!", "A Lot of Hot Air," "100% Natural," and "Mad Science." The titles of each experiment are clever and eye-catching, like "The Rubber Chicken Bone" which is all about acids and bases and the importance of calcium. Each experiment gives a brief introduction, a detailed list of necessary supplies, a section called "Take Care" with any safety precautions, step-by-step instructions for the experiment, and the scientific principle the experiment demonstrates. The book has a vintage look and fun photos and illustrations.

Critical Evaluation

Overall, this is a fun book that is great for browsing. Most of the ingredients are readily available, and might already be lurking in your pantry. There were many that were suitable for younger children, though the forward admonishes readers that all experiments should be attended by a responsible adult. The Viking Funeral (p.116) was the only experiment that seemed confusing in the instructions, otherwise the instructions were clear and we had good results on the few that we tried. There is a list of the experiments that is organized by the amount of time each one requires. But it would be helpful to have an index, particularly one that organized the experiments by scientific principle or even just into different branches of science (physics, botany, chemistry, etc.).

Reader's Annotation

It's weird and gross, it's an egg without its shell, it's slimey and gooey, it'll make your hair stand on end... it's science! (And if you make a mess in the house, it will make your parents crazy!)

Author Information

Sean Connolly has written over 50 books for children and adults on many nonfiction topics. He is the father of three children. (Information from this author biography is from the back of the book. Not much else was online about him!)

Challenge issues

Experiments may result in messes and some of them could be dangerous, though there are ample warnings about what to be cautious about in the text.

Booktalking Ideas

The best way to booktalk this book would be to have a nifty, quick experiment to show and tell, probably something that's not too messy! I might recommend The Bold Little Ball (p.120), where you have a funnel and a ping pong ball and you blow air out. It turns out you can show why an airplane can stay in the air using this experiment. I would feature other books that of science experiments, maybe feature a few books on inventions, kid inventors, and biographies of famous scientists. The theme could be "Crazy Ideas That Stuck!"

Curriculum Ties

Obviously there are many links to science units in this volume (duh, it's a book about science experiments!), such as Boyle's Law (Potato Gun, p.45), Volume (Air Cannon, p.35), the Bernoulli Effect (The Bold Little Ball, p.121), and Photosynthesis (Sunny Exposure p.155).

Why this book?
This is a great book to have in your home or library for those long summer vacations or rainy November days (like today!). It's easy to find something in these pages that you have the ingredients for already!

Awards
None.

Rockport Public Library owns?

Yes.

So Yesterday

Biblio Bits So Yesterday by Scott Westerfeld, Penguin Group, 2004 (ISBN 159514000X)

Reading Level/Interest Age 770 lexile/Ages13+

Genre Realistic Fiction, Mystery

Plot Summary

At the top of the Cool Pyramid are the Innovators, like the first person who made fingerless gloves awesome instead of something that a hobo would wear. Then the innovation trickles down to the Trendsetters, the Early Adopters, the Consumers (by which time the innovation is no longer cool), and finally to the Laggards (still sporting their mullets and feathered hair). Hunter is definitely a Trendsetter and he is also a cool-hunter for new innovations; he works for a big, name-brand company and attends cool tastings (focus groups) to give his opinion on what will and won't fly. He meets Jen, an Innovator, and together they begin to pursue the coolest shoes they've ever seen, possibly a bootleg. The shoes are tied up with some other mysterious events occurring among Manhattan's elite and Jen and Hunter go undercover to see what they can find out. Someone is out to challenge the status quo and the Cool Pyramid may be about to tumble down.

Critical Evaluation

So, so cool. And clever. Westerfeld has written a book that raises questions about our consumer culture, aimed at the very audience who is one of the most prime (and fastest growing) targets. This is a book that packs a big message in a cleverly-plotted and fast-paced story. Westerfeld inserts many pop-culture references, yet without naming names; teens will appreciate the currency and the puzzle of figuring out what's being referred to. There is some romance that develops between Jen and Hunter, but Jen remains an enigma that Hunter has trouble fully understanding. But that's what happens when you're an Innovator, people don't always "get" you. Overall, this was a quick and fun read that left me with a lot to think about.

Reader's Annotation

You know where you are on the Cool Pyramid. But the bastion of Cool is about to be radically challenged by a group with an unusual agenda; Hunter and Jen are on the trail to discover who's behind the mystery of the coolest shoes they've ever seen.

Author Information

Scott Westerfeld was born in 1963 in Dallas (TX) and grew up there, Connecticut, and California. He obtained his B.A. in Philosophy at Vassar College and attended NYU for one year to work on graduate study in Performance Studies. He has written science fiction books for adults and youth, and has ghost-written several books. Westerfeld's latest book for young adults is called Leviathan (2009). He and his wife split their time between Sydney, Australia and New York City (summers only). (Information for this author biography is from his official site.)

Challenge issues

Some swearing, and examination/critique of consumer culture in America (which could offend consumers and/or big corporations).

Booktalking Ideas

I would love to put this in a booktalk called "No More Status Quo" (or maybe something more catchy) with other books that feature teens who challenge prevailing ideas and work for change. Other books to include in the booktalk would be Little Brother (Doctorow, 2008), Maximum Ride: The Angel Experiment (Patterson, 2005), The Gospel According to Larry (Tashjian, 2001), Hunger Games (Collins, 2008), and Uglies (also Westerfeld, 2005).

Curriculum Ties

Oh so many options for this book. This book should be required reading for 7th and 8th graders! The assignment could be to look at prevailing trends in pop culture (fashion, music, technology, etc.) by examining ads in print, online, and on TV. Students could research the origins of current trends (ugh, pencil-leg jeans are back from the 80s), or identify references to other trends or media (such as sampling, in music). We'd all like to think we're Innovators, but most of us are not. Where do we each fit into the Cool Pyramid?

Why this book?
Because it's clever and takes a big whack at the consumer life-style we all live in. It's always good to have your ideas questioned!

Awards
Victorian Premier's Literary Awards, Prize for Young Adult Fiction.

Rockport Public Library owns?

Yes.

Homework Machine

Biblio Bits The Homework Machine by Dan Gutman, Simon and Schuster, 2006 (ISBN 0689876785)

Reading Level/Interest Age 690 lexile/Ages 10+

Genre Realistic Fiction, Humor

Plot Summary

A homework machine seems too good to be true, but the other members of the D Squad believe it when they see it. The D Squad is a small group of four fifth graders, who all have last names beginning in "D," put together by their teacher, Miss Rasmussen: lackluster Kelsey, smart-aleck Snikwad, goody-goody Judy, and Brenton, the class brain who invented the Homework Machine. Brenton agrees to let his group-mates use his invention but, oddly enough, he doesn't want anything in return for the favor. That just proves how eccentric Brenton is; he invented the Homework Machine because he didn't like the busy-work that his teacher was giving out, he'd much prefer to pursue his own interests and studies. The four students start going to Brenton's house after school to use the Machine and begin to get to know each other a little better. And they quickly get hooked by the ease of using the Machine and don't want to "go back." But someone is trying to find out more about what they're doing each day after school. Is it the CIA? The FBI? The secret has leaked: what is the D Squad going to do?

Critical Evaluation

This book might appeal to reluctant readers, since the narration is in short segments, by the various players in this drama. It's a fantasy that many of us have dreamed of: the ease of life without the time-drain of homework. Gutman's writing style is straight-forward and conversational, as though the narrators are speaking directly to the reader. The plot moves quickly with a bit of mystery thrown in, as the D Squad tries to discover who has leaked the story of the Homework Machine. Each character responds differently to this new development and pretty soon the conclusion winds up, with a couple of plot twists that are quite unexpected. The primary characters slowly develop a friendship through this drama, even though they have some prejudices about each other (slacker, goody-goody, trouble-maker, geek).

Reader's Annotation

A machine to do your homework for you? Sounds like every kid's dream, right? More free time to do the things you want, great grades, and it's all so easy. Except you're living a lie.

Author Information

Dan Gutman was born in 1955 in New York City and grew up in New Jersey. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree from Rutgers University, in psychology. He turned his attention to writing after a couple of years in graduate school, and began writing humorous essays in 1980. Gutman has 86 published works to date including fiction and nonfiction, for adults and children. HE currently lives in New Jersey with his wife and two children. (Information for this author biography is from his official site.)

Challenge issues

Some people don't like the word "sucks" and that's in here. There are devious kids here, bucking the time-cherished tradition of homework, and that's pretty scary too.

Booktalking Ideas

Someone mentioned that this book might be a good one to recommend to fans of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (Kinney, 2007). Though this one is lacking the copious illustrations, I think that it's a good read-alike for the school setting, friends/enemies, and the humorous aspects. I think a booktalk called "If you like the Wimpy Kid books, try these next..." could be a good one. Other books might include Sideways Stories from Wayside School (Sachar, 1985), Julia Gillian (and the Quest for Joy) (McGhee, 2009), The Boys Start the War (Naylor, 1993), and Frindle (Clements, 1996).

Curriculum Ties

Certainly an obvious curricular connection would be related to instruction and guidelines on academic honesty. When did Miss Rasmussen begin to suspect that there was something up? How do people get caught cheating? Can teachers "tell" if you've plagiarized? Why do people cheat? Are these the same reasons (or are there different ones) that the D Squad started using the Homework Machine? Also, students might draft their own Ten Commandments of Homework, like Miss Rasmussen's.

Why this book?
Aren't you just a little intrigued by the title? I tried listening to it on audio but found the full-cast narration to be confusing since there are so many (and frequent) switches in point of view. It seemed like a pretty great selection for this list, so I went back to it in book form.

Series/Sequel

The Return of the Homework Machine (2009), which I see from Gutman's site addresses the one remaining loose end of the first book: What the heck was that red blinking light on Brenton's computer, that never went off even when the power was killed?

Awards
Maine Student Book Award, Second Place, 2007-2008; Booklist Editors' Choice, Books for Youth, Middle Readers Category, 2006.

Rockport Public Library owns?

Yes.

Year of the Dog

Biblio Bits The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin, Little, Brown, and Co., 2006 (ISBN 9780316060004)

Reading Level/Interest Age 690 lexile/Ages 9-12

Genre Realistic Fiction, Humor

Plot Summary

It's the Year of the Dog, by the Lunar Calendar, and Grace's Taiwanese-American family is ringing in the new year! Grace has two sisters and the family lives in upstate New York; Grace's family is the only Chinese-American family in her community and at Grace's school. But wait, is she Chinese-American or Taiwanese American? Or both? This is a question that Grace herself puzzles over. Though Grace knows she's different, her classmates and teacher are supportive and inclusive of her ethnic and cultural heritage. One day, a new girl comes to school and she's also Taiwanese-American. Melody and Grace become fast friends who share many interests, like music, writing, and art. They team up for the class science fair and try an experiment with plants: they plant four pea seeds and water each one with a different liquid to see how the plants grow. Unfortunately their scientific method is not quite perfect and their results are skewed. When the girls get an assignment that combines art and language arts, to write and illustrate their own book for a national competition, Grace is stumped for an idea that is original. Will Grace discover her own inner talent this year, which is one of the possibilities in the Year of the Dog?

Critical Evaluation

Lin has created an engaging narrative in this semi-autobiographical work. This was the type of book that she wanted to read as a young girl, since none of the books she had access to were about people like her. Lin has peppered the text with lovely black and white illustrations. The story is occasionally interspersed with other stories, such as How Grandpa Got Rich, and Mom Sleeps in School. These stories-within-a-story help to provide round out the story of Grace's family and their experiences while living in Taiwan. There is a lot of cultural information here, but it's wrapped in an appealing story of a "regular" American girl who wants the lead role in the school play, who wants to fit in with her peers, and who wants to be able to be herself. Grace's narrative shows that she is beginning to understand who she is, both within and outside of the bounds of her ethnic and cultural heritage.

Reader's Annotation

The Year of the Dog is supposed to be about finding yourself and learning what your special talents are. But Grace doesn't win the science competition and she doesn't get the part she wants in the school play, so what's left for her?

Author Information

Grace Lin grew up in upstate New York with her two sisters and parents. Though she wanted to be a professional ice skater, she was much better at drawing herself as a professional ice skater. She attended the Rhode Island School of Design and began illustrating children's books. This book was Lin's debut as an author/illustrator for older children. She currently lives in Somerville, MA, with her husband. (Information in this author biography is from this site)

Challenge issues

Pretty innocent story here and not much to object to. Unless you might have someone who thinks that the library should only have books about WHITE Americans. (A troubling thought!)

Booktalking Ideas

This would be another great book to include in a booktalk on diversity and families. What makes our familieis different? What makes our families the same? Other titles might include Drita My Homegirl (Lombard, 2006), Granny Torrelli Makes Soup (Creech, 2003), Sahara Special (Codell, 2003), and How Tia Lola Came to (Visit) Stay (Alvarez, 2001).

Curriculum Ties

What are those stories that we hear over and over again in our families? The Time Sylvan Sleepwalked and Peed on the Floor, or When Jonas Almost Rolled Off the Doctor's Examining Table, or The Time the Thanksgiving Table Collapsed, or Things That Poppie Has Left Behind and Driven Away From By Mistake. Students could identify, collect, and write down some of these stories that exist in their own families. It could be a great writing project to give just before the winter break, that way students could review those stories with relatives and jot down a rough draft or notes.

Why this book?
Like Drita My Homegirl (Lombard, 2006) this book packs a big message about diversity. Though we may have different cultural heritages, our strengths are in the qualities we share in our relationships with friends and family.

Series/Sequel

This book is followed by The Year of the Rat (2008).

Awards
ALA Notable Children's Books, Middle Readers Category, 2007; BookList Editors' Choice, Books for Youth, Middle Readers, 2006.

Rockport Public Library owns?

Yes.

Horrid Henry

Biblio Bits Horrid Henry by Francesca Simon, illustrated by Tony Ross, SourceBooks Jabberwocky, 2009 (ISBN 9781402217753)

Reading Level/Interest Age Ages 9-11

Genre Humor, Realistic Fiction

Plot Summary

In this, the first book in this series, we meet Henry and his family, including his brother, Perfect Peter; we also encounter Moody Margaret, Henry's arch-nemesis. In every Horrid Henry book there are four stories or installments; they are not chapters in a continuing story, but always follow Henry and his latest naughty capers. This book opens with Horrid Henry's Perfect Day, in which he spends the whole day being perfect, like Peter always is. Consequently, the family is late for Cub Scouts because the parents slept in (no sounds of fighting to wake them up!). This new and unexpected turn of events infuriates Perfect Peter, who doesn't quite know what his role is now and even tries out being Horrid himself! This story is followed by Horrid Henry's Dance Class, Horrid Henry and Moody Margaret, and Horrid Henry's Holiday. Horrid Henry is rude, disagreeable, disgusting, conniving, difficult, and manipulative, but somehow totally hilarious at the same time.

Critical Evaluation

This series is as perfect as Henry is horrid, particularly for reluctant readers, fans of humor, anyone who has a sibling, or as a classroom or family read-aloud (if you don't mind being interrupted by hysterics). It's Henry against the world, which is a feeling that we can all relate to: a perfect brother (Peter loves veggies, going to bed early, dance lessons, and he gets perfect grades); parents who make us do terrible things (dance lessons instead of karate, wilderness camping instead of cushy camping); and his rival, Moody Margaret, who is always out to thwart Henry at every turn. It's a little bit like the picture book Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (Viorst, 1972). The illustrations reminded me of Roald Dahl's books and sure enough, Ross illustrated my own copy of Fantastic Mr. Fox. There is always at least one anecdote per Horrid Henry episode that has my own family rolling off the couch with laughter (ages 7-35).

Reader's Annotation

He's awful, he's rude, he's disagreeable----He's Horrid Henry! What happens when Henry decides to try being perfect for a day? Can he do it? If Henry's being Perfect, where does that leave Perfect Peter?

Author Information

Francesca Simon was born in St. Louis (MO) and was raised in California. She majored in Medieval Studies at Yale and Oxford Universities, and then "threw away a lucrative career as a medievalist" to pursue a career in journalism. She worked free-lance for the Sunday Times, The Guardian, and The Mail (all British publications), and Vogue (US). Simon is a best-selling children's book author in the UK; over 12 million Horrid Henry books have been sold, in 24 countries around the world. Simon now lives in London with her husband, son, and dog. (Information in this author biography is from her official site.)

Challenge issues

Any responsible adult might worry about Henry's thoroughly reprehensible behavior and would surely hate to think that the children in their care adopting Henry's antics.

Booktalking Ideas

The Trouble With Siblings would be the theme of this booktalk and I would try to focus on books that are also funny. I would include The Penderwicks (Birdsall, 2005), Superfudge (Blume, 1980), Beezus and Ramona (Clearly, 1955), and Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear (Mazer, 2007).

Curriculum Ties

It would be a great writing prompt to ask students to develop their own Horrid Henry story, inspired by an autobiographical anecdote. Have they ever had one of those days when EVERYTHING goes wrong? At every turn, you are thwarted by your parents who want you to wash your hair or change your shirt, or siblings who insist on having that one LEGO piece that you can't live without?? I could create a character called Irritating Iris whose husband, Jesting Jacob, is constantly making jokes that are just not that funny if she's in a grumpy mood. Irritating Iris bothers Jesting Jacob by telling him that sometimes his jokes really stink! Anyway, it would be a good group activity to "brainstorm" the type of story that makes a "good" Horrid Henry installment: the element of cringing horror that the stories elicit in readers, the interaction between characters, the roles of each character and how that advances the plot, etc.

Why this book?
Isn't it thrilling to read about characters who are horrible and get in trouble? Who do things that we do (or wish we could)? It's satisfying to read about one who is so predictably devious as Henry. Since, chances are, we are not as bad as he is, we delight in his antics.

Series/Sequel

Yes, indeedy, there are plenty more Horrid Henry books. Check the website, here, for the full list.

Awards
None.

Rockport Public Library owns?

No. (But we own others in the series!)