Henry Huggins

I never did read much Cleary growing up...but since the Girl is having some trouble getting into book, I thought this might be a good one for her...and I was right, she absolutely LOVED it. Henry Huggins (like How to Eat Fried Worms) is a bit dated, since it was written in 1949, but the overall feel and character of the story is pretty much timeless. We are presented with a typical neighborhood, family, kids, neighbors of the time that, despite the way we live life today, is presented in a way that is still accessible to kids today (even those not living in suburban neighborhoods. Henry is a typical boy who wants a bit of excitement in his life...and finds it while browsing at the local convenience store, in the form of Ribsy as skinny mutt who he decides to take home (with his mother's permission of course)...on the BUS! This is first of 5 adventures that Henry and Ribsy encounter as they go on through the book (we also get raising guppies, catching thousands of night crawlers, a charming look at Christmas pageants and snow from a 9 year olds perspective, the dog show, and the prospect of Henry having to give up Ribsy). Each is charming and still endearing more than 50 years after it was originally written. We are presented with stories that show Henry as honest and hard working, we learn to have compassion for others and that doing the right thing is always important...all in a humorous and realistic way that doesn't feel like the message is being shoved down our throats! I give it a solid A, even after 50+ years, Henry Huggins is fine reading for 8-10 year olds!

I remember almost every one of Henry's antics and adventures and I read these books 20 years ago. This book is the classic that started it all. I love the Ramona books, but Henry will always be my favorite. He has his shortcomings, but he is a true good spirit, a good friend, and a great dog owner. Make sure to have your kids read this book, it is truly just a sweet story about a boy, his life, and his dog.

My 9-year-old son wasn't an avid or enthusiastic reader, and when it came time for his first book report, my husband and I panicked. We were afraid we'd never find a book that sparked his interest enough to want to read through to the end.Thank goodness for Henry Huggins. This story is simply adorable, and I was delighted to see my son laugh out loud as he read the book. After he finished a chaper, he'd run and tell me what new mess Henry and his lovable scoundrel of a dog, Ribsy, had gotten themselves into. In fact, I actually caught my son reading the book on his own, with no prodding from me or his father. This book was published in 1950 and so my son did have a few questions about why things were so inexpensive in the story, but other than that, "Henry Huggins" is not dated at all and the story is just entertaining now as it was in the 1950s.I am so thankful that I purchased this book and that it not only kept my son's interest but helped him realize that books could be fun. This story should be a great first "chapter book" for any child who is ready to move past picture books.

My all-time favorite book is HENRY HUGGINS. I am a 34-year old mother of 2 boys who are too young to read the book by themselves and not interested in sitting through a book with very few pictures. However, I have been eager to share this wholesome story with them. So, this book on CD was perfect!! I play it in the car and I don't hear a sound out of them for miles--they are so engrossed in the story and don't want to miss a word. (great for long trips!) They love Henry's adventures & his crazy dog, Ribsy. Neil Patrick Harris does the most fantastic job reading this wonderful story. His voice changes so much for each character that you would swear it was more than one person reading the story. From Mrs. Huggins to Mr. Pennycuff, the pet shop owner, Neil Patrick Harris keeps us entertained with his impersonations of the characters. I love this CD set. I'm thrilled to be able to share Beverly Cleary's timeless stories with my children and I know they will love them just as much when they actually learn how to read! I hope they have Neil Patrick Harris record the other Henry Huggins books too. Super job!!

From my understanding, Beverly Cleary was a librarian who could not get some boys to read. They complained that there wasn't anything to read that they could relate to. They asked why weren't there books about kids like them, just average boys? So Beverly Cleary wrote "Henry Huggins" for them- a story of an average boy who gets into all sorts of believable adventures with highly amusing results. It is a GREAT book, and Ms. Cleary introduced to children's literature some of its greatest characters: Henry and his dog, Ribsy; and, in later books, his tomboy friend, Beezus, and Beezus' amazingly pesty kid sister, Ramona. Everyone of the subsequent books in the Henry/Ramona series is fantastic- filled with humor and characters with whom kids can understand and relate. "Henry Huggins" started it all and makes a wonderful introduction to Ms. Cleary's world on Kickalat Street.