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Excerpt from Story 1: Horrid Henry"s Perfect Day

Henry was horrid.
Everyone said so, even his mother.
Henry threw food, Henry grabbed, Henry pushed and shoved and pinched. Even his teddy bear, Mr. Kill, avoided him when possible.

His parents despaired.
"What are we going to do about that horrid boy?" sighed Mom.

"How did two people as nice as us have such a horrid child?" sighed Dad.

When Horrid Henry"s parents took Henry to school they walked behind him and pretended he was not theirs.

Children pointed at Henry and whispered to their parents, "That"s Horrid Henry."
"He"s the boy who threw my jacket in the mud."
"He"s the boy who squashed Billy"s beetle."
"He"s the boy who…" Fill in whatever terrible deed you like. Horrid Henry was sure to have done it.

Horrid Henry had a younger brother. His name was Perfect Peter.
Perfect Peter always said "Please" and "Thank you."
Perfect Peter loved vegetables.
Perfect Peter always used a hankie and never, ever picked his nose.
"Why can"t you be perfect like Peter?" said Henry"s mom every day.

As usual, Henry pretended not to hear. He continued melting Peter"s crayons on the radiator.
But Horrid Henry started to think.
"What if I were perfect?" thought Henry. "I wonder what would happen."

When Henry woke the next morning, he did not wake Peter by pouring water on Peter"s head.
Peter did not scream.
This meant Henry"s parents overslept and Henry and Peter were late for Cub Scouts.
Henry was very happy.
Peter was very sad to be late for Cub Scouts.
But because he was perfect, Peter did not whine or complain.

On the way to Cub Scouts Henry did not squabble with Peter over who sat in front. He did not pinch Peter and he did not shove Peter.
Back home, when Perfect Peter built a castle, Henry did not knock it down. Instead,  Henry sat on the sofa and read a book. Mom and Dad ran into the room.

"It"s awfully quiet in here," said Mom. "Are you being horrid, Henry?"
"No," said Henry.
"Peter, is Henry knocking your castle down?"
Peter longed to say "yes." But that would be a lie.
"No," said Peter.

Unbelievable. Laugh-out-loud hilarious. Francesca Simon is my sons’ new favorite writer of all time. She’s as cheeky as Roald Dahl and as hilarious as Dav Pilkey and the titular Horrid Henry may be the worst child you’ve read about in a long time. But that doesn’t mean his stories aren’t utterly fabulous. Horrid Henry is a ghastly little boy whose brother, Perfect Peter, is his utter opposite and together, along with Henry’s friends Moody Margaret, Rude Ralph and Greedy Graham, go forth into the world spreading mayhem that will have your kids laughing all the way to the library. This series of chapter books have all been devoured at our house. Of all the available books, our favorite, by far, is Horrid Henry’s Underpants—not just because it has the word “underpants” in the title (which, let me tell you is one heck of a point in its favor) but because it involves a rather senile Great Aunt Pamela who annually forgets Henry is a boy. A must-read.



Audiobooks: “[Horrid] Henry is the exemplar by which other boys can measure their own horridness…Miranda Richardson plays Henry just right, neatly balancing peevishness, effrontery and sheer life force.”











“a loveable bad boy”

“The writing is very clever, the humor will have you laughing your pants off, and I firmly believe these books are so popular because there’s a little Horrid Henry in each of us… Ross’s illustrations bring Horrid Henry’s mischievous side to life with his devilish looks and slanted eyebrows.”

Humor is a proven enticement for reluctant readers, and Francesca Simon’s "Horrid Henry" series locates the funny bone with ease. The series has been a huge success in England, and is finally being published here. (The other titles are "Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy," "Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine" and "Horrid Henry’s Stink Bomb.")

The reason for Henry’s delayed leap across the ocean must be a certain Roald Dahl-esque political incorrectness - not a common feature of American children’s books. The protagonist’s incorrigible naughtiness recalls the shenanigans of the gang of French schoolboys in Ren Goscinny’s "Nicholas" series (where Semp’s fabulous illustrations add spice in just the way Tony Ross’ do here).

In the story that introduces Henry - there are four in each 90-ish-page book - Henry discovers that he can subvert the entire dynamic of his family by being good for a day. Although readers are told that "Henry was horrid. . . . Even his teddy bear, Mr. Kill, avoided him when possible," it’s the attitude of his parents that gets readers on Henry’s side right away.

"’What are we going to do about that horrid boy?’ sighed Mom. ’How did two people as nice as us have such a horrid child?’ sighed Dad. ’Why can’t you be perfect like Peter?’ said Henry’s Mom every day. As usual, Henry pretended not to hear. He continued melting Peter’s crayons on the radiator. But Horrid Henry started to think. ’What if I were perfect?’"

For a whole day, Horrid Henry does nothing horrid; this utterly confuses his parents, and eventually drives Perfect Peter to commit an unspeakable act, for which he is punished. Mission accomplished.


Are your kids looking for some good new novels to read? Try one of these:

Readers will be captivated by both the protagonist and the story in "Marcelo in the Real World" (Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic, $17.99). In this book for teens, author Francisco X. Stork details what happens when 17-year-old Marcelo, whose life has been defined by his Asperger-like condition, gets a taste of "the real world" when he accedes to his father’s demands to work in his law firm for the summer.

Both Marcelo and his father get way more than they expected, as Marcelo learns unsavory truths about his father’s work that could jeopardize his father’s future — and his own. Readers will find Marcelo a compelling character as he describes what it’s like to constantly strive to interpret human emotions that his condition makes it hard to fathom.

Reminiscent of "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd, "Marcelo in the Real World" falters a bit in the end as Stork’s pacing wobbles. But this is a quibble: overall, "Marcelo in the Real World" is one of those rare books you’ll want to read in one sitting because you just can’t put it down. (Ages 12 up).

Philippa Pearce may have been one of the greatest children’s authors of the 20th Century, but her work, including her masterpiece, "Tom’s Midnight Garden," remains too little known in the United States. Perhaps Pearce’s last book, the just-published "A Finder’s Magic" (Candlewick Press, $15.99), can rectify that situation.

Pearce wrote "A Finder’s Magic" for her two grandsons and asked their other grandmother, the much-acclaimed children’s book artist Helen Craig, to illustrate it.

Pearce died in 2006, just as Craig began work on the illustrations. But Pearce’s daughter, Sally Christie, says in a brief note at the book’s beginning that her mother "would have loved the result...." And so will readers who pick up this wonderful, fable-like story that begins with a young boy named Till, whose beloved dog Bess has mysteriously disappeared.

Fortunately, Till encounters a Finder, an elderly man whose magic eventually brings the book to a happy conclusion. Pearce’s story, which takes place over the course of one day, is filled with whimsy and enchantment. Craig’s line drawings and watercolor illustrations brings alive the grandeur — and the coziness — of the English countryside. (Ages 6-10).

Thirteen-year-old Jason is less than thrilled when he’s forced to travel to St. Petersburg, Fla., to join his dad, who is getting ready to sell his mother’s house. For one thing, Jason hardly knew his grandmother; for another, visiting Florida in the summer is like heading into a hot oven. On top of that, Jason is worried that his family is about to split up, and his father’s strange behavior in Florida doesn’t do anything to soothe his worries.

In "The Postcard" (Little Brown, $5.99), author Tony Abbott tells what happens when Jason unexpectedly uncovers a mystery-within-a-mystery that takes him all over St. Petersburg in a search for a missing piece of his family’s history. Along the way, Jason develops a friendship with a local girl named Dia who helps him muster the courage and savvy to solve the case.

Best known for his "Secrets of Droon" fantasy series for younger readers, Abbott has produced a complex, engrossing mystery that will keep readers turning the pages. It’s no surprise that "The Postcard" won the Edgar Award this year for best juvenile mystery — this is a book that will appeal to many young readers. (Ages 8-12).

Here are a few other good choices:

A bag lady who’s actually a genie helps Janna learn about life’s real treasures in "The Genie Scheme" (McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, $15.99). Kids who enjoy this engaging novel also will enjoy author Kimberly Jones’ much-praised first book, "Sand Dollar Summer," just out in paperback (Aladdin/Simon & Schuster, $5.99). Both books are great for ages 8-12.

Kids who love funny books will love the "Horrid Henry" series by Francesca Simon. First published more than a decade ago in Great Britain, the books have been repackaged by Jabberwocky/Sourcebooks publishers with bright new covers each spotlighting a glowering Henry.

Each of the books is comprised of four short chapters, which makes them perfect for readers who are just ready for chapter books. Simon’s hilariously dead-pan text is wonderfully complemented by Tony Ross’s illustrations, which comically capture the consequences of Henry’s horridness. Books in the series cost $4.99 each and include: "Horrid Henry," "Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Machine," "Horrid Henry’s Stinkbomb" and "Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy." (Ages 6-10).



Apr 2009. 112 p. Sourcebooks/Jabberwocky, paperback, $4.99. (9781402217753).

Horrid Henry is a big hit in the U.K., and now he has arrived on U.S. shores. The little devil is the

counterpoint to his brother, Perfect Peter. This book features four short stories about the siblings. In the

first and the funniest, Henry decides to be the perfect one for a change. This throws the family dynamics

off-kilter and causes Peter to take a turn for the worse. In the second, Henry ruins a dance recital. Henry

and his friend, Moody Margaret, play pirates in the third vignette but struggle over who will take

possession of Captain Hook’s hook. And in the fourth, “Horrid Henry’s Holiday,” Henry helps a camping

trip go bad. Fine fare for beginning readers, this clever book should find a ready audience. Ross’

illustrations, which are reminiscent of Quentin Blake’s work, add to the amusing goings-on.

— Ilene Cooper


This bestselling British series makes it s American debut with the simultaneous release of the first four volumes (there’s also Horrid Henry’s Stinkbomb and Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy). Each book offers four easy chapters that recount, with heaps of humor, the true horridness of Henry, boy terror. In Horrid Henry, Henry attempts to have a non-horrid day, sabotages the dance recital, challenges Moody Margaret to a glop-making contest and has to endure a two-week family camping trip. In Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine, Henry hikes with his family in the countryside, tricks his younger brother into believing a cardboard box is a time machine, endures the revenge of said little brother, and goes to dinner at a fancy restaurant where he accidentally orders snails. The plotting is quick and funny and the storylines creative, but its’ the characters who really stand out here. Henry is so horrid he is almost a caricature of horridness; he is so horrid, in fact, that you can’t wait to see what he will do next. Henry’s character is effectively juxtaposed with that of his younger brother, Perfect Peter, who is everything Henry is not, and who is, if anything, even funnier in his saccharine perfection. The factual details—his parents don’t remind Henry to bring pajamas to sleepovers since they know he’ll get kicked out before it’s time to sleep—enhance the humor further. Ross’ line illustrations are their usual happy-go-lucky scrawl, and Henry’s line and dot eyes forecast plenty of mischief. The angle here is spot-on, and reluctant readers will especially find lots to love about this early chapter book series. Treat young readers to a book talk or read-aloud and watch Henry go flying off the shelf.—HM

Gr 2-4–In the first book, four short chapters follow Henry as he tries to have a perfect day (and upstages his brother, Perfect Peter), disrupts a dance recital with his imitation of a pterodactyl, meets his piratical match in neighbor Moody Margaret, and sabotages a family camping vacation. In the second book, he constructs a time machine from a box and tricks his brother into believing it really does send him into the future, discovers surprises at a fancy French restaurant (he likes snails!), ruins a family walk in the country, and finds himself the target of his brother’s revenge. Short, easy-to-read chapters will appeal to early readers, who will laugh at Henry’s exaggerated antics and relate to his rambunctious personality. The boy always seems to end up getting what he wants–though in roundabout ways–and this series will most likely be as popular in the United States as it has been in Britain. Ross’s comical illustrations perfectly complement the texts.–Terrie Dorio, Santa Monica Public Library, CA

Horrid Henry, star of the enormously popular British series, is finally crossing over to the U.S., and kids who appreciate a mischievous streak will welcome his arrival. In this first book, Henry discovers that being good-like his brown-nosing, vegetable-loving brother, Perfect Peter-can be its own brand of mischief; Henry also disrupts his dance class and fights with his neighbor Moody Margaret ("When he put a spider on her arm, Margaret laughed. When he pulled her hair, Margaret pulled his harder"). In the fourth story, the family goes on vacation, where (as is often the case) Henry’s antics work in his favor: on the rainy camping trip, he uses the tent pegs for a campfire, causing the tent to collapse and flood, and forcing his family to comfier accommodations. Henry’s over-the-top behavior, the characters’ snappy dialogue and Ross’s hyperbolic line art will engage even the most reluctant readers-there’s little reason to suspect the series won’t conquer these shores as well. Pubs simultaneously with Horrid Henry’s Stinkbomb, Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine and Horrid Henry Tricks the Tooth Fairy; two additional volumes are due in June. Ages 7-10. (Apr.)