Henry Huggins

After Beverly Cleary's autobiographies, I had to read this, her first book. The storytelling holds up today, even if the circumstances of the children's lives make it dated. Henry is an immediately believable, endearing character, with conflicts and crises that are both relatable and amusing. Each of the 6 short episodes is simply but engagingly told - perfect for an early reader. There is no moralizing, no patronizing of children or suggesting their concerns are less important than adults'. Interesting to consider that this was all so unusual at the time of writing, that Henry and his author caused quite a revolution in books for children. Cleary surely wrote better books, but this was the first and it's still a fine achievement.

I read Beverly Cleary books a gazillion times when I was a little girl. I missed the Ramona series, but I loved all the books about Henry and Ribsy and his friends on Klickitat Street. This one I read aloud to every class I taught, fifth grade and second grade, even though I was cautioned by a school librarian that this book would be too hard for my second graders. Before I knew it, every kid in my class was checking out (and reading, I'll have you know, Mrs. P—) Beverly Cleary.