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.