Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine

April 1, 2009
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 wantsthough in roundabout waysand 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"

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