Humphrey's Really Wheely Racing Day

July 1, 2014
Humphrey, the classroom hamster, is back, this time in a new series for chapter-book readers.Newly-independent readers are in for a treat with these stories of Humphrey's adventures on the weekends. Each Friday afternoon, the suspense builds for the little hamster hero as he finds out where his temporary home will be. In this first outing, Humphrey goes home with Mandy (nicknamed Don't-Complain-Mandy-Payne) and makes friends with her pet hamster, Winky. Winky has a hamster car, propelled by a plastic hamster wheel, and Humphrey is impressed. He loves his own little ball, but it's not nearly as fabulous as Winky's car. When Mrs. Brisbane buys a car for Humphrey, the class decides to have a race day-Winky versus Humphrey, and Og, the class frog, versus George, the frog from another class. In the second story (publishing simultaneously), Humphrey's Playful Puppy Problem, Humphrey goes home with Richie, who plans to use Humphrey in his science experiment. Humphrey has to fend off a too-loving puppy called Poppy and fix the experiment when the pup's exuberance proves to be too much for it. Birney has created the kind of series that first- and second-grade readers will love. It's set in school, the vocabulary is accessible, the font and spacing are generous, and the frequent illustrations tie the story together.New readers will be "HAPPY-HAPPY-HAPPY" to see this promising new series. (Animal fantasy. 5-8)

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June 1, 2014

K-Gr 3-Friday is always an exciting day for Humphrey, the class hamster. That's when he finds out where he will spend the weekend away from his usual home at Longfellow School. This time it will be Mandy's house. Her own hamster, Winky, has his very own hamster-size car. Humphrey falls in love with driving the first time he's behind the wheel and wishes he had his own car to race Winky. Lucky for him, the teacher in Room 26 is able to make his dream a reality. This is an appealing story for children making the transition from easy readers to chapter books. Humphrey is a sweet protagonist who makes amusing observations about the students. The black-and-white illustrations throughout support the simple text. Purchase where transitional chapter books are needed.-Beth Cuddy, Seward Elementary School, Auburn, NY

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