“Surprises According to Humphrey” by
Betty G. Birney (Putnam Juvenile, 9780399247309, $14.99, 192 pages, ages 8
to 12)
Betty Birney continues her award-winning series about Humphrey the lovable
classroom hamster in this fab new book for middle readers. Humphrey is class
pet in Mrs. Brisbane’s Room 26 at Longfellow Elementary School, and from
inside his cage, he follows all the class’s lessons and activities while
keeping close watch on his many human friends.
Birney sets this fourth Humphrey adventure at the start of springtime as the
studious hamster is busy doing dictionary drills. (Humphrey writes down his
own vocabulary words in a tiny notebook he keeps hidden in his cage: we get
to read his new definitions at the end of each chapter.) Humphrey is joined
by classmates like Sit-Still-Seth Stevenson, Raise-Your-Hand-Heidi Hopper,
and Lower-Your-Voice-A.J. Thomas. (You see, Humphrey knows all of his
friends by the names Mrs. Brisbane uses most often for them.)
The surprises mentioned in the book’s title come in all shapes and sizes: a
surprise fire alarm and a lesson in fire safety from a visiting fire
fighter; a new hamster ball that lets Humphrey roam all over the room; a
serious scuffle between best friends that leaves Humphrey scrambling to
patch things up before everyone’s feeling get too hurt; and biggest of all,
the surprise that Mrs. Brisbane may decide to retire from teaching!
Working behind the scenes, Humphrey sets out to convince his favorite
classroom teacher that whatever she decides to do, she has made a big
difference in the lives of her students. Humphrey squeaks and nudges his
human classmates into surprising acts of kindness that let Mrs. Brisbane
know just how important she is to them. And as a finishing touch, Humphrey
also slips a little note into the school suggestion box: a note suggesting
that they hold a big party to celebrate Mrs. Brisbane’s 30th year as a
teacher!
Humphrey is a wise and winning narrator, and the stories he relates about
his classroom friends will be immediately interesting to elementary-age
kids: they be fascinated to hear about kids just like them in a school
setting just like their own. “Surprises According to Humphrey” is a perfect
book to read aloud, one or two chapters at a time, to a room of curious,
antsy, spring-fevered students—or to put into the hands of young readers who
want a character they can really cheer on!
Recommended for humans and hamsters ages 8 to 12.
Review by
Mark
David Bradshaw, March
19, 2008
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