Horrid Henry's Underpants and Give Away

Title: Horrid Henry's Underpants
Author: Francesca Simon
Publisher: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Ages: 7-10

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  Over 15 million copies sold in 27 countries and counting!


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  #1 Chapter book series in the UK


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  Francesca Simon is the only American author to ever win the Galaxy British Book Awards Children's Book of the Year (past winners include J.K. Rowling, Philip Pullman, and Eoin Colfer).

I must admit that the first time I ever read a Horrid Henry book, I was less than impressed. I was, in fact, horrified. How could a child behave so horribly? Worse yet, the fact that he's so well read and highly praised practically exonerates him!

But, in reading Horrid Henry's Underpants this morning I could catch a glimpse of some of the appeal. He does, after all, resemble the horrid part in each of us. The part that most of us, as adults, keep under wraps. But, when I discover that the joy of reading him encourages reluctant children to read, I'm halfway to applauding his antics myself.

Each book contains four small chapters. Chapters in which Henry does something horrid, and he usually gets away with it. (That still annoys me; I keep thinking he should be punished, if even by natural consequences, some where down the line.)

In Horrid Henry's Underpants we find Henry being forced to eat a vegetable on the promise of a trip to his favorite restaurant Gobble and Go:

Henry's heart missed a beat. Gobble and Go! Gobble and Go! Only Henry's favorite restaurant in the whole wide world. Their motto: "The fries just keep on coming!" shone forth from a purple neon sign. Music blared from twenty loudspeakers. Each table had its own TV. You could watch the chefs heat up your food in a giant microwave. Best of all, grown-ups never wanted to hang around for hours and chat. You ordered, gobbled, and left. Heaven.

In the chapter about Underpants, Henry is given a pair of pink lace girl's panties, with glittery hearts and bows, by his Great-Aunt Gerta who's convinced he's a four year old girl. He shoves them in the back of drawer, but accidentally wears them to school one day when he's running late.

Rats, thought Horrid Henry. Well, no way was he wearing his horrible pink underpants a second longer. He'd just have to trade underpants with someone. And Horrid Henry had the perfect someone in mind.

In the chapter titled Horrid Henry's Sick Day, he plays sick when he discovers his brother, Perfect Peter, is allowed to stay home because he is ill. Eventually, Henry's mother, father and brother are all truly sick, and Henry for once has the recompense of caring for them. Until he goes back to bed himself, horrid boy that he is.

And, in the chapter called Horrid Henry's Thank You Letter, we find Henry doing what I suspect some of us must have longed to do when faced with the interminable task of writing thank you notes. Especially when it's for something we didn't want in the first place. Henry's first note:

Dear Aunt Ruby,

No thank you for the horrible present. It's the worst present I have ever had. Anyway, didn't some old Roman say it was better to give than to receive? So in fact, you should be writing me a thank you letter.

Henry

P.S. Next time just send money. 

causes him to devise a blanket note in one-size-fits-all fashion which is truly funny.

If you want to read some of Henry's hilarious escapades, you'll need to leave a comment in order to sign up for the give away:

a free copy of Horrid Henry and The Mummy's Curse.

Just in time for Halloween. Although, I'm not sure the Mummy can bring any greater curses than Henry's capable of doing.

The winner is Magical Mystical Teacher!