Henry Huggins (Morrow Junior Books)

Beverly Cleary's lively, award-winning books virtually shout "good, old-fashioned fun!" Since 1950, Henry and his friends (found in Beezus and Ramona and Newbery Honor Book Ramona and Her Father, among others) have displayed all the mixed-up emotions and tricky jams kids everywhere seem to experience. Henry's action-packed days are captured in droll line drawings by Louis Darling. Luckily for young readers, there are dozens of Cleary books to explore as soon as this one is devoured. (Ages 8 to 12) --Emilie Coulter

Louis Darling was the very first illustrator to give the world of Beverly Cleary a face. His renderings of the Klickitat Street adventures became a gateway to imagination and the joy of reading for generations of children. Now, more than sixty years later, his illustrations once again grace the pages of classic stories by Beverly Cleary. With a foreword by New York Times bestselling author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi, Henry Huggins—the beloved author’s debut novel—will be enjoyed by a whole new generation of readers!

I wish something exciting would happen, Henry Huggins often thought. For a third-grade boy, life on Klickitat Street was just about as exciting as getting your tonsils out. That is, until the thump, thump, thump of a stray dog’s tail changed Henry’s life forever. From that moment on, the two were inseparable.

Beginning with trouble on the bus trip home that leads to a thrilling ride in a police car, Ribsy ensures that Henry will never have another dull moment. Together, Henry and Ribsy cause more excitement than Klickitat Street can handle!