Horrid Henry's Big Bad Book: Ten Favourite Stories - and More! - Francesca Simon

As documented in my last Horrid Henry book review, we really like him in our house, though am glad my youngest Connor has grown out of wanting to be Henry when he gets older, that wasn’t a pleasant couple of months I can tell you!

Horrid Henry, for the people who have never heard of him, is an obnoxious 10 year old boy, he is only happy when he is getting the upper hand with people, causing trouble, giving his parents grief, bullying ...
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Alongside the numerous Horrid Henry books that my daughter owns, she has also quite a number of rehashed editions, these are in a nutshell so-called “favourites” that get re-printed into a book, a compilation if you will.
The main difference with these books is they are all in colour, many of the older books are all black and white with pictures being decipherable but somewhat scribbly!

The book I will now review is ... more

As documented in my last Horrid Henry book review, we really like him in our house, though am glad my youngest Connor has grown out of wanting to be Henry when he gets older, that wasn’t a pleasant couple of months I can tell you!

Horrid Henry, for the people who have never heard of him, is an obnoxious 10 year old boy, he is only happy when he is getting the upper hand with people, causing trouble, giving his parents grief, bullying his younger brother Perfect Peter (the so-called worm!), and just generally being a kid, yes everything I have described him as being is most children of that age, and if you declare your child not to be, then aren’t you the lucky one! Lol!

Alongside the numerous Horrid Henry books that my daughter owns, she has also quite a number of rehashed editions, these are in a nutshell so-called “favourites” that get re-printed into a book, a compilation if you will.
The main difference with these books is they are all in colour, many of the older books are all black and white with pictures being decipherable but somewhat scribbly!

The book I will now review is - “Horrid Henry’s big bad book by Francesca Simon”

There are ten stories in total included in the book, alongside these are pages of interest to the child reader, fact files of the characters, funny notes sent between Henry and his arch nemesis Moody Margaret and many more, very funny to read I can tell you.

Henry’s new teacher - Henry has had a rotten report card for the year, he’s quite happy with that fact, not really caring a jot, but after returning to school he realises that things are going to be different. Instead of returning to be taught by Miss Battle-Axe, Henry’s class has some how managed to end up with the meanest teacher in the school….Mr Nerdon (yes, they think his name is funny too!).
After trying to cause as much trouble as possible in class Henry soon realises to rid himself of his teacher will take some doing, does he managed or will he get a detention for his troubles?

Horrid Henry’s nits - After watching Henry scratch his head for the umpteenth time at the dinner table, Henry’s mum discovers he is crawling with them, Henry is quite pleased with this, it’s like carrying his pets around with him and is horrified that his mum suggests killing them! After managing to keep the fact he has nits from his parents by binning the reams of nit letters he keeps getting sent home from school with, he goes to school to discover that “Nora” the nit nurse is on site.
Will he get found out as a “nitty nora” or will his nits vacate to better surroundings?

Horrid Henry’s school trip - After discovering that Henry and Peter will be going on the same school trip things look grim for Henry, things take a turn for the worse when Peter turns up to the school museum wearing the same t-shirt as Henry, or does it! Would this be considered a case of mistaken identity, or will Henry get his just desserts?

Horrid Henry’s sports day - This is Henry’s worst nightmare….sports day! He had never won anything in the past so he decided this was not the year he was going to start trying! After getting to the school he realises that everyone is taking this sport thing really seriously, especially Aerobic Al who hasn’t eaten sweets for a whole week whilst in training. Will Henry try to join in, will he even turn up, or will the humongous bag of sweets in his pocket be his saving grace?

Horrid Henry’s homework - After refusing to do his homework, preferring to sit on his bed reading his comic books, Henry’s dad finally can take no more, after realising that Henry has a spelling test the next day, and he hasn’t even looked at them, let alone practised them he dad threatens to stop everything….sweets, television, computer the works. Henry decides it is time for drastic action! Can he learn his spellings, does he even bother or is there an easier way of getting the answers right?

Horrid Henry’s swimming lesson - Henry hates swimming, and after realising that this day, the 22nd, was swimming lesson day, he knows he must come up with a convincing excuse to not attend, and by golly does he try! Unfortunately Henry’s swimming teacher has had dealings with him before, and every excuse he presents, his teacher has a solution to it! Will Henry manage to get out of his lesson, will he end up swimming or will the shark that has suddenly appeared in the deep end of the swimming pool eat him before he has the chance?!

Horrid Henry and the demon diner lady - Henry has always been school dinners, but he has always longed to be sandwiches, with the sandwich gang being able to eat lunch freely in their own little room, carefree, with now monster dinner ladies watching over them, oh, if only!
After finally persuading his mum to make him a packed lunch he finally feels he is part of the “cool” gang, but the day he stats sandwiches, he is introduced to the new packed lunch dinner lady.
After the first week of her eating all the treats that the children’s parents have sent them for their lunches Henry knows it is finally time to work together, will Henry and his gang get rid of her, or will she still be eating their lunches up until they leave school?

Horrid Henry reads a book - After a particularly boring assembly, Henry finally comes too out of his daydream to here his teacher, Miss Battle - Axe announce the “book reading” competition, ok, so Henry didn’t technically read anything but comics, but fir the chance of winning a big prize he would sure give it a go!
Will Henry manage to read one book let alone twenty, will he beat Moody Margaret and will his mum every come down off the ceiling after hearing him ask to borrow one of her story books!?

Horrid Henry’s school project - Miss Batlte-Axe has told the class she wants them to draw a picture of a building that she then wants the whole class to build.
Henry is convinced that his picture of a wig wam is the best so is distraught at the picture Clever Clare produces, and is even more distraught when Miss Battle-Axe announces that Clare’s is the building they will make.
Will Henry bow down gracefully and embrace the class project, or will he try and cause as much trouble as possible…..what do you think!?

Horrid Henry’s underpants - After receiving a revolting pair of pink silky underpants form his mad aunty (she thinks he is a girl called Henrietta!), Henry rams them under his bed, never to be seen again…hopefully!
After getting up for school one day really late, and being screamed at by his mum, Henry gets dressed in five seconds flat grabbing the first pair of pants he can lay his hands on…you can see where I am going with this one can’t you!
Will Henry be able to get through the day without anyone knowing he is wearing pants, or will his “debagging” (pulling down peoples trousers) tricks on his friends catch up with him!?

This is such a good book! I usually read a story a night to my daughter, though once I have gone she reads the next nights story, then practically speaks it word for word when I get to it!
This is how much she enjoys these books, she feels she can read them over and over again, and does, lets put it like this, I didn’t need to re read any parts of these stories when writing this review, they are all engraved in my mind!

The stories themselves are entertaining and very childish, the characters actually doing the things I would expect my children to do in those situations!
He stories are also long enough to be considered a good read, but short enough that I do get to sit down to my diner before 10pm at night, another reason I don’t mind reading these books!

To buy, this book retails at around the£8.99 mark, but I am sure these are available for a little less on www.amazon.co.uk

For more information visit - www.orionbooks.co.uk

Thanks for reading x

Pages - 159

ISBN - 1-84255-502-2
 

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