Surprises According to Humphrey Book

Being a classroom hamster means having to be ready for anything—but suddenly there are a lot of big surprises in Humphrey's world. Some are exciting, like seeing the playground during a fire drill and getting to roll around in a hamster ball. But some aren't so good, like a cat creeping around, a different janitor who might be from another planet, and the most shocking thing of all—the possibility of Mrs. Brisbane retiring.

Even with all that's going on, Humphrey makes time to help a few classmates with their problems. But could Mrs. Brisbane leaving school be one problem that's just too big for this little guy to solve?

Friendship According to Humphrey received a Christopher Award, and kids voted The World According to Humphrey the winner of children's choice awards in six states. Plus, it's been nominated for ten others.

Children's Literature

This fourth book in the "Humphrey the Hamster" series picks up with Humphrey and Og—the frog who lives in the tank next door in Mrs. Brisbane's classroom—facing a number of dilemmas. Mrs. Brisbane may well retire at the end of the year. Garth and AJ, two students in the class, don't seem to be getting along as well as they used to and another student, Heidi, just can't seem to remember to raise her hand and be respectful to others. To top everything off, Aldo the custodian seems to have disappeared and been replaced by an alien! Humphrey works throughout the book to solve the various dilemmas and mysteries that face him and his friends. Along the way, he learns a lot about geography, math, reading, and standardized test-taking. As always, the Humphrey books are offered up with a great deal of gentle humor and the expectation that young readers understand and appreciate the good a hamster can do on his weekend trips to students' homes. This is a fun and fast read for younger students, especially those interested in classroom pets. Reviewer: Jean Boreen, Ph.D.