What’s it about?
It’s the last day of second grade, and Song Lee’s having a party at the amusement park to celebrate. Harry can’t wait to go on all the rides, except for one–THE DROP OF DOOM. Will Harry face his fear, or will he have to put up with Sidney’s teasing all through third grade? – Goodreads Synopsis
My Review of Horrible Harry
This short chapter book, perfect for those just getting into longer books, is primarily about facing your fears and realizing that what you were scared of wasn’t so bad, but it’s also about making children realize that everyone has fears, and those fears don’t always make sense. What one child might think is silly absolutely terrifies another child, and so forth.
There’s a surprising multicultural element (given this book was written in 1998), with the friend that helps Harry face his fears being Song Lee – a good-hearted girl of Korean descent. The party that they go to at the amusement park is actually Song Lee’s birthday party, and her mother is the only adult there to chaperone. There’s no derisive remarks made, and even though the mother primarily does speak in broken English, it’s perfectly explained by the fact that they simply haven’t been in the country that long.
Okay, just so I can say I’ve said it: the next part of this review contains a major spoiler. Skip it if you REALLY care to not know what happened in this 2nd grader book.
Another good thing about this book is that it shows the tough-talking bully to be exactly what most bullies are. An absolute coward when it counts. Sidney, the boy who pesters Harry for the entire book, doesn’t even have the guts to open his eyes at the top of the ride. When Harry realizes that, seeing the picture on the screen after they get off the ride, it makes him feel even better. If even the ‘tough guy’ closed his eyes, Harry did really, really good. In fact, he ended up absolutely loving the ride!
Overall, this short book has a nice message for both boys and girls, and it’s well worth picking up for the young reader in your house.
Click here to find Horrible Harry and the Drop of Doom now on Amazon.
Title: Horrible Harry and the Drop of Doom | Series: Horrible Harry #10 | Author: Suzy Kline | Illustrator: Frank Remkeiwicz | Publisher: Puffin Books | Pub. Date: 2000-2-1 | Pages: 64 | ISBN13: 9780140372564 | Genre: Children’s Fiction | Language: English | Triggers: None | Rating: 4 out of 5 | Date Read: 4-8-2016 | Source: Won book from contest.
