Level-Headed Henry Still a Delight

Henry Huggins is a hard-working, well-mannered boy closing in on his eleventh birthday. Although his life has become much more interesting since his acquisition of Ribsy, a scrawny mutt who adopted him when Henry was in third grade, more and more he feels as though something is missing… but what? The what becomes clear when Scooter McCarthy, a gruff seventh-grade friend of his, mentions that his district manager, Mr. Capper, is looking for another boy to deliver papers. Yes, a paper route would definitely be a worthwhile use of Henry’s time, with some nice profits to go along with it. But getting the coveted position will not be as easy as Henry thought…

Henry and the Paper Route chronicles Henry’s escapades as he tries to convince the kindly but dubious Mr. Capper that he is ready for the responsibility of being a paper boy. Along the way, he finds himself in all sorts of situations beyond his control. A valiant attempt to save four kittens from the pound leads to a bad first impression, a day full of “No, thank you”s as he tries to give them away, and an unanticipated affection between Mr. Huggins and one of the kittens. A bit of clever advertising for a school paper drive escalates into a week-long pick-up and bundling procedure hilariously reminiscent of the mass-producing guppy episode in Henry Huggins. Henry has the best of intentions, but too often they seem to go awry.

It doesn’t help that his friend Beezus’ little sister Ramona is always hanging around causing trouble. This book takes place in roughly the same time frame as Beezus and Ramona, and Ramona’s rampant creativity and ferocious temper are just as evident from Henry’s point of view as Beezus’. Henry must rely on his quick wit – and some help from Beezus – to keep Ramona from ruining all his plans. But it isn’t just Ramona who stands in his way. Scooter invites Henry to take over some of his paper boy work, but a quarrel between them leaves Henry deprived of his duties and despairing of ever having a route of his own. Add into the mix a strange new glasses-wearing, robot-building neighbor, and you never know what’s going to happen to Henry next!

This book comes toward the end of the Henry series; only Henry and the Clubhouse remains to cap off the boy’s adventures. Of course, they aren’t really over; he continues to make guest appearances in the later Ramona books. But his starring role is nearly at an end. Maybe he is just a bit too even-tempered to arouse the sort of enthusiasm Ramona enjoys. Nonetheless, Henry and the Paper Route is written with as much of Cleary’s distinctive style as her more celebrated books, and Henry is immensely likable. If boys object to reading about a feisty girl named Ramona, they might consider immersing themselves in the activities of an ordinary boy named Henry.