Herbie Jones Moves On - Hardcover

Suzy Kline, the author of nineteen previous Horrible Harry books and four books about Song Lee, lives in Willington Connecticut with her husband, Rufus. Suzy and Rufus have been married for thirty-eight years. They met in the state where they both grew up: California. Suzy grew up in Berkeley and Rufus in Sacramento. Suzy graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in European history. She met Rufus at the Davis campus while attending that campus for a year. They got married and lived in different places, including Canada, before settling into Connecticut, the state they now call home.

Suzy taught in 5th and 6th grades at Shannon Elementary School in Richmond, California for 3 years, and 2nd and 3rd grades at Southwest Elementary School in Torrington, Connecticut for 24 years before retiring this past June. She now enjoys writing full-time and visiting schools and libraries. The couple share their home with two cats, Teeter and Hoag. They have two daughters, Jennifer and Emily, and four grandchildren: Jake, Kenna, Gabby and Saylor. A fifth grandchild is due in September, 2006. Suzy's mother just turned 96. She dedicated her most recent book, Horrible Harry Takes the Cake to her.

Suzy and Rufus enjoy attending UConn football and basketball games, and Suzy uses the UConn library as a reference for her writing facts.

 

Grade 2-4-The lovable kid introduced in Herbie Jones (Putnam, 1985), then serialized in seven subsequent novels, hasn't made a new appearance in a decade. Now, he and Raymond are back, aging hardly a whit, only in fourth grade. Raymond is moving to Texas, and Herbie has to learn to get over losing his best friend, and "move on." Before giving in, however, the boys make several attempts to sabotage the sale of the house. Nevertheless, the "sold" sign appears and the friends prepare to part company. After a surprise farewell party, Ray shows up again in school on Monday morning with the news that his family is not moving after all. Though the subject matter is unoriginal, the ending is a surprise. The cover art is appealing and contemporary, but there are no internal illustrations. Still, with 14 quick chapters, this story is a good addition to transitional chapter-book collections.
Debbie Whitbeck, West Ottawa Public Schools, Holland, MI
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