Horrible Harry and the Ant Invasion

Doug and his good friend Harry are excited by the new developments: their teacher is bringing an ant farm to the class for scientific observations. Doug and Harry aim to be great scientists, and Harry loves creepy crawlies. In fact, all the students are excited except Sidney, who covers his fear of ants with loud dramatics. Harry lands the coveted job of ant monitor, and then loses it when he can't listen to the teacher. To make matters worse, Sidney crashes into Song Lee during dance lessons because he won't open his eyes, and Harry swears revenge. He slides ice-cold water down Sidney's back after school, careless of how Sidney may respond. Sidney does strike back, and in an unexpected fashion. He manages to cast the blame on Harry for show more a terrible accident, and only through Song Lee's bravery does Harry escape punishment for something he didn't do.

The story is fast, easy to read, and fun. Harry and Doug are well-developed in the limited space, and the plot feels natural and complete. Harry's crush on Song Lee is innocent, and I found it very cute. This series consistently focuses on the importance of science, and how excited the students are to study it; that is a frequently unexplored topic that is done well here. The only complaint I have is that the last chapter seems like an awkward appendage, since the chapter before neatly wraps up the plot and even has a pithy last sentence. Overall, the Harry series is a pleasant read that will appeal to children, if it is not my favorite of the beginning chapter book offerings available. show less

I would not necessarily recommend this for more than independent reading. It would have good use there because the words are familiar and the stories are simple. Struggling readers may benefit from these books the most (2nd and 3rd grades would be the most appropriate grade in which to use this text). The book does not encourage much in the way of deeper thinking or problem solving, but it is straightforward and creative.

Harry is quite the trouble maker in Miss Mackle's class. This book has four different stories where Harry finds himself in very interesting situations. He dances with Song Lee, must redeem himself as the ant monitor, and even claims his innocence after classmates blame him for the death of a class fish.

Horrible Harry of classroom 2B cuts back on his mischievous pranks after falling for Song Lee.

Honestly, these in 2B are almost all 3.5 stars. I will keep reading them whenever I get a chance to. They are often in LFLs so yay.

Lexile: 440
RR: 18
DRA: 18
FPGR: J

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