Henry Reed's Baby-Sitting Service

Henry Reed #3

by Keith Robertson, Robert McCloskey (Illustrator)

Back in Grover's Corners, N.J., for the summer, Henry and his partner Midge establish a baby sitting service and find a disappearing child and a peacock among their charges.

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Young Adult, Humor, Juvenile, Middle Grade, Chapter Books

205 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1966

About the author

Keith Robertson was born on May 9, 1914 in Dows, Iowa. He joined the Navy in 1931, and served as a radioman on a destroyer. Later, he attended the United States Naval Academy, graduating with a B.S. degree. He attributed his initial decision to study at the Academy to a "fanatical aversion to washing dishes." He said, "When I discovered that midshipmen at the United States Naval Academy did not wash dishes but were gentlemen by act of Congress, I promptly applied for entrance." Robertson served in World War II as captain of a destroyer. He was awarded five battle stars. He retired from the service as a captain in the United States Naval Reserve.

Robertson published his first book, Ticktock and Jim, in 1948. His writing career spanned 40 years. As a member of the Rutgers University Council on Children's Literature, he was active in encouraging aspiring authors.

He was married to Elizabeth Woodburn Robertson, a rare-book dealer, and had four children. He died of cancer at his home in Hopewell, New Jersey on September 23, 1991, aged 77.

Reviews

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

My mother's house is filled with young adult books from the '30s-60's. Sometime you need to read about a group of kids that mow the lawn and bbq in casual sport jackets.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.7 stars (5/10 hearts). I read this a while after reading the first book (though not having read the 2nd), and so I had a fair idea of what to expect, which made me enjoy it more than I'd enjoyed the first book. I found myself really loving the little community and all the quiet fun and interest of everyday life. Henry is a great kid, and he + Midge make a great team. There was plenty of humour, and overall I just really enjoyed this and I'd like to reread both books and the rest of the series.

[Luisa Knight · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun sequel with some clever, chuckle out loud moments!

Henry Reed is spending the summer again with his Aunt and Uncle who live in the countryside of New Jersey. This year, instead of doing their research business, Henry and Midge decide to make money babysitting.

It’s one eventful summer with adventures and mishaps and a spiteful MG around every corner. The police, fire department and even the IRS have their comical appearances too!

Hidden among the comedic scenes is some valuable truths about working hard, marketing, customer satisfaction and taxes!

You'll thoroughly enjoy this tale and the pure entertainment this book affords!

Ages: 12+

#Summer #Entrepreneurship

Cleanliness: Gosh, Gee, Golly and the like are used a few times. Mentions someone smoking a pipe. Babysitters pretend a “crystal ball” lets them know where a child is hiding. Several of the kids that the babysitters watch are not well behaved. There are two bullies in the story that Midge strongly dislikes and speaks her mind about.

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[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book stands well by itself, but it is the third in the Henry Reed series and follows within days after Henry Reed's Journey. Returning to Grover's Corner, New Jersey after a cross-country trip, Henry is looking for a summer job to occupy July and August. Rather than continue his Reed and Glass, Inc. research business (formerly Henry Reed, Inc.), he conducts a little serious "market research" and is convinced to start a baby-sitting service. Needless to say, the strange luck that Henry has inherited follows him, and his service is beset by ninja children, screams in the night, a haunted barn, and a malicious sports car. Will the Reed and Glass Babysitting Service rise to the occasion?

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

You'll notice my three-star rating is quite inconsistent. In general, it means exactly what I mean here. I really, really, liked this book; it was almost four stars for me. It was dry, witty, believable, engaging--and quite dated in a couple of places. Henry and his friend Midge are capable and rather admirable young teens; I love Henry's voice and his no-nonsense attitude; and the trouble the kids get into is often hilarious. But every now and then you come across something like this:

(Henry is describing a very troublesome small girl) "I had begun to think she was retarded and couldn't talk, but Mrs. Osborn hadn't mentioned anything like that" (page 78, 1966 U.S. hardcover). Later on, young Midge tells a line of small children they must be "as quiet as Indians". (page 167) I can see how some readers would find little things like this offensive. To me, these are minor points in a book that's, in general, charming and positive. But a modern author wouldn't write these sentences.

The old-fashioned quality is also a strength, actually. I was a small child of the age to be babysat by these two when the book came out. Midge (13 or 14) and Henry (15) don't just babysit. They cook dinners in emergencies, run errands on their bikes, do laundry for overwhelmed mothers, and more. And they, and the little kids they care for, spend a lot of time roaming around outdoors. It's an idyllic picture of childhood, but not an inaccurate one. It seems to me, reading it, that modern kids simply don't have the freedom these children had. And that includes the freedom to use their own common sense and rise to meet challenges.

So I really liked this book, but I can see it might need updating or explaining for today's kids. Also, it's truly a children's book, not YA. Henry and Midge are simply good friends. Honestly, I found that refreshing.

3 and a half stars, shading toward four.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

One extra star just for nostalgia.

It could be said that this mid-century children's book about summer in a small town is practically a how-to for starting your own business.

Henry Reed, entrepreneur, returns for another summer in the United States (his father is a diplomat) and settles back in to life in Grover's Corner, NJ. Whereas on his previous visit he started a research company, this time he surveys the local populace about what sort of service they might want done. At first disappointed that the results of his survey suggest a great need for babysitting -- a job he considers to be for girls only -- at the encouragement of his uncle, he forms the Henry Reed Babysitting Service (along with his friend Midge Glass). Naturally, typical teenage hijinks ensue.

Pass this along to help inspire your own young entrepreneurs.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A teacher introduced one of the offspring to the Henry Reed series by Keith Robertson. Why didn't I know him when growing up? Sweet, realistic fiction about everyday escapades -- in this case, two kids who run a babysitting service to earn summer money. Adventures such as getting splashed by the neighbor's sportscar, getting locked out of the house and having to shimmy up a tree, getting scared during a campout, having a five year old who hides from them.

Great read-alouds. Reminds me of Beverly Cleary.

[Pamela Bronson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed rereading this book about two resourceful teenagers and their minor misadventures. I regret that the whole series is out of print and unavailable in our county libraries. I like them so much better than most 21st century books for kids and I want to read them all.

The internal illustrations are great.

Henry and his friend Midge are 15 and 14, but kids as young as 10 or even less might enjoy this wholesome book.

[Shawn Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pure nostalgia, in so many ways. This was a beloved book from my childhood, re-read many times. It holds up remarkably well. Of course, from the little red MG to the idea that boys and girls babysit (do they today?), this is definitely a child of the sixties (although not historical fiction!). But Robertson creates real, humorous characters that could live in any time period, especially his creation of twins Ruth and Johnny Sebastian. They are perfect foils for Henry Reed and his friend Midge: a few years older, they have a driver's license, which in turn sets them on a different plane of existence (at least in their teenage minds). This battle between the younger license-less teens and the (almost) bullying older teens is one that could definitely happen today (with some adjustments to hair style, clothing and language). Often throughout the book Midge and Henry are mouthpieces for author Keith Robertson; their language sounds more like a 40 something parent of baby boomers than the baby boomers themselves. This annoyed me slightly as adult; as a kid I never noticed it. In fact, it probably makes Midge and Henry seem more mature and reasoned than the assortment of idiotic adults and boobs that surround them. Great, great fun!

2.14.24. I didn't read this review before diving into a re-read of this book, and something that still stuck out was Henry and Midge's voice, sounding like their Silent Generation parents rather than the baby boomers they were. I also spied with my 21st century eye the gender dynamics - Henry definitely had some antiquated ideas about what girls and boys were supposed to like and do; but I'm not sure Robertson believed those same things; for example, Henry thought babysitting was for girls until he got into the business itself (and made money); Robert wrote him into this situation almost certainly to say that boys and girls could both be babysitters. (note that this was a time when a middle school-aged stranger of either sex was considered old enough to babysit, a thing that is rare now, if it even exists). I would be interested in having a middle school-aged boy and girl read this and let me know what they thought.

[Cathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 6th grader enjoyed this book and wanted me to read it. It reminded me so much of a different literary Henry, Beverly Cleary's "Henry Huggins" - the same good intentions going awry into comedy, the same sorts of incidents with younger children, like "Ramona the Pest." But, Henry Huggins never tried to babysit the way Henry Reed did, and I found Henry Reed's predicaments funnier.

My 6th grader enjoyed these stories, I am sure, because of recent real-life babysitting adventures, assisting an older sibling in babysitting 3 younger kids. "Henry Reed's Babysitting Service" also brought to mind the "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon book, "Revenge of the Babysat," but there were a wider range of problems and wacky solutions in "Henry Reed."

Although the main characters are teens, I think that much younger children can read and enjoy this book.

I loved the story of the swimming pool, and the story of how they solved the problems where one of the kids kept running away. I knew, however, what was happening during the camping trip with someone calling for help. I'd experienced that one, myself, at my grandparents' home.

I did wish that Henry Reed had been a little kinder to his opponent, Johnny Sebastian, in the end, but I can certainly understand the frustration.

[Amy Holiday · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread of a classic; this was one of my favorite books when I was a kid. It's definitely a little tame in comparison to YA fiction now (definitely it pre-dates the term "YA"), but Henry and Midge's escapades are still pretty funny. There's not much of a buildup or a climax, just a series of escapades.

I'm pretty far removed from the teenage babysitting scene, but my experience with kids these days usually involves trying to get them to turn off the television and their electronic devices, which was obviously not an issue in 1966. Must have been much more interesting then. Still loved it, and I think now that I'm a grown up of sorts, love the nostalgia, both of a decade I was born too late for and of the memories I have of Henry & Midge as a kid. Speaking of nostalgia, the drawings are still adorable--the idea of girls wearing skirts and dresses and boys wearing suits to a cookout is pretty great. At any rate, I'm collecting the others and can't wait to read them. :)

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is wonderful. I actually read this one first, not Henry Inc. (Which I also recomend) Although it's been more than 5 years since I read it, I still remember some of it. I really wish I could find it again. I just found out there are three more I haven't read, I really need to read them. If you find this book first consider yourself lucky, then Read it!

[Eyehavenofilter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baby sitting a 4 year old psycho- child should prepare one for anything but peacocks are nasty birds and are used for
The same purposes as pit bulls and dobermans. So unfortunately the 4 year old was a piece of cake compared to the peacock.... Henry found that out...real quick like! That's how they say it Downeast!

[elissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't remember a whole lot about this one, just that I loved it when I was about 9, and that I saved it for my kids. I'm recommending it to my 10 year old for his summer reading list, before he gets too old for it.

[Jeandana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how ingenious Midge and Henry are! they are wonderfully understandable characters, and I would love to meet them! The storyline was really good :) The little girl who stares and the teenage girl were two of my favorite side plots :) Great book :)!

[Colin · Rating 3 out of 5]

More entertaining than the first one, nothing stellar though. Also, annoying anti-Native racism. This seems to be a feature of many children's books. Argh.

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of my favorite reads as a pre-teen. I am enjoying it as much as I read it again in 2013. This is a fun book. Robert McCloskey's illustrations are classic!

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked it. Instead of having their research company as they did last year in Grover's Corner, Henry Reed sets up a babysitting service to earn money and it's really funny.

[Rick Stuckwisch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continue to love this delightful series of great books. Marvelous for reading aloud to my young children. Enchanting and entertaining. Love the characters and their interesting adventures in life.

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was originally published in 1966. In around 1976, give or take, I agonized over my choices at Walden Books. A couple times a year my family would travel to Indianapolis, about an hour away to shop at the bigger malls. While my parents picked suits for my dad to wear to work and got them fitted, my brother and I could hang out at Walden Books and pick out ONE BOOK. One. We were both avid readers and this choice was challenging. I wanted to pick a good book that I would learn to love and reread many times. And harder still, for every book I chose, there were dozens that I didn't pick.

Anyway. I started with this one. Later I picked Henry Reed's Big Show. I wanted to babysit because clearly that was the best pathway to youthful riches. I like Henry, even though reading it now, I see some chauvinistic qualities. Lol. But his friend Midge was not going to take any guff from Henry. And as a girl, that was great.

I found the book on our shelves when I was recently culling our books now that our kids are grown up and moving out. I don't think any of them really responded to Henry like I did. But it is a different world. Mores the pity.

I would still recommend this to young people I know. But Keith Robertson seems to be virtually unknown today. So yes, I'm culling books. But not this one. Not any of the Henry Reed books. Maybe grandchildren would like them.

Maybe one of them will need to utilize walkie talkies and a gazing ball to bring one of their baby sitting charges under control. Read the book. At the time I thought it was genius. I still think it's pretty smart.

When the Henry Reed books have disappeared from everywhere, they will still be on my shelves.

[Daisy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a great read - well-written with strong secondary characters, and it took the teenagers seriously. The babysitting incidents were funny and resolved well.

The Sebastian parts didn't make a lot of sense, though. The boy twin started out just eating a lot and never talking, while the girl was an obnoxious snob and her whole thing was how she was much too cool for Henry and Midge. But then suddenly the brother can not only speak, but plan a fairly elaborate prank - why would he bother? And at the end, he got his comeuppance, but his sister didn't, even though she was a much worse person. The book would have been stronger if the entire barn/ghost anecdote was left out and it was the sister who had to be embarrassed at the end.

[Tyler Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

Henry’s the kind of guy who likes to make the most of his summer. That’s why he starts a babysitting service with his best friend, Midge. Parents are willing to pay, and it sounds, easy. But (as the Dudes and I can tell you) babysitting little kids always leads to surprises. There’s a kid who keeps disappearing, and a kid who does death-defying stunts. There’s even an accidental flood! This book is set in some olden times too, where kids drink cokes at every meal, which is kinda fun to imagine. But all this stuff could totally happen in our neighborhood. Kids still want to make money over the summer and parents still want to find someone who can manage their little kids.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

A blast from my past...
I first read this one when I was in 4th grade, in the 1970s. I loved it! It was the first in the series that I read and after reading the others(except the 4th, which came out in the 80s) this one remained my favorite.
I came upon a copy by chance and decided to read it again.
Henry Reed is spending the summer with his aunt and uncle. Henry and his friend Midge decide to start a Baby-sitting service to make some money.
Great fun, following their adventures thru the summer.
The art by Robert McCloskey is wonderful as well....

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

My oldest loves the Henry Reed books and I've become quite fond of them, too. This one isn't my favorite, but it's still worth reading if you liked the first book. I would have rather seen Henry Reed's Think Tank reprinted by Puffin Books instead of this one as I think it's superior. However, this one still has many admirable qualities. . I will also say that it was my son’s favorite so perhaps I am just too much of a mom to find the exploits of babysitting entertaining. It does have a few aspects that reflect the early '60s that would not fly in publishing today so I refer you to this fine review by Mary which a few examples: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remembered that these are outdated, creating situations I definitely don't agree with (for instance the support of stereotypical expectations). But I had *zero* memory of the usage of the R-word in relation to a kid who initially refuses to speak. Was upset too see the usage, ESPECIALLY when the entire situation was wholly unnecessary. Also heavy usage of Indian and related terms. So far I think this book ages with the least grace. Bit concerned to read the next one.

[K.M. Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aside from Henry Reed's Think Tank, Babysitting Service is probably the funniest book in the series. I read it aloud to my kids, and we had plenty of laugh out loud moments, like when they figure out how to defeat Belinda, the little girl who hides, or the little boy who goes camping with Henry and wakes up every two hours to ask about scary sounds. The best part is how they are avenged on the Sebastians next door and their evil little MG.

[Jinjer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun blast from the past. Henry Reed, his beagle, Agony, his BFF Midge Glass, a black poodle (?) named Consommé, and all kinds of adventures. I remember reading this book out loud (aloud?) in 5th grade. Love the dated illustrations

[Heidi Burkhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

It might seem dated to young readers, but I found it completely charming, and quite humorous!. Illustrated by Robert McCloskey.

I think that the grade level would be from Gr. 4-6.

I read this as a child, so this is actually a reread.

[Kbreach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read! Great adventure! Best of the series, but all are good. Read over and over and bought with my babysitting money circa 1974-1978, grades 4-8.

[Leah Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a hilarious book! I loved it!!