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Horrid Henry #20
Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampire
Henry is up to his usual mischief.
Four new stories in which Horrid Henry terrorizes his classmates at a school sleepover in the museum; plays with Perfect Peter and tricks him into handing over all his money; gets out of writing his own story for Miss Battle-Axe by adapting one of Peter's; and meets the Nudie Foodie, a celebrity chef, who comes to the school to improve school dinners. No more burgers! No more chips!
"Kids will love reading the laugh-out-loud funny stories about someone whose behavior is even worse than their own." -School Library Journal
"Not since 'Nate the Great' has an early reader series created such a buzz." -Los Angeles Times
"Will engage even the most reluctant readers."
-Publishers Weekly
PRAISE FOR HORRID HENRY
Why Horrid Henry?
Kids love it!
"I love the Horrid Henry books by Francesca Simon. They have lots of funny bits in. And Henry always gets into trouble!"
Mia, age 6, BBC Learning is Fun
"It's easy to see why Horrid Henry is the bestselling character for 5-8 year olds."
Liverpool Echo
Because it's funny
"My two boys love this book and I have actually had tears running down my face and had to stop reading because of laughing so hard. My oldest son is rereading all the books in this series on his own now and he still loves them. Happy reading!"
T. Franklin, Parent
"A modern comic classic."
SF Said, Guardian Children's Books Supplement
Kids get to be harmlessly rebellious
"Henry is a beguiling hero who has entranced millions of reluctant readers... little rebels will love this collection and even little angels will be secretly thrilled by Henry's anti-heroic behaviour."
Herald
Henry's naughtiness is a yardstick against which children can get a sense of their own moral goodness and social justice
"What is brilliant about the books is that Henry never does anything that is subversive. She creates an aura of supreme naughtiness (of which children are in awe) but points out that he operates within a safe and secure world."
Emily Turner, Angels And Urchins Magazine
Reaches the most important age group - children who are learning to read
"I have tried out the Horrid Henry books with groups of children as a parent, as a babysitter, and as a teacher. Children love to either hear them read aloud or to read them themselves. The books are spot on for the 5-8 age range and are fun for the adults who share them too."
Danielle Hall, Teacher
The structure provides new readers with a real sense of accomplishment
"My son is 7 years old and a big Horrid Henry fan. This book lived up to his expectations! Horrid Henry is like most boys: he always has a plan and is always getting into mischief! It was amusing, and he could not put it down. Can't wait for the next. He read it cover to cover by himself in 2 days! That for me sells a book! He can't wait for the next one to be published. He has recommended it to all his friends."
Mrs. Tami Gold, Parent
Reaches both boys and girls equally
"Wonderfully appealing to girls and boys alike, a precious rarity at this age."
Judith Woods, Times Books
A global publishing phenomenon with 12 million copies sold!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT HORRID HENRY:
"Parents reading them aloud may be consoled to discover that Henry can always be relied upon to behave worse than any of their own offspring." Independent
"An absolutely fantastic series and surely a winner with all children. My son took this book as his favourite during book week at his school and converted a few children to the cause. Long live Francesca Simon and her brilliant books! More, more please!"
"My 5-year-old adores them so much he couldn't wait to start reading because of them."
"I really like Horrid Henry and like reading it to my dad. It's funny!"
Matthew, 9, St. Albans
"Horrid Henry is a fabulous anti-hero: monstrously selfish and greedy, he does things most children only dream about... a modern comic classic."
The Guardian
"My 6-year-old son has now read the whole series unaided and is quite content to re-read the stories again and again. My 5-year-old is dying to be able to read well enough so she can read them independently too!"
"Henry is really naughty and makes me laugh. He's very funny and he has lots of adventures."
Martha, age 5, Bella
"A flicker of recognition must pass through most teachers and parents when they read Horrid Henry. There's a tiny bit of him in all of us."
Child Education
"It didn't even make it to the library shelves and there's a long waiting list for it! Enough said."
Nancy Astee, Child Education
"A definite must for every teacher - reading about Henry makes your naughtiest child seem like a saint!"
"As a teacher of 8-year-olds, it's great to get a series of books my class love... They torment me to lend them the books so they can read them on their own. Need I say more?"
Four new stories in which Horrid Henry terrorizes his classmates at a school sleepover in the museum; plays with Perfect Peter and tricks him into handing over all his money; gets out of writing his own story for Miss Battle-Axe by adapting one of Peter's; and meets the Nudie Foodie, a celebrity chef, who comes to the school to improve school dinners. No more burgers! No more chips!
"Kids will love reading the laugh-out-loud funny stories about someone whose behavior is even worse than their own." -School Library Journal
"Not since 'Nate the Great' has an early reader series created such a buzz." -Los Angeles Times
"Will engage even the most reluctant readers."
-Publishers Weekly
PRAISE FOR HORRID HENRY
Why Horrid Henry?
Kids love it!
"I love the Horrid Henry books by Francesca Simon. They have lots of funny bits in. And Henry always gets into trouble!"
Mia, age 6, BBC Learning is Fun
"It's easy to see why Horrid Henry is the bestselling character for 5-8 year olds."
Liverpool Echo
Because it's funny
"My two boys love this book and I have actually had tears running down my face and had to stop reading because of laughing so hard. My oldest son is rereading all the books in this series on his own now and he still loves them. Happy reading!"
T. Franklin, Parent
"A modern comic classic."
SF Said, Guardian Children's Books Supplement
Kids get to be harmlessly rebellious
"Henry is a beguiling hero who has entranced millions of reluctant readers... little rebels will love this collection and even little angels will be secretly thrilled by Henry's anti-heroic behaviour."
Herald
Henry's naughtiness is a yardstick against which children can get a sense of their own moral goodness and social justice
"What is brilliant about the books is that Henry never does anything that is subversive. She creates an aura of supreme naughtiness (of which children are in awe) but points out that he operates within a safe and secure world."
Emily Turner, Angels And Urchins Magazine
Reaches the most important age group - children who are learning to read
"I have tried out the Horrid Henry books with groups of children as a parent, as a babysitter, and as a teacher. Children love to either hear them read aloud or to read them themselves. The books are spot on for the 5-8 age range and are fun for the adults who share them too."
Danielle Hall, Teacher
The structure provides new readers with a real sense of accomplishment
"My son is 7 years old and a big Horrid Henry fan. This book lived up to his expectations! Horrid Henry is like most boys: he always has a plan and is always getting into mischief! It was amusing, and he could not put it down. Can't wait for the next. He read it cover to cover by himself in 2 days! That for me sells a book! He can't wait for the next one to be published. He has recommended it to all his friends."
Mrs. Tami Gold, Parent
Reaches both boys and girls equally
"Wonderfully appealing to girls and boys alike, a precious rarity at this age."
Judith Woods, Times Books
A global publishing phenomenon with 12 million copies sold!
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT HORRID HENRY:
"Parents reading them aloud may be consoled to discover that Henry can always be relied upon to behave worse than any of their own offspring." Independent
"An absolutely fantastic series and surely a winner with all children. My son took this book as his favourite during book week at his school and converted a few children to the cause. Long live Francesca Simon and her brilliant books! More, more please!"
"My 5-year-old adores them so much he couldn't wait to start reading because of them."
"I really like Horrid Henry and like reading it to my dad. It's funny!"
Matthew, 9, St. Albans
"Horrid Henry is a fabulous anti-hero: monstrously selfish and greedy, he does things most children only dream about... a modern comic classic."
The Guardian
"My 6-year-old son has now read the whole series unaided and is quite content to re-read the stories again and again. My 5-year-old is dying to be able to read well enough so she can read them independently too!"
"Henry is really naughty and makes me laugh. He's very funny and he has lots of adventures."
Martha, age 5, Bella
"A flicker of recognition must pass through most teachers and parents when they read Horrid Henry. There's a tiny bit of him in all of us."
Child Education
"It didn't even make it to the library shelves and there's a long waiting list for it! Enough said."
Nancy Astee, Child Education
"A definite must for every teacher - reading about Henry makes your naughtiest child seem like a saint!"
"As a teacher of 8-year-olds, it's great to get a series of books my class love... They torment me to lend them the books so they can read them on their own. Need I say more?"
Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
50 people are currently reading
352 people want to read
About the author
Francesca Simon
386 books205 followersFrancesca Simon grew up in California and attended both Yale and Oxford Universities, where she specialised in Medieval Studies. How this prepared her to write children’s books she cannot imagine, but it did give her a thorough grounding in alliteration.
She then threw away a lucrative career as a medievalist and worked as a freelance journalist, writing for the Sunday Times, Guardian, Mail on Sunday, Telegraph, and Vogue (US). After her son Joshua was born in 1989, she started writing children’s books full time. One of the UK’s best-selling children’s writers, Francesca has published over 50 books, including the immensely popular HORRID HENRY series, which has now sold over twelve million copies.
Francesca won the Children’s Book of the Year in 2008 at the British Book Awards for Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman. HORRID HENRY is published in 24 countries and is also an animated CITV series. She lives in London with her husband, son, and Tibetan Spaniel, Shanti.
She then threw away a lucrative career as a medievalist and worked as a freelance journalist, writing for the Sunday Times, Guardian, Mail on Sunday, Telegraph, and Vogue (US). After her son Joshua was born in 1989, she started writing children’s books full time. One of the UK’s best-selling children’s writers, Francesca has published over 50 books, including the immensely popular HORRID HENRY series, which has now sold over twelve million copies.
Francesca won the Children’s Book of the Year in 2008 at the British Book Awards for Horrid Henry and the Abominable Snowman. HORRID HENRY is published in 24 countries and is also an animated CITV series. She lives in London with her husband, son, and Tibetan Spaniel, Shanti.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
November 12, 2012
Humorous and entertaining, Horrid Henry is sure to captivate young boys and girls alike with tales of his misadventures. Horrid Henry is the epitome of laziness and narcississm. He thinks that the world should bow to him and doesn't understand why his mother and father adore his younger brother, appropriately called Perfect Peter so much. Perfect Peter is a wimp and follows the rules rigidly, yet he still cares for his older brother and wants to spend time with him. Horrid Henry, on the other hand, would score high on the kiddie Mach(iavellian) scale. He doesn't pay attention to others unless he can manipulate them for his own gain. I wouldn't call him a good role model; however, his misadventures call for many laugh out loud moments and, hopefully, will teach kids what not to do.
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For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
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For more of my reviews, visit my blog Imaginary Reads.
December 15, 2012
Horrid Henry is so horrid, and that's why my boys love him. He makes us laugh...and it's funny when the 5-year old and the 10-year old both want to listen to the same book. Henry is up to his usual horrid tricks in this one, whether it be ruining the "healthy" school lunches, messing with his perfect brother or trying to escape from the class sleepover at the museum by convincing everyone the teachers are zombies. Or vampires. Or zombie vampires. We laughed at every story, and can't wait to read more.
December 26, 2016
Horrid Henry books will always be on my read list, how ever old I get.
July 21, 2020
Didnt like it. dDont like Horrid henry much.
April 9, 2025
I’ve agreed to read all the books the children I’m working with are reading over the Easter break. Sadly, that includes this one. Oh well, three down, seven to go!
October 29, 2012
Horrid Henry is SO horrid!
Very entertaining and so very funny! Kiddos of all ages will have a ton of fun with Horrid Henry.
Horrid Henry is so mischievous and imaginative - a combination that will surely end in getting into trouble. There is very little that will keep this boy from sharing his thoughts and standing up for what he believes in.
One of the most unique and entertaining parts of this book was how each character is named by their number one characteristic - Horrid Henry's little brother is Perfect Peter. And some of his classmates are Rude Ralph, Tidy Ted and Moody Margaret.
In each of the four stories, Horrid Henry tries to break free from the boring world and doesn't hold back in trying to get everyone to see how FUN things could be if they would just listen to him. Although Horrid Henry may not be for everyone, he is the perfect character to introduce to your child as the boy who we all would love to be but shouldn't. A fun character to laugh out loud with and see that even though Horrid Henry may be right, the consequences prove that there are better ways to go about getting what we want.
These are the perfect books to get beginner chapter readers going!
Very entertaining and so very funny! Kiddos of all ages will have a ton of fun with Horrid Henry.
Horrid Henry is so mischievous and imaginative - a combination that will surely end in getting into trouble. There is very little that will keep this boy from sharing his thoughts and standing up for what he believes in.
One of the most unique and entertaining parts of this book was how each character is named by their number one characteristic - Horrid Henry's little brother is Perfect Peter. And some of his classmates are Rude Ralph, Tidy Ted and Moody Margaret.
In each of the four stories, Horrid Henry tries to break free from the boring world and doesn't hold back in trying to get everyone to see how FUN things could be if they would just listen to him. Although Horrid Henry may not be for everyone, he is the perfect character to introduce to your child as the boy who we all would love to be but shouldn't. A fun character to laugh out loud with and see that even though Horrid Henry may be right, the consequences prove that there are better ways to go about getting what we want.
These are the perfect books to get beginner chapter readers going!
October 10, 2011
These books are so fun!
October 15, 2015
Great fun for kids. Each book in the series has 4 short stories that are laugh out loud funny. Good for reluctant readers.
May 9, 2021
Four more stories about Horrid Henry's life sure to entertain younger readers (6-9). Lots of opportunities to discuss personality traits, adjectives and different perspectives with a group of children if using the book as a read aloud.
October 6, 2024
I should try playing Robot and Mad Scientist myself sometimes.
And justice for Mr Nudie Foodie , he cooked pasta that Henry loved but Henry's horridness landed Chef in trouble as well as deprived him from awesome pasta.
And justice for Mr Nudie Foodie , he cooked pasta that Henry loved but Henry's horridness landed Chef in trouble as well as deprived him from awesome pasta.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2025
I really love books and I always love so much about it and I also love Ho, Henry and the zombie vampire that was such a great book. The part of the story was when Henry learns how to real realize or recognizing a zombie and I also knew when Henry read about a vampire, but I just don’t remember it.
June 20, 2018
Not my favorite. But I can definitely see the appeal. My brother and I would have liked this when we were kids. I do like all of the alliteration in the names. And Miss Battle-Axe.
July 1, 2018
This is a very good series
November 12, 2019
Funny and engaging for my 7 year old
There are always four chapters and each one is long. My son likes mischievous Henry because it reminds him oh him and his brother.
There are always four chapters and each one is long. My son likes mischievous Henry because it reminds him oh him and his brother.
July 5, 2020
A really good book from the Horrid Henry series and is definatley better than a few that I have read. With lots of humour, pranks and fun, I would recommend this book for 7-11
October 7, 2020
Wow love it
May 7, 2021
5 star for it very funny
Read
October 13, 2021I love Horrid Henry books.
I'm not going to spoil it for the ones who haven't read it.
I'm not going to spoil it for the ones who haven't read it.
November 16, 2024
It was so good and funny but the last part was okay but it was to enjoy full I buy it in the Omni books library
December 6, 2021
4 more Horrid Henry stories.
I am starting to dislike Henry's parents the more I read of these stories. They are so quick to punish and very slow to start trying to understand. The stories here are amusing without ever being laugh out loud funny (at least to me).
I am starting to dislike Henry's parents the more I read of these stories. They are so quick to punish and very slow to start trying to understand. The stories here are amusing without ever being laugh out loud funny (at least to me).
August 9, 2012
2nd grade reader. Probably more boys than girls, and interesting plots for those closet rebels. Funny and may get reluctant readers interested. Henry is interested in blood and guts and everything else is just out of his realm. He is truly horrid aand contrasts most definitely with his little brother who is so sweet that it makes Henry's teeth hurt. (Mine, too.) The book has 4 stories, 1 per chapter, and each see Henry trying to bring some justice (and excitement) to what he sees as a boring world with everyone actively working against him. Over the top silly.
Plots include new recipes for the school cafeteria, getting Henry's brother to do Henry's chores, and zombie vampires at the museum sleepover.
The book was originally published in Great Britain and some of the wording may be unfamiliar to many readers, but it shouldn't be enough to stop them.
Plots include new recipes for the school cafeteria, getting Henry's brother to do Henry's chores, and zombie vampires at the museum sleepover.
The book was originally published in Great Britain and some of the wording may be unfamiliar to many readers, but it shouldn't be enough to stop them.
October 15, 2012
An entertaining read that will leave readers laughing out loud, Horrid Henry and the Zombie Vampires will definitely be a hit for fans of this series. With Francesca's easy to read text, some laugh out loud moments, and the book's smallish size make this a fast paced read even the most reluctant reader will enjoy. This book's 4 short stories will entertain just about anyone with a second grade reading level and higher.
April 9, 2017
Quite an interesting read. Available for most primary age children and some low ability secondary age children.
Four different stories that are really inviting for the younger, (and possibly the) reluctant readers.
Four different stories that are really inviting for the younger, (and possibly the) reluctant readers.
October 31, 2014
Story ends abruptly at the end.
February 24, 2015
in my opinion this was a really funny and wicked book
March 14, 2020
Horred Henry is very very naughty and funny and funky
January 21, 2014
This Horrid Henry book is cool. I wouldn't Lisping Lily bothering me !
October 9, 2015
finally! a change of writing style. more humorous and at times henry wins
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews