Henry Huggins Complete Collection

Henry Huggins #1-6

by Beverly Cleary

The complete series including:

#1 Henry Huggins
#2 Henry and Beezus
#3 Henry and Ribsy
#4 Henry and the Paper Route
#5 Henry and the Clubhouse
#6 Ribsy

Genres: Audiobook, Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction, Classics, Family, Middle Grade

1248 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Beverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.

Reviews

[Tatevik · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up to five, because I love Ramona best!

Beverly Cleary is my comfort zone, no matter what, I feel so safe with her. If you have kids and don't know this author, go buy her books, I am serious! But why only for your kids?

I listened to the audiobook version and liked it better than the copies, which I have by the way waiting for the next time read.

There is also a short interview with the author at the end of the book, which I absolutely loved.

P. S. In the interview, she says that she wanted to become a writer, so she went to work as a children's librarian. When I was at school, I decided to become a writer too. But I went to law school instead. I am sure you can't get my reasoning, but hers seems more appropriate!

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

We really enjoyed listening to these six books except for Ramona's voice. She could have been plenty obnoxious and still had a voice that sounded like a 4-year old girl.

[Molly Grimmius · Rating 5 out of 5]

This summer my kids and I lived in a world with Henry Huggins. Neal Patrick Harris was our amazing narrator and we laughed and smiled and related so much to it all. These stories do not get the credit in which they are in that they age well. Yes of course Henry was raised in a different time but he still thinks like a kid and totally gets to scrapes like one too. I love how she always has the best ending for Henry and he has to work for it. It was just the best read aloud experience!

[Madeline Doornink · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m a bit sad to finish this series, which I think is a testament to how good these books are. We’ve been listening to them during lunchtime. Neil Patrick Harris knocks it out of the park with his narration.

At first, I was a little concerned because the kids in these books act like real kids, meaning that they sin. They call each other names, they can be disrespectful at times, and they are often selfish. But they don’t get away with it. I just take some time to pause the audiobook and ask Charlie if the character is being good or bad and talk about it.

I think I enjoyed my time with Henry Huggins even more than Charlie and Glenn did. Beverly Cleary reminded me that kids are incredibly hilarious (and so are dogs). She restored a bit of the sense of humor that I had lost in the day-to-day work of raising kids.

[Carol Bakker · Rating 4 out of 5]

This six-book audio bundle has been a delight. I started listening with my grandkids. It was the soundtrack for play time and for a road trip with three of the grands. The character Henry Huggins was created in 1950, and he delighted all five of us in the car. This illustrates the timeless attraction of Beverly Cleary.

For my husband and I, Henry Huggins's experiences tracked right with our memories. Before recycling there were paper drives. Kids pulled Radio Flyer wagons through the neighborhood and stacked National Geographic magazines high and deep.

One of the funniest episodes involved Beezus's little sister Ramona. When Henry mentioned the PTA, Ramona was certain he was hiding the name of a treat from her. "I want some PTA!" she bellowed. It had us all laughing.

The last book, Ribsy, focuses on Henry's mutt, who escapes from their station wagon. In Ribsy's adventures trying to find his way back to the Huggin's home, he goes through parts of town which are not so full of 1950's nostalgia. There are low-income apartments, poverty, single parents, etc.

Neil Patrick Harris's narration was spot on. Another delight.

Bonus: at the end in an interview, Beverly Cleary mentions two books she loved as a child, both unknown to me. Downright Dencey by Caroline Dale Snedeker. And Carrol Watson Rankin's Dandelion Cottage. Dear reader, do you know these authors?

[Jenny Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute series. Henry and his parents have a very well written relationship, as well as Ribsy and Henry and all the kids in the neighborhood.

Henry Huggins
The opening chapter was hilarious and actually made my dad laugh when I told him about Ribsy and the bus. This quite deftly sets the tone for the rest of the book.

Henry and Beezus
I love how Henry grows through everything that happens, and yet still remains a kid and gets into different scrapes.

Henry and Ribsy
I enjoy seeing Ribsy being a dog, and going around with Henry. These are such universal stories, though I wonder how many can relate to a dog being spooked by a salmon.

Henry and the Paper Route
Henry works hard to prove himself, and the payoff is very well earned.

Henry and the Clubhouse
Henry matures a lot in this one, and his extra mile for the paper route is very well written.

Ribsy
Beverly Cleary wrotes animal very well, and Ribsy's adventures are pretty sweet.

Check out my YouTube channel for bookish videos and monthly wrap ups!

[Staci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first time reading (or listening to) the Henry Huggins books. We were going to just read the first for a family book club, but we all loved it so much that we kept on. I will say that there is a lot of "no girls allowed" and "girls are annoying" type talk, which was prevalent back when these books were written. We just talked about it briefly from time to time and moved on. The kids know that we don't believe/talk that way. But otherwise, it is a fantastic series about a boy and his dog in simpler times.

[Kristie]

I just picked this series up on audio to listen to with the kids this summer. It is narrated by Neil Patrick Harris, so should be pretty great.

[Elisabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to the first three on our epic road trip, and both my 4yo and I enjoyed them. Excellent narration, although I personally found Ramona’s voice irritating. Perfect road trip listening!

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are great! I'm looking forward to getting these audiobooks for my Ramona-loving kids. These aren't quite as good as Ramona, but they're just as wholesome and timeless.

[Ken Ronkowitz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally read these books as a kid in the 1960s. Returning to them a half century later was strange.
Neil Patrick Harris is a good reader, but the other reader was fine. I definitely wouldn't have attempted these in print, so audio was a good choice - though 6 titles in a row was a bit much.

What hit me hardest was Henry's obsession with money. In a time when pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters were important to a kid (and even adults), Henry is frequently motivated by getting money for things.

I also went to a police bike auction once to buy a used, unclaimed bicycle. henry gets one for $4.

His dog Ribsy is as much of a troublemaker as I remembered. Ramona is underappreciated and stuck with her still VERY annoying little sister Ramona. NPH's animated Ramona voicing actually makes her even more annoying.

This is a glimpse into the 1950s though - as with 50s TV and movies - it is not an accurate picture of America, but only a small Ozzie and Harriet, Father Knows Best kind of American life. I guess that's why I liked reading them back then; they were escapism.

[Tabitha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to the audiobook with my 4 year old. He enjoyed the stories. Husband thought the book “Ribsy” was too slow. I didn’t like the attitude towards “dumb girls” and there was a little mild language that wasn’t my favorite for young kids, but overall the stories were engaging.

[Patsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are such fun and heartfelt stories! I fell in love with the character of Henry Huggins in the first book which made me want to keep listening to every consecutive book! I wish I had known about these books when I was a kid, and I don't know how I missed them when my kids were growing up. I think they only read one of Beverly Cleary's books which was "Socks", and they loved it!

I especially enjoyed these stories also because I had already read the first book about Ramona and Beezus, Henry's neighbors! So it was fun to learn that the Ramona series came from this one! I really love Ramona!

Lastly, I have to say that listening to Neil Patrick Harris narrate all but one of these was a real treat! I have always loved his acting which really comes through to bring these characters to life!

[Marlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

My kids and I read and listened to some of Beverly cleary’s books when they were younger. I decided to listen to this whole collection on my own just to see how it was. I actually enjoyed it more than I did when my children were younger. When they were very young, I didn’t like how often the word dumb was used. Now it seems very innocent compared to other things I’ve read and seen and heard. A nice collection of stories.

[Kate Flemister · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to the audiobooks every time we got in the car. The kids LOVED the stories (all but one narrated by NPH) so much, that we bought the paperback box set and now they read them all the time on their own.
Classic stories set back before cellphones and TV became the centre of our lives. Back when kids freely roamed and kids bullying/teasing was part of life and you learned from it. Might not sit perfect with everyone, but we sure loved the stories!

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

My boys have really loved these stories. They often comment that the kids are mean to each other.
We’ve talked about how if this story was happening today instead of decades ago then the kids would be sitting on their devices instead of building clubhouses, getting paper routes and going fishing.

[Julie Hart · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would give these books 50 stars if I could. Between the audio books and read alouds, we have probably read this entire series 5 times. They are absolutely delightful. Beverly Cleary has a unique ability to convey the thoughts and emotions of a 10-12 year old boy in a real, believable way. The audio books are read by Neil Patrick Harris and I firmly believe this is his best work ;).

[Meghan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy how Cleary brings the reader in by describing sounds and setting the scene so well. Her characters have good clean fun, the innocence of childhood. I did enjoy her Ramona series better, because she seems to have quite an imagination. Here, Ramona appears more to be a spoiled nuisance, which unfortunately, Henry & Beezus don't seem to get a break from.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love. Love. Love. This book made me nostalgic for childhood and so very thankful that my kids have the blessing of living in a Henry Huggins-like neighborhood with kids playing everywhere.

The audio by Neil Patrick Harris is spot-on.

Henry and Beezus...please get married! ❤️

[Sarah Robbins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread with Ramsey this month. His favorite was Ribsy and mine was Henry and Beezus. This series never disappoints and always inspires me, especially the forward of how Beverly Cleary began writing. No better series for reluctant boy readers in my opinion.

[Carrie Johnson]

This was a DNF for us. We love Neil Patrick Harris as a narrator but he only reads the first book in the series and then the other narrator takes over and we just couldn’t listen to him read most of the rest of the audio version of the series. My boys will just have to read them for themselves.

[Jenny Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to the whole audio book series together on our road trip as a family and all enjoyed them with lots of laughs. Great for the whole family, kids begged for the next book every time we finished one.

[Denise Menger · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to the audio book. The books read by Neil Patrick Harris are the best.

[Katherine Cotton · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

[Lana Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son and I read these together, outloud, this past year. He loved them and I did too. I didn't read these as a kid, so glad to have done it now.

[Kerri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read with Tristan <3

[Caroline · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have re listened to this numerous times. My favorite book is Henry and the Paper Route and my least favorite is Ribsy.

[Katilipops · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not quite as cute as the Ramona series and a little more dated (ugh! Girls!) But we enjoyed it overall. Good ole Ribsy!

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I never read these as a kid, but I finally listened to them last summer. I think I like Henry Huggins better than Ramona Quimby!

[landr · Rating 5 out of 5]

These are some of our kids favorite books ever. We have probably listened through this a dozen times over the last few years.