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The Bailey School kids wonder if the new dentist in town, Dr. Herb, who has huge, bulging muscles and wears a shirt that reads, "Champion of the World," is really the Greek god, Hercules. Original.

80 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1998

6 people are currently reading
373 people want to read

About the author

Debbie Dadey

233 books326 followers
Debbie Dadey is the author and co-author of 162 books for children, including the Mermaid Tales series from Simon and Schuster and the beloved Adventures of The Bailey School Kids from Scholastic. Ms. Dadey is a former teacher and librarian. Please like her at Facebook.com/debbiedadey.

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5 stars
165 (27%)
4 stars
164 (27%)
3 stars
213 (35%)
2 stars
53 (8%)
1 star
3 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
Profile Image for paige turner ♡.
292 reviews9 followers
August 1, 2018
The same old, same old. They think this time the dentist is the mythical Hercules, even though he's a dentist who I think wants to be the world's strongest man. The kids think he's there for bad reasons, so they try to make him leave, and Howie ends up doing so by telling him since he's so strong he can make the Leaning Tower straight, and he can fill in the Grand Canyon and so on, and then he mysteriously gets a new job in Italy.

At least you kind of learn a thing or two about Greek Mythology. Or at least it can put it in your head to want to find out more about it.

I had some laughs with it. Some of the things these kids say are pretty funny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Kayla.
501 reviews8 followers
January 29, 2020
I decided to revisit one of my favorite series as a kid (The Bailey School Kids) after listening to the kid-lit throwback podcast, SSR Podcast that talks about it one episode. This was the only book in the series that the New York Public Library had available, but the concept still had the magic it did as a kid. It's a quick, silly story that I think kids today would still enjoy. It's a great first chapter book.

Five stars as I loved it that much as a kid, even though it's not the most exciting reread as an adult.
Profile Image for Angie.
685 reviews9 followers
December 31, 2024
I loved The Bailey School Kids series as a kid, so it’s fun revisiting these books. Short and sweet but also fun! Would definitely recommend for middle readers.
Profile Image for Josh Epp.
678 reviews
October 1, 2025
3.5 stars!

Hercules! Love it. That’s all, if Hercules could be my dentist…heaven! Let me meet the Olympian gods & goddesses! Such a fun story!
Profile Image for BookeryBliss.
337 reviews36 followers
September 16, 2014
The collection of "The adventures of the Bailey School Kids" stories are among my all-time favorite children's books. Witty, mischievous and fun, these short and silly books continue to bring giggles to the young and old. Just as I have enjoyed them as a kid, my own children also love them today. I even catch myself re-reading them (alone) from time to time. What can I say? I guess I'll always be a BSK kid at heart.
Profile Image for Catherine Woodman.
5,921 reviews119 followers
July 29, 2011
The Bailey School Kids is a best-selling children's book series by Marcia Thornton Jones and Debbie Dadey. Its main characters are a group of four children (Eddie, Howie, Liza, Melody) who suspect some persons in the stories are popular folk lore or fairy tale characters. They are appealing because they mix a familiar story in with this group of kids. Mid-grammar school
952 reviews10 followers
Read
November 12, 2012
A silly series that creates more questions than it answers. It's great for formulating theories as well as predictions. The class dynamics should be very familiar to those of the Magic School Bus generation.
Profile Image for Jerome Otte.
1,916 reviews
April 24, 2015
A new dentist opens up shop in Bailey City. A muscular dentist suspected of being Hercules. Witty and fun, although it creates more puzzles than it answers. As usual, the suspect’s identity is left open-ended.

Interesting but too mysterious.
Profile Image for Youtube (SERPERIORREADS) .
216 reviews
January 4, 2023
I would like to say lol I'm doing a review after months ago. What I remember as good as possible is I liked cuz it's a book who u can enjoy and make fun if u are scared of dentist and go there.

It's a story about a Greek God called Hercules who is a dentist.

3.5
Profile Image for Becca .
265 reviews11 followers
June 24, 2014
I used to read this series a lot when I was in elementary school.
Profile Image for Logan.
119 reviews
March 7, 2015
Read these all in while I was in middle school and loved them, giving them a 3.5-4.0 for my past 12 year old self.
Profile Image for Seth.
379 reviews
February 14, 2015
they got a new dentist. his name was Dr. Herb. Dr. Herb was strong. they thought that Dr. Herb was Hercules. They spied on Dr. Herb.
Profile Image for Aubrey.
323 reviews17 followers
February 3, 2012
These books are just as great as I remember them. I love the Bailey Schoold Kids.
Profile Image for Ashley Hunt.
15 reviews
April 26, 2017
There's a new dentist in town, but there are some crazy similarities between this dentist and Greek Mythology. The Bailey School Kids take us on their journey of trying to uncover the truth about who this guy really is.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews

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