Rating: ****1/2

Summary: Henry Reed, only 13, has been almost everywhere in Europe, going wherever the diplomatic service places his father. This summer, for a change, Henry is going to stay with his aunt and uncle in Grover's Corner, New Jersey. As an experiment in free enterprise, Henry starts a research business, Henry Reed inc. This would be pretty boring, except for one thing: when Henry is around, things seem to happen. Written as a journal, this book chronicles his summer escapades, along with his neighbor, Midge, and dog, Agony.

  This book is old, and probably out of print, but I'm sure you can find it in a library. it's well worth the search. I think the main reason I like it so much is that the characters are not wacky, as in so many other funny childrens books. Aunt Mable could be anyone's relative, and both Henry and Midge are normal children. even the situations they get themselves into star out in a perfectly logical way. It's just the appeal of having something exciting happening to ordinary people in ordinary circumstances. This book never fails to make me laugh, even in my gloomiest moods. This is also a perfect read-aloud book for kids in the second or third grade.

Written by: Lava