Horrible Harry and the Stolen Cookie

Gr 1–3—In Kline's latest installment (Viking, 2013) in the series, the kids in Room 3B are holding a Sharing and Caring tag sale to raise money for their favorite charities. When Harry realizes that the acronym for Girl Scouts is the same as Grandma's stove, he sets off to raise money to replace his grandmother's broken stove. Money is tight and, as his family always says, "charity starts at home." What Harry fails to realize is that helping his grandmother will mean stealing from the class's charity collection. How can Doug help his best friend see the error of his ways? The "Horrible Harry" books have wide appeal for beginning readers with their short chapters and steady plotting. Johnny Heller's top-notch narration fits this genre perfectly. His voice, reminiscent of the verve of America's Top Forty radio show, is full of Casey Kasem's pop and lightness, while bringing a drollness and versatility that keeps this formulaic story at the top of the charts.—Meg Boisseau Allison, The Moretown School, VT