Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend

Henry and Mudge #11

by Cynthia Rylant, Suçie Stevenson (Illustrator)

Henry and his dog Mudge build an indoor castle in this eleventh Ready-to-Read book of their adventures.

Henry and his 180-pound dog Mudge are best friends forever. And on a long weekend, they build a glorious indoor castle, complete with knights and kings!

Genres: Childrens, Picture Books, Fiction, Dogs, Family, Animals, Juvenile

40 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

An author of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for children and young adults as well as an author and author/illustrator of picture books for children, Cynthia Rylant is recognized as a gifted writer who has contributed memorably to several genres of juvenile literature. A prolific author who often bases her works on her own background, especially on her childhood in the West Virginia mountains, she is the creator of contemporary novels and historical fiction for young adults, middle-grade fiction and fantasy, lyrical prose poems, beginning readers, collections of short stories, volumes of poetry and verse, books of prayers and blessings, two autobiographies, and a biography of three well-known children's writers; several volumes of the author's fiction and picture books are published in series, including the popular "Henry and Mudge" easy readers about a small boy and his very large dog.

Rylant is perhaps most well known as a novelist. Characteristically, she portrays introspective, compassionate young people who live in rural settings or in small towns and who tend to be set apart from their peers.

from bookrags.com

Reviews

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading these books growing up.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a gray February weekend and everyone is bored until mom has the idea that they should build a castle in the basement.

[Kelsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Highlights a great family activity.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just ok. Anything with dogs is a hit with the toddler, I think it would have held their attention better if he had been a bigger part of the main action of the story.

[Dan Tews · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Henry and Mudge and the Long Weekend”, is a kids picture book that is about a boy and his dog having a boring, dull weekend. Henry's parents and his dog helped him build a castle in the basement because the weather outside was not very nice. It took his parents and him a whole weekend to build the castle.


Henry is the main character in the story that loves to be outside. He is a very active young boy that loves to play with his dog Mudge outside. Mudge is Henry’s dog that loves to chew on anything he can get his mouth on. Henry’s father is a kind man that loves spending time with his son doing whatever he wants to do.


The setting takes place during February on a cold, rainy day. It starts off in Henry’s room when he wakes up to see the sky dull and that is was raining. He then goes down stairs by his parents in the living room. They were all thinking of something to do on a cold rainy day. Then Henry’s mom comes up with an idea to build a castle in the basement.They gathered supplies to build the castle and the rest of the story took place in the basement.


The theme of the story is that even on a cold rainy day there is always something you could be doing. Even if you're building a castle in the basement, or just spending time as a family, there is always something.

I recommend this book to children in first or second grade that want to find some ideas for something to do on a boring weekend, or just to read for fun on a boring weekend. It is a really good book, with some pretty funny pictures as well.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute series of stories of a boy and his dog. Simple, colorful graphics.

[Ella King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought that this book was awesome. This book is about a boy name Henry and his big dog Mudge. They look outside to see the yucky February weather and they cannot decide what they want to play. They start the day with a boring breakfast, then some boring cartoons, and then boring jokes from Henry's dad. Mudge tries to go to sleep but Henry won't let him but soon Mudge, Henry, and Henry's dad take a nap. Henry's mother then comes up with a fun idea and the family goes down into the basement to start building a cardboard castle. As the weekend goes on, Henry's mood has shifted from bored to exciting and fun. One the castle is finished and they are all dressed they all take turns playing in the castle. This book is perfect for beginner readers because the words have lots of repetition and are very basic sight words that children learn. Also with this, the illustrations are also very fitting for the book and are also not to over whelming that they distracted from the reading. Also the cover of the story is very appealing and would catch children's eyes very easily. I would recommend this book for children 6-8.

[Maria Fekaris · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Henry woke up he looked outside and was disappointed about the weather. It was grey, wet, and just yuck. He asked Mudge what they will do all weekend if it is yuck out. Mudge responded by tackling Henry. They had a boring breakfast, watched boring cartoons, and listened to Dad's boring jokes. Since everything was so boring, Mudge fell asleep. As they all sat bored on a February day Henrey's mom came up with an idea. She suggested to build a castle out of boxes and paint them. They went in the basement and started building a castle based off of Henrey's castle book. They ate pizza and worked on the castle all day long. The next morning it was still yuck out but they didn't care this time. Henry, Mudge, and Dad went downstairs to paint the castle while Mom stayed and read the morning paper. They finally finished the castle and they were all proud and pleased by it. Henrey and Mudge had such a fun weekend. This book has five chapters and 40 pages. Each page has a fun colorful illustration on it. This book is good for grades 1-3. I would have my kids draw and write about ideas of their own to do on a yuck weekend.

[Ali Book&Seaglasshunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

The pure childhood joy of a of an ordinary weekend turned magical with some cardboard boxes and imagination.
Henry and Mudge spend a weekend creating a kingdom with Henry’s parents. Great relatable storyline. This is perfect for young readers-the plot is simple yet interesting. The sentence structure and choice of words are the same. Rylant works wonders within the confines of a book intended to be read by a new independent reader. She manages to make it doable yet interesting and engaging. I will always love Henry and Mudge.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a wet, cold, rainy, gray Saturday in February, and Henry and Mudge was bored, and trying to think of what to do to get through the weekend. Henry's mom suggested building a castle in the basement from boxes. Mudge loved being in the basement, because he could explore old smells, and chew on old shoes. The weekend although still wet, cold, rainy and gray was no longer boring.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 5 year old loves the Henry and Mudge series and this one was especially sweet. Henry is very bored on the weekend so he and his family decide to build a castle from boxes. By the end of the book my daughter and I were feeling inspired to build our own castle out of boxes.

[Annie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely love this series for young readers. Working with a young boy this summer and this story was just perfect for him! He was so excited to be reading a chapter book! He also has the imagination to want to build a fort out of a big box just like Henry did in the story.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Henry is bored during a long weekend- his parents come up with the idea of building a castle out of a cardboard box, and help him do it. Wow! Fun parents!

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

AR 2.4

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

NPR top 100 kids books 2020
Love this classic pair! What a fun story about a boring wet weekend that turns into a building extravaganza.

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

cute!

[WinterBat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doesn’t really involve Mudge much this time, he just happens to be there.

[Suzanne Lorraine Kunz Williams · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love how the family has fun together. And I love how the mom can be the one who thinks up projects but doesn't have to finish them.

[رضوى أحمد عيد · Rating 4 out of 5]

💖💖

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.4

Fun with boxes! The kids have always enjoyed playing with big boxes, but Henry's family project is much more elaborate than anything we ever made. The kids will like this story.

[Valerie Quinn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked when they were finished with the castle.

[Jen Finke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super cute series for 6-7 yo.

[Danny Mcalister · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 6th completed book of 2025! Henry and Mudge still remains one of my favoritest children's books ever! Henry and Mudge is still the best 🥰📚 #Books #Reading #Childhood #Favorites #HenryAndMudge

[Emma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
There is nothing like using your imagination on a rainy day.

[Le Maistre Chat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good lesson for kids about how they should be playing outside and, if it rains for days, how to entertain themselves without looking at a screen.

[Prenette · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it

It is funny
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[Cara Frazee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grade: 2-4
Contemporary Realistic

A great story! I think children can really relate to Henry and Mudge as they are bored over the weekend and as they come up with something to do. It shows what can come from working hard and working together on a project.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book because I like Henry and Mudge books. I also enjoyed this book because this was a Henry and Mudge book. I also enjoyed this book because this book had castle in it. Henry and Mudge built it.

[Chantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son and I both thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series and were excited to find out what would happen as we started each one. Because my son was between 5-6 years old (he's an advanced reader) at the time, he easily identified with Henry and loved Mudge because (1) he desperately wanted a dog, and (2) Mudge's goofiness was endearing AND hilarious.

Read Aloud: Pre-K and Kindergarten
Introduces plot, character development, foreshadowing, and use of imagery.

Independent Reading: First or Second grade (6-7 years old). More complex sentence structure than "Mr. Putter Series" and slightly longer paragraphs. Short chapters (with clever titles), character development, humor, and an easy to follow plot will encourage all children to read.

Underlying themes of friendship, thoughtfulness, and responsibility are seamlessly weaved throughout the book. Although this is a fairly simple children's book, I found myself laughing out loud at the many adventures of Henry and Mudge.

HIGHLY Recommend!!

[Kirsten Kouwenhoven · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is the weekend and Henry and his beguiling dog, Mudge, are bored. It is cold and wet outside and there is nothing to do. That is what they think until their mother comes up with an idea to build a castle using cardboard boxes. The whole family works together to build a colorful, imaginative castle. The weekend turns into a fun and exciting time for all. The illustrations are delightful and the characters are lovable.

Instructional ideas:
Brainstorm and record ideas for what students can do when they are bored.

Have students design and create their constructions out of cardboard boxes.

Have students write about activities they like to do with their families.

Talk about how it took cooperation for the family to work together. Ask them to specify in what ways they were able to cooperate and what were some of the benefits of working together to complete a task.