What do you think?
Rate this book
Herbie Jones #1
Herbie Jones
Third grade isn't looking too good for Herbie Jones. Not only is he stuck being in Apples, the lowest reading group in class, but he has to get a birthday present for annoying Annabelle and be good for the entire field trip to the museum! How is Herbie ever going to make it through the year?
96 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1985
About the author
Suzy Kline
148 books59 followersSuzy Kline, nee Weaver, was an elementary school teacher for 25 years and most of her books are based on the experiences she had while teaching. Suzy and Rufus got married and had two daughters named Jennifer and Emily. Now, more than 24 years after writing her first book, Suzy has traveled all over the United States helping children learn how to enjoy reading and writing.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 29, 2022
Ray sat down again and slurped some milk. "RSVP means remove shoes very promptly. She probably has a very neat house." (PG. 25)
Suzy Kline has created very believable and very hilarious third graders. I got my son these books with humor stickers on the spine and I feel like I'm enjoying them more than he is. It was made in 1985 and there's even a spanking scene. (My husband and I both agreed "You cannot write about that in this day and age")
It was an LOL kind of read with the way Herbie and his best friend Raymond talk about things and the way they think but all very innocent and natural.
Short and enjoyable. Recommend.
Suzy Kline has created very believable and very hilarious third graders. I got my son these books with humor stickers on the spine and I feel like I'm enjoying them more than he is. It was made in 1985 and there's even a spanking scene. (My husband and I both agreed "You cannot write about that in this day and age")
It was an LOL kind of read with the way Herbie and his best friend Raymond talk about things and the way they think but all very innocent and natural.
Short and enjoyable. Recommend.
November 30, 2010
what i think about this book is that in this book their a boy named harry
He does not do good in class because in the story herry doesnot listen to his teacher
What i think about this book is that this is a nice book to read
He does not do good in class because in the story herry doesnot listen to his teacher
What i think about this book is that this is a nice book to read
July 10, 2012
I liked Herbie and watching his growing love of reading and figuring things out at school. The adventures he got into with his friend Raymond were funny. An enjoyable read, not particularly fast paced, but a good way to pass the time.
May 10, 2012
Tired of being in the lowest reading group, Herbie & his friend raymond take 2 different approaches to making a change.
February 8, 2016
I like Herbie Jones
July 13, 2021
I read this book with my 9-year-old son and we both enjoyed it. I found it funny and charming.
January 27, 2020
After 35 years, Herbie Jones is still relevant and fun!
This was on my son’s Grade 3 reading list at school. I decided to read it as well and give a review from a mother’s perspective. It is children’s fiction, but very relatable and real. The title is Herbie Jones by Suzy Kline. It is book #1 in a series and it was first published in 1985.
I enjoyed this chapter book more than I thought I would. I caught myself guffawing and chuckling several times while reading about the antics of a typical boy in grade school. It was quite humorous, from a mom’s point of view. Loyalty, relationships, and friendship really shine through.
I laughed loudly at how Herbie handled his loss of enthusiasm for an activity arranged by Miss Pinkham, his teacher. How changeable the moods of a child! I could relate to him. Sometimes, when a person is upset with classmates, a best friend, or a teacher, the typical response is to just not care and sulk. I especially enjoyed Miss Pinkham’s reaction to Herbie’s work. “A-hem… kind of a low one, isn’t it?” paired with an all-knowing look. She sees right through Herbie and rolls with it! (Guffaw)
The main story is about how Herbie and his friend, Raymond, find ways to get promoted from their current reading group. The chapters show Herbie with his classmates and best friend. We see his relationship with one particular classmate develop into something better. A few chapters show Herbie with his family. It isn’t all roses for Herbie because he does get into some fights and fisticuffs with significant characters. A typical kid, Herbie makes some bad decisions, some weird decisions, some heroic choices, and some wonderful choices. We also get to see Herbie deal with the consequences and rewards.
I finished all 95 pages in a few hours. It was not difficult at all. The simple plot, words, larger font, settings, and storytelling are perfect for Grade three kids. Little kids will appreciate the few classic illustrations by Richard Williams that pop up. After 35 years, Herbie Jones is still relevant and fun! I don’t regret reading it. I give it 4/5 stars.
Review by Mom Y, age 44
=========
Perfect for the kids who value friendship and best friends!
The chapter book I want to share with you is Herbie Jones. The author is Suzy Kline and the illustrator is Richard Williams. My favorite character from the story is Herbie. He is brave, funny, nice, and weird! He likes spiders! He is good at spelling, just like me.
The story takes place mostly at school and mostly with Herbie’s classmates. I think it is a good place for the story to happen. School is a place where friendships can start and grow. At the start of the story, Herbie and his classmates are introduced. They behave like normal students and friends. Herbie and Raymond want to transfer to a higher reading group. They attend a birthday party. They scare each other in school. They eat at the cafeteria. They went on a field trip to an Indian Museum. My favorite part was when Herbie and his best friend, Raymond, did something wrong at the Museum. This part was very exciting!
In the middle of the book, Herbie and Raymond have a disagreement! I think Herbie was in a bad mood about other things though. They stopped talking and went far from each other. Will they stay enemies?
This book kept me curious! That’s why I finished it very quickly. The illustrations were done well. I just wish there were more of them. I enjoyed the ending and I am sure you will too. Herbie and Raymond get what they deserve.
I will give this book 4/5 stars because it was pretty good. I would recommend this book to kids in grade 2 and 3.
Review by L.Y., age 8
This was on my son’s Grade 3 reading list at school. I decided to read it as well and give a review from a mother’s perspective. It is children’s fiction, but very relatable and real. The title is Herbie Jones by Suzy Kline. It is book #1 in a series and it was first published in 1985.
I enjoyed this chapter book more than I thought I would. I caught myself guffawing and chuckling several times while reading about the antics of a typical boy in grade school. It was quite humorous, from a mom’s point of view. Loyalty, relationships, and friendship really shine through.
I laughed loudly at how Herbie handled his loss of enthusiasm for an activity arranged by Miss Pinkham, his teacher. How changeable the moods of a child! I could relate to him. Sometimes, when a person is upset with classmates, a best friend, or a teacher, the typical response is to just not care and sulk. I especially enjoyed Miss Pinkham’s reaction to Herbie’s work. “A-hem… kind of a low one, isn’t it?” paired with an all-knowing look. She sees right through Herbie and rolls with it! (Guffaw)
The main story is about how Herbie and his friend, Raymond, find ways to get promoted from their current reading group. The chapters show Herbie with his classmates and best friend. We see his relationship with one particular classmate develop into something better. A few chapters show Herbie with his family. It isn’t all roses for Herbie because he does get into some fights and fisticuffs with significant characters. A typical kid, Herbie makes some bad decisions, some weird decisions, some heroic choices, and some wonderful choices. We also get to see Herbie deal with the consequences and rewards.
I finished all 95 pages in a few hours. It was not difficult at all. The simple plot, words, larger font, settings, and storytelling are perfect for Grade three kids. Little kids will appreciate the few classic illustrations by Richard Williams that pop up. After 35 years, Herbie Jones is still relevant and fun! I don’t regret reading it. I give it 4/5 stars.
Review by Mom Y, age 44
=========
Perfect for the kids who value friendship and best friends!
The chapter book I want to share with you is Herbie Jones. The author is Suzy Kline and the illustrator is Richard Williams. My favorite character from the story is Herbie. He is brave, funny, nice, and weird! He likes spiders! He is good at spelling, just like me.
The story takes place mostly at school and mostly with Herbie’s classmates. I think it is a good place for the story to happen. School is a place where friendships can start and grow. At the start of the story, Herbie and his classmates are introduced. They behave like normal students and friends. Herbie and Raymond want to transfer to a higher reading group. They attend a birthday party. They scare each other in school. They eat at the cafeteria. They went on a field trip to an Indian Museum. My favorite part was when Herbie and his best friend, Raymond, did something wrong at the Museum. This part was very exciting!
In the middle of the book, Herbie and Raymond have a disagreement! I think Herbie was in a bad mood about other things though. They stopped talking and went far from each other. Will they stay enemies?
This book kept me curious! That’s why I finished it very quickly. The illustrations were done well. I just wish there were more of them. I enjoyed the ending and I am sure you will too. Herbie and Raymond get what they deserve.
I will give this book 4/5 stars because it was pretty good. I would recommend this book to kids in grade 2 and 3.
Review by L.Y., age 8
March 8, 2012
Third grader Herbie Jones has a lot on his plate in this 1985 school story. He’s sick of being in the lowest reading group, to the point that he has actually started studying his spelling words. He’s also been invited to a girl’s birthday party, to which he brings a most unfortunately inappropriate gift, and a short while later, he’s forced to go into the girls’ bathroom to face an apparent ghost. On top of that, he has to visit the Reading Supervisor and talk his way out of trouble when he’s caught sneaking off for lunch on a class trip.
In a lot of ways, Herbie is a lot like contemporary chapter book heroes - especially Alvin Ho. He has the same worries and anxieties shared by many third graders past and present, and his voice is very authentically eight years old. I’m not sure reading groups are divided up quite the same way now as they were in the 1980s and 1990s, but I definitely remember being aware at all times of who was in which group when I was in elementary school, so that part rang very true for me. I also loved Suzy Kline’s depiction of boy/girl interaction, and the slow emergence of co-ed friendships that starts to occur around this age. I could see some of the same behaviors and characteristics in Herbie and his classmates that I see in the characters from the Horrible Harry books.
Probably my favorite thing about the story is all the references to Charlotte’s Web. I know third grade is when I first read that book, and I think that is still the grade where most kids read it. The fact that Herbie and his friends read and discuss the book makes them that much more realistic, and also provides great positive reinforcement for kids who might not otherwise see the relevance of an assigned book. It’s also great how Herbie actually analyzes the text in order to help the girls in the lowest reading group realize the good qualities of spiders. It’s a great early example of close reading, and is likely to encourage kids who have not yet read Charlotte’s Web to pick up a copy.
It’s hard to pinpoint the specific things that make this book feel dated to me, but it definitely read like an older book. The illustrations probably helped me to draw that conclusion, since the kids have very 80’s clothes and hair. I also doubt kids are asked to clap erasers in their classrooms these days, and names like Lance, Margie and even Herbie sound like the names of much older people than third graders. I think it would also be difficult to find a 95-cent cheeseburger. They’re not even on the dollar menu at McDonald’s nowadays! Still, though, Herbie Jones and its sequels (Herbie Jones and the Class Gift, Herbie Jones and the Hamburger Head, and What’s the Matter with Herbie Jones?) are all still in print, and I think their fresh 21st century covers will appeal much more to kids than the original covers. All in all, this first book in the series - which was also Suzy Kline’s first book, period - is a gentle read filled with all the concerns and questions faced by a third grader, and it will appeal in particular to readers (and parents) who aren’t into a lot of technology talk and toilet humor.
In a lot of ways, Herbie is a lot like contemporary chapter book heroes - especially Alvin Ho. He has the same worries and anxieties shared by many third graders past and present, and his voice is very authentically eight years old. I’m not sure reading groups are divided up quite the same way now as they were in the 1980s and 1990s, but I definitely remember being aware at all times of who was in which group when I was in elementary school, so that part rang very true for me. I also loved Suzy Kline’s depiction of boy/girl interaction, and the slow emergence of co-ed friendships that starts to occur around this age. I could see some of the same behaviors and characteristics in Herbie and his classmates that I see in the characters from the Horrible Harry books.
Probably my favorite thing about the story is all the references to Charlotte’s Web. I know third grade is when I first read that book, and I think that is still the grade where most kids read it. The fact that Herbie and his friends read and discuss the book makes them that much more realistic, and also provides great positive reinforcement for kids who might not otherwise see the relevance of an assigned book. It’s also great how Herbie actually analyzes the text in order to help the girls in the lowest reading group realize the good qualities of spiders. It’s a great early example of close reading, and is likely to encourage kids who have not yet read Charlotte’s Web to pick up a copy.
It’s hard to pinpoint the specific things that make this book feel dated to me, but it definitely read like an older book. The illustrations probably helped me to draw that conclusion, since the kids have very 80’s clothes and hair. I also doubt kids are asked to clap erasers in their classrooms these days, and names like Lance, Margie and even Herbie sound like the names of much older people than third graders. I think it would also be difficult to find a 95-cent cheeseburger. They’re not even on the dollar menu at McDonald’s nowadays! Still, though, Herbie Jones and its sequels (Herbie Jones and the Class Gift, Herbie Jones and the Hamburger Head, and What’s the Matter with Herbie Jones?) are all still in print, and I think their fresh 21st century covers will appeal much more to kids than the original covers. All in all, this first book in the series - which was also Suzy Kline’s first book, period - is a gentle read filled with all the concerns and questions faced by a third grader, and it will appeal in particular to readers (and parents) who aren’t into a lot of technology talk and toilet humor.
April 18, 2013
Herbie Jones is a third grader miserably stuck in the "Apple" reading group, the lowest reading group in his class. But he and his best friend, Raymond, are determined to make it out of the "Apple" group before the end of the year. And it looks like Herbie might just make it when he scores his first 100 on his spelling test, but he still can't seem to do well on his reading worksheets. Soon, his teacher has him take some assessment tests with a Reaidng Coach who discovers that he is a really good reader. This seems to boost Herbie's self-esteem and he continues to do well on his spelling tests. His buddy, Raymond, isn't as motivated. So Herbie helps Raymond come up with a plan to sort of get out of the "Apple" group and into the "Spider" group.
I remember the days when kids were put into different reading groups and although they were given cutsie animal or fruit or even colored names, everyone always knew which group was the high group and which group was the low group. I don't know that so much of this goes on today, at least not in the system I work in. Students are now seperated into classes rather than broken up into groups within the same class, but kids still know which class is high and which class is low. So although I don't necessarily like the thought of the reading groups in the story, I am sure many students could relate to it.
One other thing that gave me pause was that Herbie's dad spanked him at one point. Some readers might find that part a little unappealing, but spanking does still happen today.
This would be a good book for a second or third grader. I think students older than that would find the story too juvenile.
I remember the days when kids were put into different reading groups and although they were given cutsie animal or fruit or even colored names, everyone always knew which group was the high group and which group was the low group. I don't know that so much of this goes on today, at least not in the system I work in. Students are now seperated into classes rather than broken up into groups within the same class, but kids still know which class is high and which class is low. So although I don't necessarily like the thought of the reading groups in the story, I am sure many students could relate to it.
One other thing that gave me pause was that Herbie's dad spanked him at one point. Some readers might find that part a little unappealing, but spanking does still happen today.
This would be a good book for a second or third grader. I think students older than that would find the story too juvenile.
December 1, 2015
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.
March 18, 2011
A story focusing on the life of a third grader was an enjoyable and easy read. Herbie Jones is just your typical kid who gets into his share of mischief. My only minor complaint about the whole story was that there wasn't one big plot line that needed to get solved at the end, just little stories. But then again, when you're 9 years old in the third grade and you've adopted spiders in the corners of the bathroom in your house, how many problems can you have? Author Suzy Kline did a good job of capturing Herbie's emotions through the array of conflicts that came up. My favorite part was when Herbie and his best friend Raymond split from the group during a field trip to go to a burger food joint for lunch. They were so excited to have two whole dollars and thought they were kings. It reminded me of when I was younger and had the same thought process about money and how if I had any amount of currency, I thought I was on top of the world. Oh how those were simple times.
June 5, 2008
I remember loving all the Herbie Jones books in 4th grade. I'd read them again if I had the time, but since I don't, I'll probably hold out and save it to read to nieces/nephews and maybe one day if I'm lucky, my own kids.
November 12, 2009
Funny, believable, and entertaining. This is early Suzy Kline and I loved it. Third graders come up with wacky solutions to solve their "problems" in the classroom. This would make a great read-aloud for a third grade class.
June 18, 2008
Suzy Kline is a great author and this short book has several laugh out loud moments.
June 17, 2009
my oldest boy laughed and laughed :)
Read
August 3, 2010An eight chapter, 96 page book that explores friendship and reading group levels.
May 13, 2015
Read this to my 6 & 8 year old kids. They found it quite hilarious. It was a bit dated, however, and I had to either change things on the fly or explain old (1980's) cultural references.
Read
May 21, 2009JEAR3-Kli
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews