Trouble According to Humphrey

According to Humphrey #3

by Betty G. Birney

Humphrey usually helps solve problems, but now he’s caused a big one: Golden-Miranda gets in trouble when Humphrey is caught outside of his cage on her watch. No one knows about his lock-that-doesn’t-lock and he can’t exactly squeak up on her behalf. While Humphrey manages to show Pay-Attention-Art that math is important outside of class, help Sit-Still-Seth actually sit still, and survive a trip to the vet, can he clear Miranda’s name without giving up his freedom forever? Friendship According to Humphrey received a Christopher Award and kids voted The World According to Humphrey the winner of state book awards in RI, MD and PA. Plus, it’s nominated for eleven others so far (WA, MN, FL, LA, OK, SC, PA, NC, UT, IA, ME). Reviewers have called him “delightful,” “irresistible,” “big hearted” and “perky.”

Genres: Fiction, Childrens, Chapter Books, Animals, Fantasy, School, Middle Grade

167 pages, Hardcover

First published February 1, 2007

About the author

From kindergarten through graduation, I attended school in Affton, Missouri, a suburb of St. Louis. Then I graduated from Webster College (now Webster University) in Webster Groves, Missouri. Of course, I majored in English and kept on writing.

After working in advertising in St. Louis, Missouri and in Chicago, Illinois, I eventually moved to Southern California. First, I worked for Disneyland (fun job!) in the advertising department. The monorail whizzed past my window all day long. Then I worked at the Disney Studio in Burbank, where I had another fun job, writing and producing television and radio commercials and theatrical trailers (previews of coming attractions) for everything from re-releases of "Cinderella" and "Fantasia" to "Tex."

When the Disney Channel was started, I became a writer and story editor for WELCOME TO POOH CORNER. Since then, I've written more than 200 episodes of animated and live-action television programs including MADELINE, DOUG, BOBBY'S WORLD, DUMBO'S CIRCUS, THE PUZZLE PLACE, CAMP CANDY, LITTLE MOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, WHERE'S WALDO, FRAGGLE ROCK and ZOOBILEE ZOO. That's right, I write cartoons! I also wrote a number of award-winning afterschool specials and many interactive CD-ROM programs, including the award-winning "Berenstain Bears on their Own," "Richard Scarry's Busiest Neighborhood Ever," and "The Crayon Factory."

A made-for-television family movie I wrote, MARY CHRISTMAS, starring John Schneider, Cynthia Gibb and Tom Bosley, aired on the PAX network in 2002. It was the highest rated movie in PAX history and has aired each Christmas season since then.

I have been fortunate enough to win a Writer's Guild of America Award and three Humanitas Prizes (as well as two other nominations). In 2002, I won a Daytime Emmy Award for MADELINE, after two previous Emmy nominations. More recently, I received the Christopher Award for FRIENDSHIP ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY, many children's choice awards for THE WORLD ACCORDING TO HUMPHREY and was inducted into the Affton (MO) School District Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Ensiform · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humphrey, a class hamster who can read and write, considers himself one of the class and tries to help his "friends' when they have problems. This, the third of the endless series, is the first one I've read. My students demanded I read it to them. In this one, trouble comes in many forms: his guilt over getting out of his cage at night and allowing a child to be blamed for it; his worry over a classmate whose parents argue over money and unemployment; and his concern for one kid who isn't good at math and refuses to get help from a younger math whiz. I enjoyed some of the humor arising from Humphrey's dignified mind as opposed to the squeaking all the humans heard, and I also approved of the unflinching way Birney showcased some real problems that teachers might face in their class (outraged mother complaining and demanding to be obeyed? check!). It was a bit of a slog, though; Birney's a writer who believes no page couldn't be improved by adding more. A lot of the step-by-step narration could be cut, as well as some of the repetitive description (we get it, your cage door lock doesn't lock properly! we get it!), and the repetitive worrying over the various problems. And I could do without so much of the damn frog's boing-ing and jumping. In short, this book has great intentions and some good insights, but I found the pace a drag.

[Eliza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again, excellent and adorable book. I am enjoying this series very much. One question that I have that the books haven't answered yet? What grade are the students in the classroom that Humphrey interacts with? I am about to start book number 4 and I still don't know what grade level these kids are. oh well.

[Molly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought it was funny

[ella ☆ any pronouns · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this whole series when I was in fourth grade, and I really liked it. It's a very fun series and Birney makes every story more fun and intriguing than the previous. Of course, me being the small animal lover that I am, I loved being able to find a fiction book that revolved around a hamster. And for it to be as good as this series was is an extra plus.

[Sarah Beneke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Humphrey story--so far they have managed to keep it fresh, funny and full of adventure!

[Ellington Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really liked it because it had lots of adventure and lots of interesting parts. There lots of surprises. Mt favorite character is Humphrey because he is really cute and he is a smart hamster. I think people that read Mouse and Motorcycle they might like Humphrey. Also, if they read Geronimo Stilton they might like it too.

[Cottontailfarm · Rating 5 out of 5]

The kids and I have been reading these at bedtime, out of order. I think this is our 6th Humphrey book. This one is adorable, with a satisfying dramatic/funny climax. Sometimes the parents (and Mrs. Brisbane) can be absolutely oblivious to the children's feelings, which opens the way to good discussions with my kids.

[Allison Hartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

betty g. birney does it AGAIN!

[C.G.Koens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really my favorite of the Humphrey books I've read aloud to my kids, but not one you'd want to skip, either, as it fills in details that help the later books make sense. And it does have some good moral aspects, like Humphrey's desire to make things right for Golden Miranda, even if it means giving up something that really matters to him. Thinking of others before yourself is definitely something the kids need to hear reinforced...even if it comes from a Humphrey book!

[Mehsi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A new part in the Humphrey series, too bad it wasn't that good. This lay mostly in fault with Humphrey and also the humans surrounding him.

For instance, I didn't like Humphrey much in this book, because he kept whining and putting himself down because he made 1 little mistake. If this got solved fast I wouldn't have minded, it would have given Humphrey some more depth. However, the problem wasn't solved until near the end of the book. So we constantly had to hear Humphrey degrade himself. Thinking he was rat, bringing it up every time he could.
Normally I love Humphrey, but now he was just annoying me.

I also didn't like how Mrs. Brisbane just jumped to conclusions and that it took her the whole book to find out about it and apologize. It was just frustrating.

And then we have that woman that is saying Humphrey made her kids sick. Seriously, some people. *shakes head*

Then there was also the whole blurb thing that was pretty much a lie. I expect my blurbs/backcover parts to be about early things happening in the book. However, the thing on the backcover for my version didn't take place until page 112. And we only have 164 pages. In the end the whole hype I had, whittled down to almost nothing and then the problem was also solved pretty easily. Which, sure, was to be expected from the fact this is a children's book.
But I will still remove points for this. I was looking forward to a whole book about said problem, about said possible lawsuit and then find out it was near then end. :\

I really liked the class project this time. Making a community/village named after their classroom hamster. It was great fun to read about the kids making parks, statues, schools, houses and more. They thought about names, they had jobs (which didn't always go correctly). It makes me wish I could be in that class. It sounds great. Too bad I am too old to go to elementary/middle school.

The cover is once again super cute and I was delighted when we find out why Humphrey is on a train on the cover. Yay, for Humphrey!

Review first posted at http://twirlingbookprincess.com/

[Brendan May · Rating 5 out of 5]

(REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS)

One thing I loved about "Trouble According to Humphrey" was it being in a completely different perspective. In the first chapter, when Humphrey wakes up in "Room-twentysixville", he and Og the Frog, the other class pet, are both unsure what is going on. However, the class knows about it, because they are studying cities. After all, Humphrey and Og get used to it, and the city gets named "Humphreyville", after him.
One other thing I like is his "version" of English. For instance, with the teacher telling the kids commands, Humphrey thinks it is part of their name, like Raise-your-hand-Heidi, Wait-for-the-bell-Garth, and Lower-your-voice-A.J. Also, when Humphrey is excited, he excitedly repeats the words, an example being "Then I remembered something BAD-BAD-BAD. However, in this case, it might turn out to be GOOD-GOOD-GOOD." (Page 88)

[Laura Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've ever wondered what your pet is thinking, this story is for you. Trouble According to Humphrey is a sweet story from the point of view of a classroom pet, Humphrey the Hamster. He is the proverbial hamster on the wall, who sees things others don't, and tries to fix them. Although the only one who can understand him is Og the Frog, he squeaks his approval and warnings to help his friends. Humphrey's heroic acts include finding lost items, solving family rifts when he "visits" different families over the weekends and helping kids do their best. It is full of morals and lessons for young readers with some predictable plot lines.

[Heather Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! The story is entertaining for elementary school students through adults with wholesome humor, real-life problems, and simple language (with a few higher level vocabulary words thrown in). This would be a perfect beginning chapter book. It's filled with facts about hamsters and other animals as well as social studies lessons. There's also many scenes of conflict resolution that students might find useful but also entertaining. Humphrey is really a narrator you quickly grow to love and I think boys and girls around second grade to fifth grade would find this book to be an enjoyable read.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this book three in the series, and the girls and I are still loving them. I had a problem with one part of this one - the teacher Mrs. Brisbane overreacts so harshly to a mistake that a student makes that it bothered all of us. But the mistake was actually Humphrey's fault and he spends the whole book trying to figure out how to rectify it, among other adventures and advising. So I would guess the overreaction was intentional as a plot device to drive Humphrey's plan to ultimately give up his "freedom" in order to help Mrs. Brisbane understand and apologize to the student. Again, still enjoying the series, starting number 4 tonight!

[Juliette · Rating 5 out of 5]

May 2013:
Rereading this with my son. He absolutely LOVES these books.

Review from September 22, 2010:
I love these books. As a teacher they speak to the analogy making side of me that helps children understand the things in life that are different, sad, or upsetting.
In this Humphrey series, the little hamster finds that sometimes friends need to make sacrifices in order to set things right. He also finds that sometimes people are grumpy and unhappy because of things happening in their lives, instead of just being grumpy unhappy people.

[Jaydin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think the author does a really great job writing as a hamster because when I read her books it souonds like a hamster is the nararater telling the story.My favorite part was when seths family was having a sitting still contest because Humphrey was trying his hardest not to move his whiskers and his nose which is really hard for a hamster

[Logan So · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really cute book, about a hamster's point of view of a classroom full of students with problems. This hamster really likes helping and solving problems, and the book has a lot of suspense in it. I also love how Humphrey the hamster thought that a student's feelings is more important than his own freedom!

[Marlene Scholfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

We love this series with Humphrey. In this book he gets in trouble and a family blames him for getting them sick. This is a great book to share with children but even as an adult I love Humphrey's personality and all the stuff he gets into.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Humphrey would say if he really loved something I REALLY-REALLY-REALLY loved the book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maximilian Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book because I like hamsters. I also liked this book because I like toy trains. I also liked this book because I like mini cities.

[AZ · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was awesome! I have been using these emojis here they are 🐹🐸 the hamster emoji stands for Humphrey the frog stands for Og since Humph and Og are best friends now

[Nat Bond · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!!

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

My son (six) really loves these books, and they are growing on me too. Humphrey is a very lovable character and provides the reader with deep insights into the goings on in Room 26 in Longfellow School. He always seems to understand everything that goes on, even more so than the teacher, Mrs Brisbane. Even more importantly, he always know what the problem is and comes up with a cheeky, sneaky way to fix it when no one is watching. Each book follows a theme. This book looks at what is means to be a community and we follow Humphrey and his class as they build their own, pretend community in their classroom. And, you've guessed it, they name this community "Humphreyville". We'll be looking forward to reading the next installment together at some point.

[Shelbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so cute. Another wonderful addition to the Humphrey saga. The kids really loved the ending of this one. I loved how it all came full circle between Dot getting to talk about her past, Mandy dealing with her dad being out of work, and Humphrey dealing with making mistakes. I love that Humphrey sacrificed his own freedom to help Miranda and was rewarded for it but only after he willingly accepted the consequences for his own actions. I think that is an excellent lesson for the kids. I loved the concept of Humphreyville and the idea that someone so small could make such a big impact in so many lives. Humphrey really shows that you should never underestimate anyone or yourself and that even hamsters deserve to have a golden statue made of them every once in a while...

[Chloe (Always Booked) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. This is a sweet series. In this one, Humphrey continues to go home with different kids and learn more about the kids. They create a classroom community called Humphreyville and learn about communities and jobs. He tries to help as one kid gets blamed for letting him out of his cage, one kid struggles with sitting still, etc. He realizes one of the families is very unhappy and he wants to help. Humphrey is blamed for getting people sick and that has to be remedied as well. Overall, it was a cute book.

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Humphrey is a hamster of virtue. When he gets Miranda in trouble, he really stews in his guilt. Which is nice because other children's books really don't focus on personal responsibility. The employment that was found for Molly's dad was a little too convenient and easy, but it is a children's book narrated by a hamster. A fun series for kids with hamsters to imagine that they have this secret life.

[Charisa Flaherty · Rating 4 out of 5]

The kid liked that Humphrey was able to get Miranda out of trouble and help Art to pay attention fans Seth to sit still. He disliked that Humphrey had to stay at the brisbanes house instead of school. If he was in room 26 Kirk would be his best friend because he likes jokes and so does my kid.

I am really enjoying this series, even though it is aimed at people much younger than me. I always want to know what Humphrey will be up to next!

[Heather · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ten year old and I continue to adore this series. Humphrey is CUTE-CUTE-CUTE. We were thrilled to learn where Winky landed in the end. I appreciate the teachable moments throughout the book: you never know what another person is going through so always approach everyone with kindness, truth is the best option and coming clean when you have made a mistake. We're looking forward to the next in the series.

[Dawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another cute Humphrey book. My son and I really enjoy this series. I didn't think this one was as good as the first two but since I can't give it 3.5 stars it will get 4. I thought the idea that Humphrey needs to sacrifice something he loves to be honest about a mistake he made was a great lesson indeed. We will continue on with the series and we look forward to what else is to come.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so cute! A couple of my students discovered it in our classroom library and insisted I read it. It was well worth the short time it took. It's well-written and has such a sweet and simple take on school life that is perfect for kids. Seeing a classroom of kids through the eyes of their classroom hamster is an adorable idea.