Horrible Harry and the Mud Gremlins

Horrible Harry #15

by Suzy Kline, Frank Remkiewicz (Illustrator)

No one knows why Harry is wearing a necklace. Sidney thinks they're for girls. But when Harry opens the necklace cover to reveal a mini-microscope, the whole class is intrigued. Everyone wants to try it, so Harry promises to show them all some wicked-looking fungi at recess. But he doesn't mentiom that to see them they'll need to go outside the fence-and that means breaking a school rule. Will everyone follow him? What if Miss Mackle finds out? Has Harry gone too far this time?Illustrated by Frank Remkiewicz.

Genres: Childrens, Chapter Books, Fiction, Contemporary, Humor, School

64 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

Suzy 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.

Reviews

[Savani · Rating 3 out of 5]

***WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS***

Suzy Kline delivers another entertaining installment in the Horrible Harry series with Horrible Harry and the Mud Gremlins. Narrated by Harry's friend Doug, this book dives into the mischievous and imaginative escapades of Harry and his classmates as they explore the thrill—and consequences—of breaking the rules.

The story begins with Harry wearing a necklace with a magnifying glass, fueling curiosity among his classmates about a "discovery" he promises to reveal during recess. Harry’s knack for rallying his peers into adventurous schemes shines through as he builds suspense. When the group ventures beyond school boundaries to investigate some mysterious mushrooms, their excitement quickly turns into trouble when muddy footprints give away their secret.

Kline's storytelling captures the authentic voices and dynamics of elementary school kids. The balance of humor, curiosity, and a subtle moral lesson resonates well with young readers. The twist of Ida using her story-writing assignment to indirectly confess their misdeed is a clever touch that showcases the importance of honesty and taking responsibility for one’s actions.

Frank Remkiewicz's illustrations bring life to the characters and add a layer of humor to the unfolding chaos. The muddy footprints and the kids' attempts to evade detection are drawn in a way that will make readers smile.

The punishment—staying after school and facing their parents—feels fair and realistic, emphasizing the theme of accountability without being overly heavy-handed. It also reinforces the idea that actions have consequences, a valuable lesson for the target audience.

Overall, Horrible Harry and the Mud Gremlins is a fun and relatable story that blends lighthearted mischief with meaningful lessons. Young readers will enjoy Harry’s antics while recognizing the importance of honesty and teamwork. Fans of the series will not be disappointed, and newcomers will likely find themselves eager to explore more of Harry's adventures.

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do like this series, and have decided to read a bunch of 'em, since my library has them and they are short. I'm reserving the fourth star for the most special ones, but even the three star ones are worthwhile.

I hate fibbing, too, Mary, and agree it can make one feel sick.

[Wendy Alba · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gusto mucho el libro

[Remi · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved that all of the kids played together to work on their secret mission. i also love that the kids decide to speak the truth and be honest with the teacher in the end.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

For some reason I thought this story would be more similar to the Purple People, but it still has a good lesson.

[Pooja Banga · Rating 3 out of 5]

No one knows why Harry is wearing a necklace. Sidney thinks they're for girls. But, when Harry opens the necklace cover and reveals a mini-microscope the whole class is intrigued. Another delightful story in the Horrible Harry series. 3rd Grade Reading Level.

[Ka Youa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is about Harry and his friends. The plot of the story is that Harry came to school one day wearing a necklace. His classmates and friends were very surprised to see him wearing a girly necklace. Everyone wanted to try and find out about his necklace, so Harry told them that he will have to show them a kingdom of mushrooms during recess. However, in order to do that, he would have to break a school’s rule. His friends and Harry decided to break the school rule and went anyway to find out about Harry’s amazing kingdom of mushrooms. The problem was, they got into trouble because the teacher found out. At the end of the story, the students did the right thing and told the true about what happened.

This book is categorized in the contemporary fiction genre because it portrays imaginary characters and situations that depict our world and society. In reality, students can actually do something like this compares to the story. It focuses on themes of growing up and confronting personal and social problems. In this story, Harry and his friends come to realize that it is important to tell the true and continue the relationship they build in school. They have come to understand themselves and others. In reality, students make same mistakes and will eventually be able to express how they feel about their situations as well.

This book is a great read aloud or small group reading with 2nd and 3rd graders. The lesson can teach many young children about being honest and being able to tell the true about a problem that they have gone through. It will help students to learn how to solve problems on their own or with the help of an adult. Teachers can have chapter comprehension questions and answer keys. Questions can be ranged of literal and inferential questions. Students can complete in complete sentences. These questions can be used for literacy groups, silent reading, or guided reading groups.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another interesting story in the Horrible Harry series by Suzy Kline and Frank Remkiewicz. We've read several of the books in this series and found them to be funny, short, and entertaining.

This story features Harry and his friends going on an unofficial field trip to look at mushrooms. The children learn the importance of telling the truth,too. Overall, it was an entertaining and short book and we enjoyed reading it together. We will be sure to read more of the books in this series soon.

[paige turner ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harry is wearing a necklace, everyone thinks it's weird because apparently, necklaces are for girls.
I think that's just weird because I knew a lot of boys who wore necklaces when I was reading these books as a kid, but I guess that's just how Sid is.

Harry's necklace is cool though, his necklace is really a little magnifying glass, which comes in handy for him since he's really a detective at heart.

He uses his magnifying necklace to look for cool mushrooms that aren't on school property, and tracks mud into the school and blames "mud gremlins" for it.

The whole moral of this little story is that it's always better, to tell the truth though, it's really fun to read with the kiddos though.

[Sydney · Rating 4 out of 5]

harry wears a necklace to school and sydney tells him he looks like a girl. inside the necklace is a mini magnifying glass. harry tells them there is a kingdom of mushrooms outside the fence. but they would get in trouble if they go outside. so harry finds a way to do it without getting caught. they get caught in the end because the dirt left footprints in the school carpet and they have to apologize to the teacher.

[Marlee · Rating 3 out of 5]

These books are quick and easy to read. They capture the attention of my 6 and 9 year olds. They find them funny and engaging. They aren't that captivating for adults, but a lot of fun to share with children. Our family is really enjoying this series. This one was just as quick and fun to read as the others.

[LeeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun little book! Now I see what all the excitement is about! My 2nd-graders have been eating these books up for the past month, so I decided it was time to try one for myself. Just too see what all the fuss is about. It was great! I bet the kiddos see themselves in the characters, and their teacher, too! (Glad I'm their librarian!) Can't wait to see which one they grab next!

[Jerome Otte · Rating 4 out of 5]

A funny tale where Harry uses the class recess time to try to get the other kids to break the rules. He is also searching for a mushroom kingdom. Obviously, the teacher finds out and forces the kids to own up to it.

[Mare · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK story. The narrator tells the story of Harry teasing the class bully & about sneaking across the play ground to investigate "Mud Gremlins". The kids learn lying is bad.

[Catherine Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

my baby books horrible harry

[Melissa Namba · Rating 3 out of 5]

cute but I'm not sure it's believable. I mean, I cut school a lot as a kid, but to sneak out to look at mushrooms? I do like the emphasis on science and gross things being cool.

[Roosha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing and gremlins