Chapter Books

Rodentry

Zenyatta

We’ve been enjoying hamster stories around here. Last Christmas, the addition of two of these little rodents led the kids to dub our home “New Hamsterdam.” Then a few months later my daughter won a local writing contest with a hamster story of her own. It was inevitable that we would discover Betty Birney’s stories about Humphrey, the “exceptionally intelligent and handsome” classroom hamster of Room 26B at Longfellow School.

So far we’ve either read or listened to the audiobook versions of The World According to Humphrey, Summer According to Humphrey, Trouble According to Humphrey, Adventure According to Humphrey, Friendship According to Humphrey, and Surprises According to Humphrey. All are equally entertaining, and all share a few basic qualities:

  • They showcase Humphrey’s curiosity about human behavior. He keeps a little notebook hidden in his sleeping hut where he jots down quotations, new words, and observations about people.
  • They reveal the kinds of struggles elementary-aged children face as they try to learn how to live in a world of people. There are strains between classmates, and the books show how to arrive at a positive outcome. Humphrey goes home with different children on the weekends, so he gets to observe and compare family dynamics, too. Humphrey himself even has some obstacles to overcome when he has to make room for Og the frog, a new classroom pet. And he learns that first impressions aren’t always reliable when he gets to know Mrs. Brisbane, the teacher who inherits him from free spirit substitute teacher Ms. Mac.
  • They depict Humphrey helping people. Often he hatches plans to guide his friends toward greater understanding and better communication. These plans frequently involve temporary escape from his cage, thanks to his “lock that doesn’t lock.”
  • They present a positive view of school and learning in general. The classroom activities the kids do are fun, and the kids are realistic. Humphrey is eager to learn and pays attention in class.
  • The same cast of characters reappear in each book: “Lower-Your-Voice-A.J.,” “Raise-Your-Hand-Heidi,” “Stop-Giggling-Gail,” “Speak-Up-Sayeh,” and “Pay-Attention-Art,” for instance. Then there are Aldo the custodian and Principal Morales, Ms. Mac, Mrs. Brisbane, and Mrs. Wright, the whistle-blowing P.E. teacher. We’ve developed a liking for all of them.
  • I have to make a pitch for the audiobooks as well. Hal Hollings’ voicing really brings the stories to life.

Humphrey is an indomitable little rodent who gets hurt or disappointed from time to time but never loses faith in people. He views himself as a full-fledged, participatory member of the class and models what it means to belong. That sounds rather grand for a hamster narrator, but the stories pull it off without being didactic or overly cute. It’s no wonder these tales are so popular among young readers.