The Henry Huggins Audio Collection audiobook

This summer my kids and I lived in a world with Henry Huggins. Neal Patrick Harris was our amazing narrator and we laughed and smiled and related so much to it all. These stories do not get the credit in which they are in that they age well. Yes of course Henry was raised in a different time but he still thinks like a kid and totally gets to scrapes like one too. I love how she always has the best ending for Henry and he has to work for it. It was just the best read aloud experience!

This six-book audio bundle has been a delight. I started listening with my grandkids. It was the soundtrack for play time and for a road trip with three of the grands. The character Henry Huggins was created in 1950, and he delighted all five of us in the car. This illustrates the timeless attraction of Beverly Cleary. For my husband and I, Henry Huggins's experiences tracked right with our memories. Before recycling there were paper drives. Kids pulled Radio Flyer wagons through the neighborhood and stacked National Geographic magazines high and deep. One of the funniest episodes involved Beezus's little sister Ramona. When Henry mentioned the PTA, Ramona was certain he was hiding the name of a treat from her. "I want some PTA!" she bellowed. It had us all laughing. The last book, Ribsy, focuses on Henry's mutt, who escapes from their station wagon. In Ribsy's adventures trying to find his way back to the Huggin's home, he goes through parts of town which are not so full of 1950's nostalgia. There are low-income apartments, poverty, single parents, etc. Neil Patrick Harris's narration was spot on. Another delight. Bonus: at the end in an interview, Beverly Cleary mentions two books she loved as a child, both unknown to me. Downright Dencey by Caroline Dale Snedeker. And Carrol Watson Rankin's Dandelion Cottage. Dear reader, do you know these authors?

I’m a bit sad to finish this series, which I think is a testament to how good these books are. We’ve been listening to them during lunchtime. Neil Patrick Harris knocks it out of the park with his narration. At first, I was a little concerned because the kids in these books act like real kids, meaning that they sin. They call each other names, they can be disrespectful at times, and they are often selfish. But they don’t get away with it. I just take some time to pause the audiobook and ask Charlie if the character is being good or bad and talk about it. I think I enjoyed my time with Henry Huggins even more than Charlie and Glenn did. Beverly Cleary reminded me that kids are incredibly hilarious (and so are dogs). She restored a bit of the sense of humor that I had lost in the day-to-day work of raising kids.

This was my first time reading (or listening to) the Henry Huggins books. We were going to just read the first for a family book club, but we all loved it so much that we kept on. I will say that there is a lot of "no girls allowed" and "girls are annoying" type talk, which was prevalent back when these books were written. We just talked about it briefly from time to time and moved on. The kids know that we don't believe/talk that way. But otherwise, it is a fantastic series about a boy and his dog in simpler times.

Listened to the audiobook with my 4 year old. He enjoyed the stories. Husband thought the book “Ribsy” was too slow. I didn’t like the attitude towards “dumb girls” and there was a little mild language that wasn’t my favorite for young kids, but overall the stories were engaging.

I would give these books 50 stars if I could. Between the audio books and read alouds, we have probably read this entire series 5 times. They are absolutely delightful. Beverly Cleary has a unique ability to convey the thoughts and emotions of a 10-12 year old boy in a real, believable way. The audio books are read by Neil Patrick Harris and I firmly believe this is his best work ;).

This was a reread with Ramsey this month. His favorite was Ribsy and mine was Henry and Beezus. This series never disappoints and always inspires me, especially the forward of how Beverly Cleary began writing. No better series for reluctant boy readers in my opinion.

We listened to the audio book. The books read by Neil Patrick Harris are the best.

I listened to this audiobook series with my 5-year-old son. We enjoyed it. It kept both of our interest. It was funny and entertaining, but also real.

My son and I read these together, outloud, this past year. He loved them and I did too. I didn't read these as a kid, so glad to have done it now.

I loved reading this series with my youngest. I've never heard him laugh so much while reading a series together