Henry and the Clubhouse

Written by Beverly Cleary

Narrated by Neil Patrick Harris

Fiery Ramona Quimby and the well-meaning Henry Huggins may clash, but in this delightful and hilarious novel by Newbery Medal–winning author Beverly Cleary, it's an unlikely compromise that wins the day.

Henry and his friends are building a no-girls-allowed clubhouse. With a private space of their own, and a top-secret password required for entry, the boys are relieved to finally have a hang-out spot they don't have to share.

But Henry's about to find out that nothing—not even a sign—will keep gutsy Ramona out of their clubhouse…and her retaliation may just ruin Henry's newspaper career.

Don't miss the beloved classic Henry Huggins books from Beverly Cleary. These are truly timeless classics that stand the test of time and still leave readers 7-13 smiling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 1, 2006
• ISBN: 9780061229077

Beverly Cleary

Beverly Cleary is one of America's most beloved authors. As a child, she struggled with reading and writing. But by third grade, after spending much time in her public library in Portland, Oregon, she found her skills had greatly improved. Before long, her school librarian was saying that she should write children's books when she grew up. Instead she became a librarian. When a young boy asked her, "Where are the books about kids like us?" she remembered her teacher's encouragement and was inspired to write the books she'd longed to read but couldn't find when she was younger. She based her funny stories on her own neighborhood experiences and the sort of children she knew. And so, the Klickitat Street gang was born! Mrs. Cleary's books have earned her many prestigious awards, including the American Library Association's Laura Ingalls Wilder Award, presented to her in recognition of her lasting contribution to children's literature. Dear Mr. Henshaw won the Newbery Medal, and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and Ramona and Her Father have been named Newbery Honor Books. Her characters, including Beezus and Ramona Quimby, Henry Huggins, and Ralph, the motorcycle-riding mouse, have delighted children for generations.

Reviews for Henry and the Clubhouse

[imperfectcj · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once again, the Henry Huggins books make me nostalgic for a time I never knew.

My 4yo, who's in a "No Girls Allowed" phase, really appreciated the clubhouse rules, and all of us laughed out loud at Henry's solution to Ramona bothering him on his paper route.

I love how Cleary follows her characters on the circuitous route towards doing the right thing. We get to see Henry's initial reaction to a problem, his frustration, his decision to act in a less-than-nice manner, his reluctance to apologize, and his acknowledgement that the apology---though difficult---helped him feel better. Cleary's books are filled with ethical lessons that aren't at all heavy-handed. And they're just fun stories. I will be sad when we're finished with this series.

[marse_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another lovely book about Henry Huggins. I wish I had read these as a child, they are wonderfully written. Ramona becomes more and more an important character in these stories. Everything Henry tries to do to keep her from bugging him, ends up getting her more involved in his adventures.

[fuzzi_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Henry is excited at the prospect of building a clubhouse in his backyard. With the money he earns from his paper route, he hopes to buy a sleeping bag, and be able to stay overnight in the clubhouse once it is finished. However, Ramona the 5 year old who lives nearby keeps interfering with his plans, what can he do to keep her from bothering him?Another fun read by Beverly Cleary.

[tjsjohanna_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I always enjoy Beverly Cleary and this novel about Henry Huggins is no exception. Henry is funny and the scrapes he gets into are a reminder of what the world used to be, back when kids played outside and had paper routes and built forts. I read this aloud to my kids and they laughed at such funny scenes as when Henry rides downtown in an old bathtub and when Ramona locks him in his clubhouse.

[the_hag · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another fine Henry Huggins book...and sadly we only have two left about Henry before we have exhausted this series. We simply love these books, my daughter is anxiously waiting until we get to the library tomorrow to pick up Henry and the Paper Route and we'll top off the series with Ribsy. Like other Henry Huggins books, this one is divided into chapters (7 to be exact) and each chapter is practically a short story in and of itself...the chapters build up to an overall theme/goal for Henry. In this particular book, it's building a clubhouse and buying a sleeping bag so he and his friends can sleep in the clubhouse. The chapters start out with Henry forgetting about his paper route and winding up riding through town in a bathtub, then Henry and Ribsy making the acquaintance of the new neighborhood dog, we follow them on Halloween night, on a day of collection for his newspaper route, through his building of the clubhouse (with a strict No Girls policy) and his run in with Beezus and Ramona as a result (hilarious), Henry's clever "solution" to Ramona's pestering, and how he wound up with a little shadow! Overall the stories are clever and humorous in a way that I think kids genuinely appreciate and relate to! Where does he find materials for his clubhouse? How does it turn out? What's up with that huge stuffed owl? What's it like to ride through town in a bathtub? How hard is a paper route? Will Henry ever get that sleeping bag? If you want to know you simply must read Henry and the Clubhouse, you won't be disappointed! These stories were written in the 1950's and 60's, so money matters are a bit off, but the rest is charming and the overall themes, humor, and childhood joys, frustrations and embarrassments have held up so wonderfully over the years...these books are great for girls and boys! I give this one an A+, another fine Henry Huggins adventure!