Product Description

With his new spy kit and his faithful sidekick Mudge, Henry is ready to look for clues, steal secrets, and flirt with danger. One of the first things Henry and Mudge find is a coded message -- could there be another spy in the neighborhood?

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #45924 in Books
• Published on: 1999-02-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 48 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780689825255
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From School Library Journal
PreSchool-Grade 2?In this latest installment about a boy and his oversized pup, Henry empties his piggy bank and buys a spy kit. He wears the dark glasses himself and puts the hat on Mudge. While spying around the neighborhood, they discover a paper with a coded message near some trash cans. Henry takes it home, thinks about it for a bit, decodes it, and then sends a return message. After several exchanges, Henry and Mudge meet the other spy who also has a dog in disguise. Calling themselves "Crackers" for being good at cracking codes, the boys form a club and carry real crackers in their pockets for ID. Rylant tells the story in a concise format while maintaining a sense of humor and flow of words. The combination of the text and Stevenson's colorful, expressive illustrations makes this book more than just a beginning reader?preschoolers will welcome this duo into storyhour programs.
Nancy A. Gifford, Schenectady County Public Library, NY
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist
Gr. 1^-2, younger for reading aloud. Henry and his beloved dog Mudge return in their umpteenth adventure to delight their avid following. This time, the devoted duo are having fun with a new spy kit. While Mudge wears the battered hat (he drooled on the magnifying glass), Henry decodes a secret message that leads to a new friend. Not as humorous as some of the delightful duo's previous adventures, but still fun and spaciously laid out and profusely illustrated to make learning new words like magnifying glass and suspicious more enjoyable. Stephanie Zvirin

From Kirkus Reviews
In this hearty episode of the Henry and Mudge Ready-to-Read saga from Rylant (Henry and Mudge and the Wild Wind, 1993, etc.), the boy and his canine best friend become spies. Henry buys a spy kit complete with secret codes, spy glasses, and a magnifying glass. Mudge gets to wear the fedora. With the admonishment ``not to look like you're spying, Mudge'' they stumble over a coded message. When the very able Henry cracks the cipher, it turns out to be from another boy with a kit--and a dog--like his. The two boys form a club, the Crackers, as a tribute to their code- breaking talents, and for the crackers they carry to keep their dogs happy. How Rylant manages to invest both Henry and Mudge with such distinct, disarming personalities in so few words is a minor miracle, but she does, and Stevenson works wonders, too, creating an idyllic neighborhood in which a very safe kind of espionage can transpire. (Picture book. 6-8) -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

Customer Reviews

Adorable and fun!
Henry buys a spy kit. He and his dog, Mudge, canvas the neighborhood to "flirt with danger" and "steal secrets". One day Henry finds a secret code and is determined to crack it. Funny, adorable, irresistable Mudge is a favorite at house! He can even get my reluctant reader eager to see what happens next. Easy reading level with short chapters gives the hesitant reader a real sense of accomplishment.

Great book for early readers
My 1st grader loves reading Henry and Mudge books. The charming water color and ink pictures, and the realistic kid adventures, create an engaging experience for early readers. The author does an almost magical job relaying the fears, temptations and ambitions of childhood. And many kids can identify with Henry's passionate love for his big dog, Mudge. Plus, this series will appeal to both boys and girls.

The series is at the 1st grade reading level. This book is a "chapter" book (not a "baby" book) with 3 Chapters, and about 40 pages of half text, half artwork. (Just to give you an idea of the reading level, the Henry and Mudge books are easier than Magic Tree House, but harder than the advanced Bob books.)

This particular book is about Henry's adventures with a new spy kit and with making a new friend. It's a lighthearted tale with a few good laughs.

Note: you might want to purchase Henry And Mudge First Book before this book or with this book. It introduces the characters used in the rest of the series.

Enjoy!
P. Gould, co-author of Feeding the Kids: The Flexible, No-Battles, Healthy Eating System for the Whole Family (Fork and Spoon Field Guides) (Fork and Spoon Field Guides)

NEPHEW LOVED THIS ONE TOO
I bought a bunch of these for my 9 year old nephew who was 7 and he loved them. This one he really liked. He enjoyed reading about the adventures of Henry and Mudge. These books are fun, enjoyable, entertaining, and easy to read. I've read some myself and my son Ramon who is now in second grade loves them too. His cousin loves them as a second grader now he loves them. These are great starter books to help kids on their way to reading. They really motivate kids to read because of the funny, and entertaining stories.