Book Review: The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney

General Information

Title: The World According to Humphrey

Author: Betty G. Birney

Genre: Fiction

Publisher: Puffin Books

Date of Publication: 2004

Cover Design: Deirdre Newman

Lexile Level & Target Audience

Lexile: 670L

Age Range: 7-12

Audience: boys and girls, hamster lovers, pet owners

Brief Summary

The World According to Humphrey is an early chapter book from the perspective of Humphrey, a hamster who lives in Room 26 (a classroom inside an elementary school). We follow Humphrey through his various escapades and "listen in" as he observes the students who take him home each weekend. Humphrey even learns to read and write, but experiences some trouble along the way with the classroom teacher, Mrs. Brisbane...

Evaluation: Pros & Cons

Pros:

1. Out-of-the-box fiction writing. Birney personifies Humphrey in a way that makes us see ourselves a bit differently; of course, animals don't have human thoughts and emotions, but the way that Birney shapes the perspective of the book makes us think about how our actions may be perceived differently by others––this is something that students can implement in their own creative writing.

2. Friendship and kindness. Themes of friendship and kindness are seen between Humphrey and Aldo (a human); these themes, even situated amongst humor, are beneficial for students to absorb and imitate in their own actions.

Cons:

1. The teacher in the story is portrayed negatively. This isn't a deal breaker, but it is unfortunate that many teachers in children and YA books are portrayed as "mean" or inconsiderate; however, this could be addressed through classroom discussion if needed.

Literary Elements

Repetition: Birney uses repetition to emphasize emotion; examples include: "she's GONE-GONE-GONE," "my life changed FAST-FAST-FAST," and "I felt SAD-SAD-SAD."

Tone: Written from Humphrey's point of view, the tone of the book is humorous, witty, and sarcastic; Birney creates a distinct personality for Humphrey that leaks out of the pages.

Characterization/Personification: Humphrey is a hamster characterized as a human, with human feelings, thoughts, and emotions.

Mini-lesson Idea(s)

Writing from another's perspective is a great way for students to branch out from typical narrative writing. Students could choose from a list of household animals and write a short story from the perspective of that animal; like Birney, students would need to include the animal's thoughts and feelings, as well as what they think of humans and what humans think of them.

Cheers!

- Aubrey