Henry Hubble’s Book of Troubles

Readers have much to gain when nothing goes right for Henry Harrison Hubble in this laugh-out-loud journal-style account of his sixth-grade life. Socially awkward Henry, named for the president who died after 32 days in office, takes pride in his poetic and artistic talents (he wants to be the “next Shel Silverstein, that bald guy who wrote all those funny poems”), even as his daily life suffers from an eclectic assortment of troubles that will make most kids’ adolescence seem glorious. With brutal honesty and endearing wide-eyed cluelessness, Henry chronicles important events, including the time he brought a live squirrel to school for his science project and when he snuck into the attic to find his great-great-great-great grandmother’s container of dried dog poop, which belonged to Harrison. But when one bully goes too far, Henry learns to stand up for what’s right, even if it lands him in more trouble. Myer (Delia’s Day Off) fills the pages with b&w drawings to accompany Henry’s musings, creating another dimension of sympathetic hilarity as readers giggle at and commiserate with his comically chaotic existence. Ages 9–12. Agent: Deborah Warren, East/West Literary Agency. (Feb.)