View source for Horrid Henry's Haunted House by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross

{{infobox1
|title=Horrid Henry's Haunted House
|author=Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
|reviewer=Zoe Morris
|genre=Emerging Readers
|rating=5
|buy=Yes
|borrow=Yes
|isbn=978-1444009071
|pages=80
|publisher=Orion Children's Books
|date=September 2014
|summary=A funny get-your-own-back story, this is perfect for those starting to read on their own for the first time.
|cover=1444009079
|aznuk=1444009079
|aznus=1444009079
}}
Horrid Henry is a character I remember vaguely in passing, a bit like ''Just William''. I knew the books existed and regularly saw them in the children’s room of the library, but I didn’t bother to pick them up. The clue was in the name. And I was the sort of girl who didn’t want stories about nasty, horrible boys. Having read my first Horrid Henry story now, though, I can let you in on a little secret. He’s actually  quite a funny boy and not the naughty thing his nickname would suggest.

''Horrid Henry’s Haunted House'' is perfect for this time of year. In it, he’s sent to stay with his Aunt Rose and slimy cousin Stuck Up Steve for the weekend while his parents go off and have some grown up fun. It’s just not fair! The haunted house in question is not a ghost house set up for Halloween, it’s Aunt Rose’s very posh and large house. But is it really haunted? When Horrid Henry hears some horrid noises on his first night, he thinks it might be. But ghosts aren’t real… are they?

This is an entertaining book that will appeal to the cheeky, fun-loving side of many children, especially those who have been at the mercy of older siblings or cousins. It’s pretty good natured teasing, but there’s also a clever side as Horrid Henry finds out what’s going on, and plots to get his own back. I loved the ending, and really felt he deserved what he got, after what had been going on. I’m not sure whether you’re supposed to end up rooting for Horrid Henry, but I certainly did.

This is an ''Early Reader'' book that has everything you need to graduate from picture books to longer chapter books. It has short chapters, but lots of pictures too and the text is clear and easy to read, with simple, familiar words. There are lots of other Horrid Henry books in the Early Readers set, and I remember as a child how much I loved books that had the same characters as ones I’d read before, so these are bound to be popular.

Horrid Henry has been around for over 20 years, with over 20 million books sold. I’m surprised I’ve not read him properly before, because he’s a cool little dude. This story was previously published in an anthology, but this new stand-alone version is great because it’s perfectly designed for smaller hands getting to grips, literally and figuratively, with reading alone for the first time.

Thanks go to the publishers for supplying this book.

[[:Category:Francesca Simon and Tony Ross|Francesca Simon and Tony Ross]] have collaborated on a nice long list of Horrid Henry books you should also check out.  We really enjoyed [[Horrid Henry's Krazy Ketchup by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross|Horrid Henry's Krazy Ketchup]].

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[[Category:Francesca Simon]]
[[Category:Tony Ross]]