Hedgehogs in the Closet [Hardcover]

Joan Carris (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1988 | Age Level: 9 and up

Unhappy with his family's move to England, eleven-year-old Nick slowly begins to thrive in the very British setting of his new home and school.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this third story about the Howard family, readers will empathize with 11-year-old Nick as he adjusts to life in a small English village. Nick resents the move from his native Ohio, fearing that he won't make friends, do well in school or understand British terminology. Then older brother Marty proves unexpectedly sympathetic, Nick discovers he's good at rugby and two classmates become his good friends (one, a recent immigrant from India, shares Nick's culture shock). The story progresses smartly to its happy ending, providing along the way much local color, customs and attitudes of English countryside life. This will be enjoyed by fans of the author's When the Boys Ran the House and Pets, Vets, and Marty Howard. Ages 10-12.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal

Grade 4-7 Third in a series of Howard fami ly adventures, this book takes them to England for a two-year stay. Nick, now 11, doesn't want to leave his Ohio friends and school. He must make many adjust ments: different foods, a school in which he doesn't understand many of the words, rugby, new friends. To top it off, he has to survive such classes as drama, poetry, and French. In order to adjust, Nick shares his thoughts with Spike, a hedgehog he adopts as a pet. He and his two brothers each have one hidden in their closets, a secret they keep from their mother for three months. Gradual ly, Nick becomes a part of English life, learns to play rugby, speaks in British slang, makes several new friends, and, of course, decides he wants to stay in En gland. Carris continues her traditional light-hearted writing that includes believable dialogue and characterizations and a fast-moving plot. The only flaw is the obvious and inevitable transition that Nick makes. Sure to be popular where readers are seeking more adventures of the Howard family. Bonnie L. Raasch, C. B. Vernon Middle School, Marion, Iowa
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
  
• Hardcover: 186 pages
• Publisher: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; First Edition edition (March 1988)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039732233X
• ISBN-13: 978-0397322336
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,460,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Joan Carris's Author "Review", May 25, 2000

By 

Joan D. Carris (Pine Knoll Shores, North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hedgehogs in the Closet (Paperback)

Hedgehogs in the Closet was written as the third book in the Howard boys' series of 4 books. (The first book is When The Boys Ran The House.) This book is Nick's book--his story of the year the Howard family lived in England and he had to wear purple (ugh!) sweaters to school, do Poetry Class twice a week, and Drama Class ditto. But Nick also discovered Rugby--and he was good at that rough, tough sport. He found hilarious differences between the English that the English people speak and the language we Americans use. He even learned to eat "Toad in the Hole." And of course, he and his brothers kept real, live hedgehogs hidden in their closets. Well, they did until a problem arose.... For me as the author, and for me as a presenter of this book in schools, it has been a happy experience. I hope you'll try it! Cheers! Joan Carris