Henry Reed, Inc. [Hardcover]

Keith Robertson (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 239 pages
• Publisher: The Viking Press (1965)
• ASIN: B000DIMG1K
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,265,342 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for kids who are too old for kids books, March 17, 2005

By 

Matt Hetling "Matt" (Bethel, ME USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Henry Reed, Inc. (Puffin books) (Paperback)

Henry Reed is an unforgettable character, a strange mix of can-do entrepreneurialism and good-hearted goofiness who would make any parent proud.

This is the first book in a terrific series, and is a perfect transitional novel from children's reading to more adult fare. At 239 pages, it weighs in as a longer book than most readers will have tackled to date, and the writing is slightly more sophisticated than you would see in a Hardy Boys or early Judy Blume book, for example. I would compare it to the series "The Mad Scientists Club," which has the same type of humor and level of sophistication.

As for the story, it is presented as Henry's journal entries over the course of a summer that he spends with his uncle and aunt. He comes up with schemes that young teens will find exhilarating, because they are just wild enough to be exciting, and yet just realistic enough to be believed and emulated. Some of the plans are purely to make money-such as his attempts to find valuable truffles in the neighborhood. Some of them are research, as when he sends a large balloon up into the air bearing a pigeon to measure weather conditions. All of them are humorous and fun to read about, as he often bites off more than he can chew.

This is a terrific series that will not only entertain, but also inspire children to think about their own start-up businesses and scientific research. I highly recommend it.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Henry Reed, Inc., November 5, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Henry Reed, Inc. (Puffin books) (Paperback)

Henry Reed, Inc. is the first book in a whole series, written by the American author Keith Robertson. The story begins when 14-year old Henry Reed,the son of an American diplomat stationed in Naples, Italy, arrives in New Jersey to visit his aunt and uncle. Henrys teacher has given him a summer project; to report on American "free enterprise". Henry combines his interest in biology with business, and together with the 12-year old neighbor girl Midge sets up a business selling worms,turtles etc. During the summer Henry and Midge expand their business and are constantly in search of new products. Their business ventures include drilling for oil, hunting for truffles (an expensive mushroom) and developing a weatherbaloon that they plan to sell to the armed forces! Most of the people in the small town are very positive and cooperative about their business. They do, however, encounter some trouble with the quarrelsome Apples, who complain bitterly about Agony, Henry's dog, interloping on their property, and "Henry Reed, Inc". violating zoning laws. This leads to suspicion by Henry and Midge that the Apples are involved in deep criminal activity, but in the end it turns out that the Apples are only interested in safeguarding their own business interests. Although Henry Reed, Inc.is written in diary form it's not introspective. In each chapter Henry relates the days happenings. Te book takes place during about two months in Grovers Corner, New Jersey. The autor only briefly describes characters, landscape, and setting, but instead focuses on the hilarious stories. "Henry Reed, Inc." is an excellent sink-down-in-bed-and-relax book. The text is easy to understand and once you start the book it's not easy to put down. Please e-mail me with further questions and information about the other books in the series. (I haven't been able to get hold of them yet.

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read Reed!, March 20, 2001

By 

west - See all my reviews

This review is from: Henry Reed, Inc. (Puffin books) (Paperback)

I loved the Henry Reed books so much as a little girl that I couldn't resist reading Henry Reed, Inc. again before I gave it to my nine-year-old nephew for Christmas. What a pleasure to read it again! My nephew laughs out loud at Keith Robertson's deadpan descriptions of the innocent but intricate adventures that Henry Reed attracts like a magnet. Henry and his audacious friend Midge provide encouraging role models for children interested in science.