School Library Journal
Gr 2-3-Harry's classmates in Room 3B know they can count on him to wear a really scary costume on Halloween. After all, he's been a slithery snake, the Loch Ness Monster, and Count Dracula in past years. When he arrives dressed in a suit and tie, they feel let down even after he explains that he is Sergeant Joe Friday of the LAPD. However, Harry's detective skills come in handy when Mary discovers that the pixie dust is missing from her costume accessories. Primary-grade humor and practical jokes, student science experiments, and mystery are sprinkled throughout the story. "Horrible Harry" fans as well as newcomers to the series will be amused with his Halloween antics in this chapter book for transitional readers.-Janie Schomberg, Leal Elementary School, Urbana, IL Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|
Kirkus Reviews
Every year since kindergarten, Harry's Halloween costume has gotten scarier and scarier. What's it going to be this year? He's not telling. His classmates are all stunned when he shows up, not as some monster or a weird alien (well, not really)—but as neatly dressed Sgt. Joe Friday of Dragnet fame, wielding a notebook and out to get "just the facts, ma'am." As she has in Harry's 11 previous appearances (15, counting the ones his classmate Song Lee headlines), Kline (Marvin and the Mean Words, 1997, etc.) captures grammar-school atmosphere, personalities, and incidents perfectly, from snits to science projects gone hilariously wrong. She even hands Harry/Friday a chance to exercise his sleuthing abilities, with a supply of baby powder "fairy dust" gone mysteriously missing. As legions of fans have learned to expect, Harry comes through with flying colors, pinning down the remorseful culprit in 11 minutes flat. No surprises here, just reliable, child-friendly, middle-grade fare. Illustrations not seen. (Fiction. 7-9)
AUG/SEP 07 - AudioFile
Kline's popular series offers vignettes that capture the drama and humorous moments of grade school, complete with gross-out humor, like fake boogers. This time the kids in Room 3B are longing to know what horrible Harry will show up as for Halloween; they're not excited about his “Dragnet” detective costume until he swings into action, solving the mystery of who stole Mary's pixie dust. Johnny Heller has figured out great voices for this cast of characters, from whiny, sometimes annoying Mary to shy Song Lee to bold, sometimes brash Harry himself, who's always accompanied by mild-mannered best friend and narrator Doug. Heller's comfortable pacing and spot-on intonations enhance the story's suspense and humor, and bring to life its realistic classroom setting. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2007, Portland, Maine
