Classics · Horrid Henry

Horrid Henry: what age is it for?

Illustration: everyday children's books fanned out, one of them open

Horrid Henry has been making mischief since 1994, and for many children he's the hero of the first books they read alone. Parents sometimes wonder whether a horrid hero is a good idea.

Here's what age BookTrust gives, why the books suit children who are just learning to read, and what to make of Henry himself.

In brief

First published in 1994. Francesca Simon's Horrid Henry, illustrated by Tony Ross, came out with Orion in 1994.¹
Interest age 4+, reading age 6+, according to BookTrust.¹ Read aloud from four; read alone from about six.
Two ages on the label. BookTrust lists many books with an interest age and a reading age.² Between the two, a Horrid Henry book spends two years being read aloud.
Around the time of phonics. In England, children aged five to six take the phonics screening check in Year 1.³ Henry's reading age of six comes just after.

The story

What the books are about

Henry is loud, rude and lazy, and his little brother Perfect Peter is none of those things. Each book collects short stories about school, home, parties and holidays, and in nearly every one Henry's plans go spectacularly wrong.

Tony Ross's drawings fill the pages, and the stories are short enough to finish in one sitting. For a child who's just started reading alone, that matters: a whole story done in one go feels like an achievement.

In practice

Horrid Henry at four, and at six

At four, read aloud. The interest age BookTrust gives is four. Young children love hearing about a child who does everything they're told not to.

At six, a first book to read alone. With a reading age of six, a short Horrid Henry story is often one of the first a child manages alone from start to finish.

Take turns. You read Henry, they read Peter, or the other way round. Dialogue makes reading aloud together easy.

About Henry's behaviour. Some parents worry that a horrid hero sets a bad example. That's for each family to judge. Many children enjoy Henry precisely because he does what they wouldn't dare, and reading together lets you talk about it.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What age is Horrid Henry for?

BookTrust gives an interest age of four and a reading age of six. From four, the stories are fun to read aloud; from about six, many children can read them alone.

Is Horrid Henry a good first chapter book?

For many children, yes. The stories are short enough to finish in one sitting, the pages are full of pictures, and the reading age BookTrust gives is six.

Is Horrid Henry a bad influence?

That's for each family to judge. The books are written to be funny, and many children enjoy Henry because he does what they wouldn't dare. Reading them together gives you a chance to talk about how Henry behaves.

When did Horrid Henry come out?

The first book, by Francesca Simon with illustrations by Tony Ross, was published by Orion in 1994.

References

Sources

1.BookTrust Bookfinder: Horrid Henry.What it confirms: Interest age 4+, reading age 6+; Francesca Simon and Tony Ross; first published by Orion in 1994.
2.BookTrust Bookfinder.What it confirms: Books listed with two ages, an interest age and a reading age.
3.Department for Education, Explore Education Statistics: Phonics screening check attainment, methodology.What it confirms: Pupils in Year 1, aged five to six, read 20 real words and 20 pseudo-words aloud.

A word about us

A hero who's a lot like them

Children love Henry because he's a child like them, only louder. The best stories for this age have a hero they recognise.

At Sagalino, your child becomes the hero of a story with their name, in one of our 21 illustration styles. You read the whole story for free, and only pay afterwards.

See what we make

Read on

At a glance: the illustration styles and how it works.