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gmamartha's review against another edition
3.0
5th-6th boys would probably like this better than others. If they don't mind the author talking to you. Humor in others' mishaps. That sort of thing.
kelleemoye's review against another edition
4.0
Tom Angleberger introduces us to a cast of characters unlike any others. This humorous mystery is an homage to Dickens and Victorian literature. Our hero, Horton Halfpott, is a do-gooder who works in the kitchet at Smugwick Manor and is treated horribly by the cook although he is the hardest worker there. Horton gets mixed in with a mystery and kidnapping scheme that he had not asked for, but may just change everything...
amibunk's review against another edition
3.0
At times this fast paced, flight of fancy chapter book tries to be 'too' clever, especially in the beginning. Towards the middle of the book, the author evens out his writing and the plot becomes quite enjoyable. This book would be a fun read aloud with the wildly flamboyant characters portrayed inside. I'd say the target audience of this book would be fourth grade children or higher and the lucky adults who realize how awesome children's books are.
brandypainter's review against another edition
3.0
Originally posted at Random Musings of a Bibliophile.
I really enjoy Tom Angleberger's Origami Yoda books. That being the case, he is now an author whose books I'm on the lookout for. I was fairly excited when my library attained copies of Horton Halfpott or The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor or The Loosenin og M'Lady Luttertuck's Corset. It is written by Tom Angleberger and involves life at an English manor house.
There are so many exciting things in this book-a Stolen Diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, the disappearance of a Valuable Wig, love, pickle eclairs, unbridled Evil, and the Black Deeds of the Shipless Pirates-that it really does seem a shame to begin with ladies underwear.
But the underwear, you see, is the reason that all those Unprecedented Marvels happened-with the possible exception of the pickle eclairs.
And yes, the book is about all those things, but most importantly it is about a boy named Horton Halfpott. Horton is a downtrodden servant. His family was once more affluent, but they have been brought low by his father's illness. So he is a kitchen boy. A good, upright, honorable and true kitchen boy who develops an affection for a girl beyond his means he knows he can never have. He is positively Dickensian. In fact, this book reads as a Dickens novel might if it were written by...well, Tom Angleberger. (Whose head, I'm convinced, would be a most fascinating one to peek into.)
The story has one of those plots that pops around a lot showing what several people are up to all at once, not leaving room for much character development. There is quite a bit of the zany and ridiculous. It mostly works because of Angleberger's talent for wording delightful sentences and because it's so understatedly satirical. That is going go go way over the heads of the target audience, who will most likely enjoy it for it's aforementioned zaniness. There is plenty of hijinks and action to keep readers, even ones who would never deign to pick up a book set at an English manor house under normal circumstances, interested.
I really enjoy Tom Angleberger's Origami Yoda books. That being the case, he is now an author whose books I'm on the lookout for. I was fairly excited when my library attained copies of Horton Halfpott or The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor or The Loosenin og M'Lady Luttertuck's Corset. It is written by Tom Angleberger and involves life at an English manor house.
There are so many exciting things in this book-a Stolen Diamond, snooping stable boys, a famous detective, the disappearance of a Valuable Wig, love, pickle eclairs, unbridled Evil, and the Black Deeds of the Shipless Pirates-that it really does seem a shame to begin with ladies underwear.
But the underwear, you see, is the reason that all those Unprecedented Marvels happened-with the possible exception of the pickle eclairs.
And yes, the book is about all those things, but most importantly it is about a boy named Horton Halfpott. Horton is a downtrodden servant. His family was once more affluent, but they have been brought low by his father's illness. So he is a kitchen boy. A good, upright, honorable and true kitchen boy who develops an affection for a girl beyond his means he knows he can never have. He is positively Dickensian. In fact, this book reads as a Dickens novel might if it were written by...well, Tom Angleberger. (Whose head, I'm convinced, would be a most fascinating one to peek into.)
The story has one of those plots that pops around a lot showing what several people are up to all at once, not leaving room for much character development. There is quite a bit of the zany and ridiculous. It mostly works because of Angleberger's talent for wording delightful sentences and because it's so understatedly satirical. That is going go go way over the heads of the target audience, who will most likely enjoy it for it's aforementioned zaniness. There is plenty of hijinks and action to keep readers, even ones who would never deign to pick up a book set at an English manor house under normal circumstances, interested.
dogtrax's review against another edition
4.0
This is a read-aloud with my son. Finally kicking into gear ....
crystal_reading's review against another edition
4.0
This was simply hilarious. I loved the sly humor.
bak8382's review against another edition
3.0
Horton Halfpott may only be a lowly kitchen boy in the eyes of his employers the Luggertucks, but he is in fact the hero of our story. With his tongue firmly in cheek the narrator introduces the reader to all the zany characters (and even advises which ones are forgettable), while the plot is a bit meandering it's all in good fun and wrapped up neatly in the end. Not has entertaining as his Origami Yoda series, but still worth the listen.
shighley's review against another edition
4.0
This book is very, very clever. For one reason or another, I started it, but had to put it aside for a bit. When I started it again, I had forgotten some of the plot, so I basically re-read much of it, and I didn't mind at all (and I rarely re-read anything). From the very beginning when Angleberger dedicated the book to John Christopher, an author whose works my son really enjoyed when it was hard to encourage reading, to the cute drawings, to the cute asides, it is very well done. There is so much tongue-in-cheek humor that might be too sophisticated for some of my students, but it's just plain fun. There were many great passages that would be fun to quote, but I couldn't narrow it down. I could picture this as a movie, with Blight and Blemish as proper, comic relief (which I grew to appreciate as I read on). The fact that Celia cast aspersions at suitors who hadn't even read last year's books (but how did she know Horton could read?) and that Horton bonded with the Lord over reading were an added plus. And how did Neversly know that Horton would know how to retrieve the ugly spoon? Oh, well, that really doesn't matter. This could make a very fun read aloud as well, as well as an introduction to farce.