Gr 1-3-It's December, and the children in Room 3B are excited about a new classmate, a new class pet, and the chance to learn about the five winter holidays that various classmates celebrate-Three Kings' Day, Korean New Year, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, and Christmas. Harry seems listless, but snaps back to his usual self when the teacher finds out that he's unhappy because his great-grandpa has gone to a nursing home, and she takes the whole class to visit him. The presentation of the various holidays is uneven in coverage and somewhat dull, although things pick up at the end when the kids receive gifts from their Secret Santas. Fun for beginning chapter-book readers, despite the educational elements.-E. M. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

The newest book in this popular series has Harry unhappy about the upcoming holiday season until his class visits his great-grandfather in a nursing home to share winter holiday traditions with the residents. The story is more didactic than usual, with a great deal of the text explaining different traditions. Nevertheless, Harry's many fans won't be deterred. Reading list.

Narrator Doug begins the story by noting that something is wrong with his best friend, Harry. With his grin, his insults, his love of the creepy, and his obvious crush on his third-grade classmate, Song Lee, missing, Harry just wasn't his horrible self. This mystery is solved half way through the story when the class visits the nursing home where Harry's beloved grandfather has recently become a resident. Most of the book, however, is devoted to the third-graders learning about the seasonal holidays their classmates celebrate: Three King's Day, Kwanzaa, Hanukkah, Korean New Year's, and Christmas. The depiction of Harry's sadness and his grandfather's situation is sensitive though brief. The presentation of holiday practices stresses the secular aspects of religious holidays and gives a somewhat purposeful tone to the latest entry in this entertaining chapter-book series.