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In the autumn, Henry and his big dog Mudge watch the leaves turn, meet with some Halloween spooks and share Thanksgiving dinner.

I liked this book for two reasons. First, I liked that the writing was paced well. "But really he hated them. They scared him. He was afraid to tell her that." Even though the sentences are short, it conveys the clear message that Henry was scared of the stories his mom told him. Second, I liked that the characters were interesting. I really liked that the author gave Mudge a lot of personality. Although Mudge does not talk, he still does a lot of things that make him seem like he understands what is going on, like when his teeth started clicking during the scary story. The main message of this book was the love between a boy and his dog. ( )

I have a lot of respect for Henry's mom. In some ways I want to be her, with a big porch & yard & trees, and long dresses and bare feet - but I don't want a huge slobbery dog, thank you. ( )

I liked how this book in done in chapters (which makes students feel like they are really learning to read when they get to read "chapter books") but how everything is very simple and easy to read. I also loved the vivid illustration/pictures which helps a beginning reader easily identify what is going on in the reading material. Nicely done!!