Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine    by Francesca Simon Order:  USA  Can Sourcebooks, 2009 (2009) Softcover, Audio, CD Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Michelle York Horrid Henry is back at it. Henry, the unlikely hero of a series of witty chapter books, has devised a way to get revenge on his simpering younger brother, Perfect Peter. In Horrid Henry and the Mega-Mean Time Machine, Henry fools his brother into thinking a large cardboard box is actually a portal into the future, where the people speak the language of Ugg and boys look like girls. Poor Peter is wearing rouge and a dress before he discovers he's been had. The books, by Francesca Simon, are part of a hit series in the U.K. and just being released here. Each book contains four short and amusing plots in which Henry lives up to his horridness. Tony Ross completes the book with cute illustrations of the main characters. The only downside is that the series might make kids set new goals of mischievousness. For example, in another story in this book, Horrid Henry's Hike, the young boy figures out the best way to get through a walk in the countryside is to run through the mud and cowpies. Next time, his poor parents are likely to let him sit home and watch TV. Who could blame them? Hopefully your children will pick up something from these books other than bad behavior – a love of reading! Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Kids books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews