Horrible Harry and the Christmas Surprise - Hardcover

Suzy Kline, the author of nineteen previous Horrible Harry books and four books about Song Lee, lives in Willington Connecticut with her husband, Rufus. Suzy and Rufus have been married for thirty-eight years. They met in the state where they both grew up: California. Suzy grew up in Berkeley and Rufus in Sacramento. Suzy graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in European history. She met Rufus at the Davis campus while attending that campus for a year. They got married and lived in different places, including Canada, before settling into Connecticut, the state they now call home.

Suzy taught in 5th and 6th grades at Shannon Elementary School in Richmond, California for 3 years, and 2nd and 3rd grades at Southwest Elementary School in Torrington, Connecticut for 24 years before retiring this past June. She now enjoys writing full-time and visiting schools and libraries. The couple share their home with two cats, Teeter and Hoag. They have two daughters, Jennifer and Emily, and four grandchildren: Jake, Kenna, Gabby and Saylor. A fifth grandchild is due in September, 2006. Suzy's mother just turned 96. She dedicated her most recent book, Horrible Harry Takes the Cake to her.

Suzy and Rufus enjoy attending UConn football and basketball games, and Suzy uses the UConn library as a reference for her writing facts.

 

All surprises aren't pleasant--that's one thing classroom 2B learns in this episode of Kline's popular series. When Miss Mackle's old reading chair breaks, she falls, sending the class's globe rolling into the hall and offering an apt symbol for how the kids' world is about to get shaken up. Miss Mackle initially laughs off the possibility of injury but later must spend Christmas in the hospital. In addition to showcasing his ability to dramatize children's voices, this story allows Johnny Heller to unleash his considerable talent for sound effects. Whether it's the crickety-creak of a chair about to break, the crash when it does, or the tick of a clock, Heller zestfully delivers it all with his enthusiastic narration. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine