The World According to Humphrey

The World According to Humphrey

• Genre: Fiction; children’s literature; animal stories
• Originally Published: 2004
• Reading Level/Interest: Lexile 670L; grades 2-4
• Structure/Length: Divided into 15 chapters; approximately 128 pages; approximately 2 hours, 34 minutes on audiobook
• Protagonist/Central Conflict: The story follows a small and adventurous classroom hamster named Humphrey, who offers insights and observations about the human world from his cage in Room 26. The central conflict involves Humphrey’s escapades and interactions with students and staff as he teaches lessons and solves problems, all while navigating his own little adventures.
• Potential Sensitivity Issues: Light-hearted challenges; themes of friendship, empathy, and understanding; mentions of illness, physical injury, bullying, and loneliness; no significant sensitivity issues noted

Betty G. Birney, Author

• Bio: Born 1947; American author known for her beloved children’s books; won several awards; graduated from Webster College; writes novels, picture books, and television shows; Birney’s writing is characterized by its warmth, humor, and unique perspectives
• Other Works: Friendship According to Humphrey (2005); Trouble According to Humphrey (2007); The Princess and the Peabodys (2007); Surprises According to Humphrey (2008)
• Awards: Rhode Island Children’s Book Award, Pennsylvania’s Keystone to Reading Award, Maryland Black-Eyed Susan Book Award, Iowa Children’s Choice Award, Washington State Sasquatch Award, Oklahoma Sequoyah Award, Nebraska Golden Sower Award, and Children’s Crown Award (2006-2007)

CENTRAL THEMES connected and noted throughout this Teaching Guide:

• Self-Discovery Through Learning From Others
• Judging Others
• Finding One’s Place

STUDY OBJECTIVES: In accomplishing the components of this Teaching Guide, students will:

• Gain an understanding of the biological contexts of seeing the world from an animal’s perspective, which colors the narrative throughout The World According to Humphrey.
• Study paired texts and other brief resources to make connections via the text’s themes of Self-Discovery Through Learning From Others, Judging Others, and Finding One’s Place.
• Emulate Humphrey’s journal-entry style of writing by crafting a short story from Humphrey’s point of view.
• Analyze and evaluate the plot and character details to draw conclusions in structured essay responses regarding the role of bullying in the book, the role of friendship, and other topics.