Odd but satisfying read. Even though the events of the story are a bit out there as far as realism goes the feelings and themes about family dysfunction and road trips were quite relatable. Heads up for mentions of disordered eating. ( )

I thought this book was hilarious. The swamp scene was unforgetable. ( )

Henry is left in the caretaking of two his two aunts: Aunt Mag, and Aunt Pigg when his mother decides to travel to Africa to pose as a missionary, and his father feels it would be best to follow. Henry and his aunts went on a road trip and tried to accomplish to travel across the United States to live their life. I did not find the plot of this book very interesting or eccentric at all to catch the reader you want to try to catch (6th-9th graders) , and then it all went downhill from there. The whole book keeps kids bored out of their minds because the same things are happening in the different states. Not that more interesting as you keep reading due to the conclusion being messed up and confusing for even me! (an 8th grader) I would not recommend this book to anyone as it was a very disappointing book! The whole book just needs a little more structure to make it better, I have not read any of her books before but I hope to soon to find out if the rest of the books are god, or bad. Im sorry for such a bad reading but I am very unsatisfied ( )

Horvath, P. (2005). The vacation. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Road trips. Are they ever fun? Most of the time, they tend to be horrible. It is hot; people get annoyed of one another; and traveling is tiring. The road trip in The Vacation is no different from other car trips.

When Henry’s parents abruptly decide to go to Africa for a mission trip, his Aunt Magnolia and Aunt Pigg take care of him. Although at first Mag and Pigg have fun remodeling and repainting Henry’s house, they get bored once it is complete. During the remodeling, Mag becomes extremely sick. On the verge of death, Mag and Pigg decide to take a road trip just in case Mag dies.

They pull Henry out of school to take an extended vacation. Mag soon feels better with the right medicine. This vacation is the epitome of the world’s worst road trip. Not only do Mag and Pigg constantly bicker, but also they complain about every destination.

This car trip around the United States is unforgettable. Henry gets lost in a swamp for several days; Pigg meets Cody in Oklahoma and decides to marry him; Henry meets his grandfather for the first time; and his dad runs over Benny the cat.

There are quite a few adventures in the book. The characters are eccentric. At times, readers will feel like Henry, a twelve-year-old boy, is the only logical and sane person. When Henry’s parents return to the United States and join him on the road trip, he discovers that they are upset with each other. Henry then tries to repair his parents’ relationship. The book touches upon themes of acceptance and love.

While the book has its humorous and deep moments, the plot was like a road trip; it dragged on. There did not seem to be a climatic point in the book. As a result, the story moved at a slow pace. At times, I found myself bored with the plot. This book could be a nice addition to a middle school library, but the book is not a “must-have.” The Vacation is appropriate for grades 5 through 7. ( )

Henry is a great character and his travels with his two aunts is unforgettable. Aunts Pig and Mag are so eccentric and funny. Great read for all ages ( )