Get to know Humphrey the hamster – in pictures

You first get to meet me in my book The World According to Humphrey. I loved my new job as classroom pet of Room 26, especially going home with a different classmate each weekend. I learned to read, write and shoot rubber bands. My life was perfect except for one thing: our teacher, Mrs Brisbane, was out to get me! Eeek!
PS: I had a little bit of help from Betty Birney to write these captions! Photograph: Betty Birney

When I returned to Room 26 after camp, I looked forward to seeing my old classmates. Instead, I was greeted by a room full of strange students. While I had to get to know the new class and sort out their problems, I also explored the dark halls of Longfellow School at night to solve the mystery of what happened to my old friends you can read all about it in my book School According to Humphrey. Photograph: Betty Birney

I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE to solve my classmates’ problems, but I didn’t mean to create one! My favourite friend Golden-Miranda got blamed for something that was my fault … but could I clear her name without losing my freedom forever? And how could I help my new friend Winky find a home? Trouble According to Humprehy tells the full story! Photograph: Betty Birney

Halloween was coming – and Room 26 had a fur-raising problem. Our teacher, Mrs. Brisbane, stopped coming to school! While I tried to figure out her mysterious disappearance, I also had to help Mr E., our unsqueakably odd supply teacher. Even Sherlock Holmes would have trouble solving the mysteries I had to deal with! Read more in my book Mysteries According to Humphrey. Photograph: Betty Birney

Friendship According to Humphrey. I had some MAD-BAD-SAD feelings when our teacher brought Og the frog to Room 26. My classmates loved him, even though he was green and had no fur at all! He was also unsqueakably rude! It’s not easy for a hamster to become friends with a frog ... but somehow, I had to find a way. Photograph: Betty Birney

While Mrs Brisbane’s students studied ancient Egypt, secrets were flying around Room 26: secret clubs, secret codes, secret whispering! Even Aldo the cleaner had a secret! And which of my classmates would be moving away? My job as classroom pet is to help my human friends solve their problems, but all those secrets made it HARD-HARD-HARD! Check out Secrets According to Humphrey. Photograph: Betty Birney

The holidays were coming and my friends in Room 26 had to prepare an act for the Winter Wonderland program. The singing and costumes were fun, but things went terribly wrong when Do-It-Now –Daniel wouldn’t practice the piano, Helpful-Holly was way too worried about making presents for her friends, and I needed a gift for Og the frog! I love Christmas, but wasn’t easy for a small classroom hamster to bring JOY-JOY-JOY to all my friends! I tell my festive tale (not tail!) in Christmas According to Humphrey. Photograph: Betty Birney

Suddenly, my life was filled with surprises. Some were good, like my very own hamster ball. But some were scary, like coming nose-to-nose with an unfriendly cat. And the new cleaner just might be from another planet and want to whisk me away! Worst of all, Mrs. Brisbane was planning a surprise that I didn’t like… but could one little hamster change her mind before it was too late? Surprises According to Humphrey tells the full story! Photograph: Betty Birney

What does a classroom pet do during summer break? Og and I went to Camp Happy Hollow. It was FUN-FUN-FUN to make new friends, but I had to deal with wild woodland creatures and Og’s mysterious disappearance. And then there was the problem of the scary-sounding Howler in the woods. Owoooo! Holidays According to Humphrey. Photograph: Betty Birney