This School of Fear sequel welcomes a new student whose fear of solitude ironically isolates her from her coveted "besties." It will take all the students working together to save the batty Mrs. Wellington and prevent the school from closing, thus leaving the children terrified forever. Although the characters lack individuality, the story's dark and wacky humor is satisfying.

Have no fear: school is back in session, with the phobic young protagonists of School of Fear (2009) returning to reinforce what they learned the summer before. It seems there has been some regression amid all visible signs of progress. A fifth student has also enrolled 10-year-old with a ferret who's afraid of being alone and who calls the others her new best friends, giving each of them an annoying nickname. Daneshvari's plot is as farfetched as ever, but her dialogue is full of amusing putdowns think you need help, and I don't mean that in a kind or caring way." Somehow, and satisfyingly, all five become best friends in the end.

Gr 4-6 Fine print in their contracts brings the four students introduced in School of Fear (Little, Brown, 2009) back for another summer at the secret, exclusive institution created to eliminate extreme phobias. Though the students profess that they are completely cured, headmistress Mrs. Wellington reveals how each one has regressed, necessitating more time with her. Joining Madeleine, Garrison, Theo, and Lulu is a new student, Hyacinth, who is desperately afraid of being alone and friendless. But the unusual phobia-conquering curriculum is put on hold when the children must help Mrs. Wellington and her loyal caretaker discover who is behind the string of recent burglariesa discovery that leads to even more trouble for the school and its inhabitants. Filled with an eclectic, and often eccentric, cast of characters, this sequel uses the wry humor and outrageous situations that characterized the first book and makes for an entertaining read. Kids may be slightly disappointed in the lack of resolution to the major conflict and hope the story will continue in another volume. Amanda Raklovits, Champaign Public Library, IL

The four phobia-afflicted friends who bonded in the Marx Brothersstyle School of Fear (2009) face a worse threat than backsliding (though there's plenty of that too) in this equally manic sequel. With solid mutual bonds generally hidden beneath layers of sharp repartee—"I think you need help...and I don't mean that in a kind or caring way"—Lulu, Madeleine, Theo and Garrison reunite for a second summer at the isolated Massachusetts institution run by wacky ex (except in her own mind) beauty queen Mrs. Wellington and her long-suffering octogenarian cook/caretaker Schmidty. Joined by an aggressive new student, Hyacinth, whose lack of social skills is only matched by her hysterical fear of being alone, the crew first looks into a series of house burglaries, then learns that a reporter is planning to publish an expose that will certainly force the school to close. Staving off this catastrophe turns into a continuing plot that will run into at least one further episode. Making sense of the setting, wild antics and over-the-top characters requires reading the opener, but Daneshvari expertly keeps the humor fresh and the pacing frenetic. (Farce. 11-13)