In this very simple chapter book, there are just a few lines of text on each page, but, as in The Bookstore Ghost (1998), new readers will pay attention because they are in on the joke of the haunted bookstore. The cat, Cobweb, is the watchful sleuth who spots the burglar, and Westcott's big, slapstick pictures show that the ghosts who push the books off the shelf and scare the thief away are really Cobweb's good friends, the mice. Of course, the bookstore owner is very grateful to all of them. The burglar is garishly sinister, and kids will appreciate the sly trick that sends him running.

Those who are familiar with The Bookstore Ghost will appreciate this sequel, in which Cobweb the cat spots a burglar stealing the spare key to the store but can't communicate this vital information to the owner. Fortunately, with the help of the "ghost"--the store mice--all turns out well in the end. Westcott's cheerful cartoonlike artwork adds humor and interest to this simple story.

Gr 1-3-In this sequel to The Bookstore Ghost (Dutton, 1998), Mr. Brown's clever cat, Cobweb, witnesses an unsavory character stealing the keys to his owner's shop. To foil the thief's plans, the feline must enlist the help of the bookstore ghosts (hint: think mice) to haunt away the burglar when he returns at night. Beginning chapter-book readers will delight in knowing what the ghosts really are and in Westcott's colorful illustrations. The humorous depictions accurately reflect the silliness of the text and contain just the right number of details.-Louie Lahana, New York City Public Schools Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.