The Ghost of P.S. 42 [Paperback]

In a promising start to the Class Pets chapter book series, Asch (the Moonbear series) delivers an agreeable romp of a tale about brother and sister mice in search of a new home. Molly and Jake have come of age, and with Deli Dan's crowded with relatives, it's time for them to leave the nest. They consider living in a church ("What would we eat? Bibles?") and a funeral parlor, before finally settling into an elementary school. The action splits at this point, and the chapters alternate between the two siblings, as Molly slips inside through a crack to explore while chubby Jake has to find an alternate route. In Miss Clark's third grade classroom, Molly meets Gino, a hamster ghost, a white rabbit named Peaches and two lovebirds (Prince and Princess). Meanwhile, outside, Jake is busy avoiding the clutches of a hungry cat and a predatory owl. Eventually the two plotlines come together in a most satisfactory cat-and-mouse chase-with an ending that ensures Molly and Jake will be back for a second installment. Frequently fired wisecracks ("Look what the cat dragged in-himself!" quips Peaches) balance quieter descriptive passages ("When you're young, life stretches out like an endless ball of yarn. Then one day you realize it all went by in the blink of an eye!" Gino says). Kanzler's softly shaded drawings play up Gino's ghostliness and add atmospheric details that help cement the book's appeal for the elementary crowd. Ages 7-11.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Grade 2-4-Two young mice are searching for a place to live. When Molly discovers a way into P.S. 42, she and her imaginative brother encounter several interesting creatures both inside and outside the building. There is Big Gray, the menacing neighborhood cat, and class pets Peaches, a demure rabbit; Prince and Princess, dramatic lovebirds; and Gino, a ghost hamster who died of old age. He guides Molly through the school and, along the way, fills her in on the details of his demise and the workings of an educational institution. In 19 short chapters, Jake and Molly find out about life in a school, caring children, loyalty, ghosts, and survival. A few full-page black-and-white drawings of the creatures' escapades are scattered throughout. Although the hamster as ghost is a clever twist, the plot is rather complicated, the characters are not fully developed, and the dialogue doesn't flow easily. This title is too long for most second graders and too precious for older students. Stick with Dick King-Smith's School Mouse (Hyperion, 1995) for a similar but more satisfying read.
Beth Tegart, Oneida City Schools, NY
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.