K^-Gr. 2. Romance blooms in this third Dutton Easy Reader about Cobweb the cat and a bookstore that stocks only ghost books. After Mr. Brown announces a Valentine's Day sale on romance titles such as The Scary Date! and The Boo-tiful Ghost, the tiny shop swarms with shoppers. Suddenly Mr. Brown needs help. His "Help Wanted" sign is answered by Miss Button, the middle-aged woman of his dreams, who wears a ghost necklace and reveals that she loves cats, ghosts, and cheese (Mr. Brown and Cobweb dote on cheese). Unfortunately, Mr. Brown's shyness and Miss Button's primness stand in the way of true love--until Cobweb and the bookstore mice concoct a plan to bring them together. Like others in the series, this will serve as an easy transition to chapter books, with a simple story line, gentle humor, and a wealth of charmingly wacky pastel illustrations jollying up each page. Connie Fletcher

The characters from Bookstore Ghost (1998) and Bookstore Burglar (2001) return with a new character and a love story. Mr. Brown's bookstore is a busy place, despite its rather limited selection of "only ghost books." It's Valentine's Day and Mr. Brown's sale keeps things hopping--and things are already hopping, what with the ghost who lives in the store knocking books off the shelf already. When Miss Button knocks on the door in response to the "Help Wanted" sign, Mr. Brown gets all the help he needs and more. Mr. Brown and Miss Button are attracted to each other, but are too shy to act on their secret desires. Cobweb the cat and the ghost (who really is not a ghost at all, but a gang of helpful mice) move the budding romance along to make a perfect Valentine's Day. Short chapters, large, colorful watercolor-and-ink illustrations, which provide ample visual cues to support the text, and a comforting plot, make this a fine book for new readers. Discerning readers will notice the store's book titles and will have their tastes for puns and plays on words satisfied when they spy such famous books as BOO!, by R.U. Afraid, and Spooktacular Love Stories. (Easy reader. 5-8)

Cobweb the cat from The Bookstore Ghost, part of Dutton's Easy Reader series, orchestrates a love connection between Mr. Brown, the bookseller, and his new employee, Miss Button, in The Bookstore Valentine by Barbara Maitland, illus. by David LaRochelle. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

K-Gr 3-The Black Cat Bookstore and Cobweb the cat are back, this time with the feline in the role of matchmaker for the kind and portly owner, Mr. Brown (who has the most fabulous neckties). Valentine's Day is near and the bookstore is jumping (titles like My Boo-tiful Ghost and Spooktacular Love Stories fly off the shelves). Prim Miss Button, sporting a jaunty ghost pin, is hired to help out. She's perfect for the job in every way: she likes ghosts, books about ghosts, cheese, cats- and Mr. Brown (and he likes her, too), so Cobweb and the bookstore's rambunctious mice team up to bring the shy duo together. Fans of The Bookstore Ghost (1998) and The Bookstore Burglar (2001, both Dutton) are already wise to the antics of the mischievous mice who are responsible for "haunting" the bookstore. New readers will enjoy making this discovery as they spy the critters slyly nudging books off shelves. LaRochelle (who did not illustrate the previous two "Bookstore" titles) adds just the right note of whimsy to the four short chapters of simple text with bright, cheerful, cleverly detailed cartoon drawings. A winsome addition to beginning-reader collections.-Mary Ann Carcich, Mattituck-Laurel Public Library, Mattituck, NY (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Bookstore owner Mr. Brown has a crush on his new assistant, Miss Button, but he is too shy to ask her to dinner. Cobweb the cat and her mice friends conspire to bring the two of them together, just in time for Valentine's Day. This companion to [cf2]The Bookstore Ghost[cf1] and [cf2]The Bookstore Burglar[cf1] is illustrated by a different artist, but the cartoonlike art has the same cheerful simplicity. From HORN BOOK Spring 2003, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.