Pip and the Twilight Seekers

Gr 4–6—This book continues the adventures of Pip, Toad, and Frankie after their narrow escape from the child-snatching creatures of the Spindlewood forest. But they aren't out of the woods yet, because they must still be wary of Jarvis, the two-faced city warden. He captures children under the auspices of protecting them but then sells them to the forest creatures. The plucky three dart from hideout to hideout, trying to stay one step ahead of Jarvis-a task made increasingly difficult after he acquires a clairvoyant wooden figurine. Pip and his friends must be creative and daring in order to shake their dreadful circumstances, and this mindset spurs a risky incognito foray into the Spindlewood forest to rescue the kidnapped children. There's a frantic scramble at the end as the children narrowly make it to the relative safety of a deserted bakery. Still, Jarvis and the forest creatures are lurking, thus setting the stage for the concluding entry in the trilogy. Finely wrought black-and-white illustrations that evoke the works of Tim Burton and Edward Gorey are the best part of this book. The story is of the lackluster, dime-a-dozen variety, and there isn't quite enough background laid out for those who haven't read the first book. Jarvis is too one-dimensional to be an interesting villain, and the children are darting around so much that there isn't much opportunity for their character development.—Amy Holland, Irondequoit Public Library, NY