Who Stole Halloween?

October 1, 2005
Gr 4-6 -Alex, his remarkable cat, and Yasmeen are back in their second romp that started with "Who Is Stealing the 12 Days of Christmas?" (Holiday House, 2003). While following Luau into the local graveyard, the two friends find a flyer from a boy in their school asking that his cat be returned. As they investigate, Alex's mom, a local police detective, finds that more and more felines are disappearing, and some witnesses think maybe a ghost is responsible. Legend has it that the Harvey house is haunted because of a murder in 1879. The story unfolds to a satisfying resolution to both mysteries. Characters are well drawn, and the book will entice even reluctant readers with its action and humor. Fans of the first book will enjoy it, but it stands perfectly well on its own." -Debbie Stewart Hoskins, Grand Rapids Public Library, MI"

Copyright 2005 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

August 1, 2005
Gr. 4-6. Eleven-year-old Alex and his next-door neighbor Yasmin were first seen as sleuths in " Who Is Stealing the 12 Days of Christ"mas (2003). Now, it's Halloween that goes missing--Halloween being a neighbor's cat. Freeman offers a solid mix of misunderstandings, mischief, and mystery as the kids track not only Halloween but also other cats that have been catnapped--some say by a ghost. Is their disappearance linked to two murders that happened in the town more than 100 years ago? A cat was at the center of that mystery, too. There's a lot of super sleuthing here; even Alex's cat, Luau, gets in on the action. By setting the story at Halloween, Freeman is able to use the high jinks of the holiday as the detecting goes on. The explanation of the mystery of the missing cats doesn't quite hold together; but the resolution of long-ago killings is quite gripping (in the name of decorum, the book calls the murdered woman's paramour" sweetheart" throughout). With kids always hungry for mysteries, this is a good one to have on the shelf.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2005, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2006
With a serial catnapper on the loose and Halloween just around the corner, best friends Alex and Yasmeen wonder if the snatchings are linked to an old ghost story. A handful of clues and a few red herrings will keep readers guessing, but the resolution is a bit too outlandish: the thief turns out to be an animal lover who uses cat fur (shaved) to make homespun remedies.

(Copyright 2006 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)