The Bookstore Valentine

by Barbara Maitland, David LaRochelle (Illustrator), Richard Herren (Read by)

Overview

Valentine's Day is coming, and Mr. Brown's bookstore is so busy that he decides to hire someone to help out. Miss Button is perfect for the job. She loves books, she loves cats, and she even understands the special ghost in Mr. Brown's bookstore. There's only one problem. Mr. Brown and Miss Button like one another, but they're both too shy to say so! Fortunately, Cobweb the cat is there to help make sure that everyone has a happy Valentine's Day in this charming follow-up to The Bookstore Ghost and The Bookstore Burglar.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780698155749
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	12/30/2002
Series:	Penguin Young Readers Level 3 Series
Sold by:	Penguin Group
Format:	eBook
Pages:	48
File size:	61 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	6 - 8 Years

About the Author

Barbara Maitland is a children’s book author. Her works include The Bookstore Burglar and The Bookstore Ghost. 

David LaRochelle is the author of many books for children including How Martha Saved Her Parents from Green Beans, The Best Pet of All, and The Haunted Hamburger and Other Ghostly Stories. David lives in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

Editorial Reviews

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.

Publishers Weekly

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 Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

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)

Kirkus Reviews