Agatha Parrot and the Odd Street School Ghost, written by Kjartan Poskitt, reviewed by Katy Golden

Summary: Agatha Parrot, of the "crazy hair and awesome freckles", narrates another story about the happenings on Odd Street. In this installment, the school bell has been ringing at all times of the night, waking all of the Odd Street gang. The unpredictable bell, as well as some spooky sightings at school, have prompted the students to suspect a ghost is haunting Odd Street School! As more and more weird things are blamed on the ghost, the principal decides to host an overnight Ghost Watch to put a stop to the stories once and for all. Complicated by the vice principal’s ban on ladders, mean girls trying to scare Agatha’s easily shaken friends, and a clumsy but kind janitor, Agatha works to get to the bottom of the haunting.

Straight Talk for Librarians: Agatha is a friendly, chatty narrator who is constantly breaking the fourth wall by conversing with her “lovely reader” (“That’s where this chapter ends, so you can shut the book now”). Her “gang” of four friends are largely one-dimensional, and while the adults are largely comical, they, too, are undeveloped. With large, easy-to-read type accompanied by black-and-white drawings, “Agatha Parrot” is a transitional chapter book series for fans of Katie Kazoo and Junie B that are looking for a quick read. An additional purchase