THERE'S A GHOST IN THE COATROOM

The children in Ms. D's third-grade class are thick into plans for their Christmas celebrations when a mysterious voice in their coatroom, which they believe to be that of the Christmas spirit, persuades them to rethink their greedy, grumpy ways. This latest in a popular series recounts the preparations for and enactment of a medieval feast to which the parents are invited. As readers may guess early on, the ghost turns out to be their young teacher's charmingly playful husband; meanwhile, the feast comes off with many a humorous hitch, including an escaped snake and an accidentally swallowed pet fish. Readers of the previous (and stronger) titles will have a better grip on these characters than those meeting them here for the first time; also, it's worth noting that every child in this apparently homogeneous class celebrates Christmas. Festive but slight. (Fiction. 6-9)