BRIDGET VANDERPUFF AND THE GHOST TRAIN

A girl’s madcap, bakery-themed adventures continue in this second series entry.

Having found a father and a home in the bake shop in Belle-on-Sea, Bridget, along with best friend Tom and Pascal the bakery elf, must contend with news of a frightful ghost train that’s threatening their charming village. Though she’s no longer an orphan, Bridget hasn’t lost her confident attitude, inventing skills, or distinctive orange hair. Reunited with Tom, whose fondness for sweets is only slightly hampered by his adoptive parents being dentists, Bridget is determined to root out the truth behind rumors of a ghost train, working with Tom and Pascal to allow Belle-on-Sea’s traditional Parade of the Hungry Ghosts to continue without incident. Bridget’s baking skills haven’t improved, but her “failures,” like Molten Baklava, continue to prove highly useful. Wordplay, creative inventions, ample footnotes, and boisterous illustrations continue the playful, energetic, and occasionally over-the-top vibe of Bridget’s first adventure. The scares are on the mild side, but amateur sleuths will enjoy watching Bridget on the case as she adheres to Mr. Vanderpuff’s motto: “Baking is best when it’s shared.” Tom, Mr. V, and Kingsley Dare, the town’s resident earl and a hide-and-seek champion, have brown skin; other characters are drawn as white.

A delectable concoction that contains a dash of Sherlock Holmes and a sprinkling of the supernatural.