This installment of the Pals in Peril series focuses on Lily, whose mom is terrified because Lily has been appearing in books lately and, well, you know what happens to the mothers in children's books: they die. Concerned that she's in mortal danger, Mrs. Gefelty goes to Todburg, NY, which has been declared the undead capital of the U.S. Unfortunately, "undead" refers to the overwhelming presence of zombies, vampires, and ghosts, NOT living forever. She comes back a changed woman -- one who can't even remember what her own daughter looks like. Disturbed, Lily and her friends embark on a quest to return Mrs. Gefelty to normal. What follows is a hilarious and goofy romp that doesn't even try to be realistic -- which is part of the fun.
Filled with tongue-in-cheek asides by the author, a giant tarantula that keeps showing up just when it's been forgotten, and a laughably snotty cousin, this is a book that should appeal to many pre-teens. Although this can work as a stand-alone novel, the blatant and often very specific references to past episodes (to the point where the author frequently mentions his earlier book titles as sources of particular adventures) became very annoying. Perhaps reading the other books in the series first will make those references easier to gloss over. Listed as ages 10 and up.
EL/MS -- ESSENTIAL. Reviewed by: Caryn
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