Search - Leprechauns Don't Play Basketball (Bailey School Kids, Bk 4)

Appropriate for second grade and up. My third grader loved these books.

ISBN 0590448226 - I really, really wanted to like this book, if only because the BSK series is popular with kids and anything that makes them want to read has to be worth looking into. Unfortunately, it's not that good.

It's St Patrick's Day in Bailey City and Eddie is enjoying pinching everyone not wearing green. He also enjoys tripping people and otherwise getting up to mischief, even in Mrs. Jeepers' class. Mrs. Jeeper is from Transylvania and if that doesn't make her unusual enough, she's got a burning, irrational-seeming hatred of leprechauns. When time for gym class rolls around, the kids meet a visitor from Ireland, Mr. O'Grady, who's going to teach them Irish dances. The kids quickly become suspicious of the little man, certain he's a leprechaun. Of course, they're also certain that Mrs. Jeepers is a vampire, so they must just be crazy - right? Wrong!

The story is fun and lighthearted, despite the looming possibility of a leprechaun-vampire war in the hallway. The book, however, is really too short to be more than slightly amusing. By the time the tale picks up, it's already heading into the big finale which was itself a bit of a letdown. I give it three stars, consider it average, but end with a high note: I'll be reading more BSK books whenever they come my way - they're not bad, it's just this one isn't all that great. RL3, ages 7-10.

- AnnaLovesBooks

This book is a good St. Patrick's holiday book.

A basketball coach visiting Bailey Elementary is short and has a treasure. Could he be a leprechaun?