Mrs. Zookey’s second-grade class is studying arachnids and their prey. Patrick the Pest preys on all his classmates, but he especially enjoys tormenting Richard. Patrick is the naughty boy of the class, the one the teacher has to ignore because reacting to his every transgression would prevent her from doing anything else. And Patrick loves his role in the class; he keeps things constantly stirred up by poking and teasing when the teacher’s back is turned, and he loves to shoot the sign for GOTCHA! whenever he does something that makes a classmate look silly. But, while on a spider-hunting field trip, Patrick is his own victim with near-disastrous consequences. And, when he still does not learn his lesson, one last trick goes bad for the pest Patrick, much to the pleasure of his classmates. Pedestrian, predictable fare for the chapter-book set. (Fiction. 6-8)
