HIGBEE'S HALLOWEEN

Striker family members (Bubonico, Convulsia, and their children: Canker, Fester, Hernia, Jaundice, Scurvy, Typhus, and Zitt) have terrorized the small town of Clod's Corner long enough; it's time for Higbee Higginbottom and his all-too-obedient buddy, Quincy Cobb, to spring (or, more accurately, slide) into action. A Halloween party organized by Miss Booky, town librarian, provides the perfect opportunity—while a few odds and ends, a giant pumpkin, and Big Mouth (the town cannon) are the means, and Higbee's fevered brain provides the plan. Peck herds his predictable cast into line, slaps the humor on with a broad brush, unabashedly strokes teachers and librarians, and concludes with a literally explosive climax. Soup fans won't be disappointed in these new characters.