Oh Susannah: Things That Go Bump

This second book in Roman’s Oh Susannah series, after It’s in the Bag, finds almost-eight-year-old Susannah Maya Logan nervous to accept an invitation to a friend’s sleepover: she believes Lola’s house is haunted. During 10 short chapters that gradually build toward the sleepover itself, Susannah struggles with her many anxieties and fears while also noticing them in others. Susannah’s literal interpretations of teachers’ comments cause her some confusion (she can’t understand what her teacher is scared of when the woman announces, “I’m afraid I’ve caught a cold”), but she rethinks her own fear of the dark with some help from a blind girl named Macy during a charity event. It’s a quiet, slow-paced story but one that should give nervous readers new perspective on their insecurities. Ages 7–10. (BookLife)