Second-graders Emily and Vinni return in this follow-up to Peter Catalanotto and Pamela Schembri's The Secret Lunch Special, contending with an autumn season replete with pumpkins and pumpkin activities. Emily thinks she's had enough, until Mr. Marvin's class is given the task of making jack-o-lanterns in their own images. When Vinni misses Emily's birthday party that weekend however, and her temper at being left out leads her to damage Emily's creation, it looks like pumpkins have caused real trouble...

Although I cannot personally identify with feeling that there are simply too many pumpkins and pumpkin-themed things around - what can I say? I love autumn, and everything that goes with it - I did appreciate the humor of Emily's frustration, in No More Pumpkins, that "everything was pumpkin. Pumpkin. Pumpkin. Pumpkin." The story here is engaging, and captures the ups and downs of primary school friendships. I look forward to the third and final title in this 2nd Grade Friends series, The Veterans Day Visitor, as this book, discovered when I was seeking Veterans Day stories, is the entire reason I'm reading the series to begin with. Recommended to beginning chapter-book readers, particularly if they enjoyed The Secret Lunch Special, or appreciate school-based stories. ( )