Bound To Stay Bound

School Library Journal - 06/16/2023 K-Gr 3—The latest title in Higgins's beloved "Mother Bruce" series is a Halloween-centric, spooky story for fans of Bruce and his forest friends. Bruce is not a big holiday enthusiast, and that includes Halloween. To drum up Bruce's excitement, the mice decide to act out "The Legend of Soggy Hollow" for all their forest friends. The scariest elements of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" are toned down; "The Horseless Horseman of Soggy Hollow" is a pumpkin-headed figure looking for his lost horse. The mice employ Bruce to star in their reenactment as Ichabod Bruce, the new schoolmaster. In colonial costume and headpiece, Bruce rides his trusty rocking horse to propose to the lovely Miss van Moofle, played by the moose Camilla. Play-acting becomes too real for Ichabod Bruce, who flees the scene before Miss van Moofle can get a kiss. In the ensuring chase, Bruce and Camilla come in contact with the real supernatural spirit of the Horseless Horseman, though neither realizes it at the time. Bruce abandons the rocking horse in the end, much to the Horseless Horseman's delight; Camilla gets a Bruce-hug; and all the forest animals receive candy from the upturned treat pumpkin Bruce collides with head-on. This book requires familiarity with the series for readers to appreciate it fully, e.g., Bruce's grumpy nature and his relationship with the mice and other forest animals. VERDICT An excellent addition to shelves with an established "Mother Bruce" collection.—Jennifer LaBurre - Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.