Angels Don't Know Karate (The Adventures Of The Bailey School Kids #23) (U)

Melody is convinced that the new karate teacher and school crossing guard is a guardian angel on a special mission.Children's LiteratureIn book twenty-three of The Bailey School Kids series, it is Christmas time and Melody is obsessed with angels. She makes snow angels, thinks they are everywhere, and believes everyone has a guardian angel. After witnessing the new crossing guard, Angela Michaels, catch Eddie as he fell out of a tree, Melody is convinced that the guard is an angel. She sees wings in place of the Angela's white cape, a halo instead of her golden ear muffs, and miracles instead of luck. When Eddie's wish to learn karate comes true in the form of a free karate lesson taught by the crossing guard, Melody is even more certain Angela is an angel and that she has a mission. While the other children do not agree with Melody about Angela's otherworldly status, they agree to spy on Angela to help determine if she is an angel. To get a good view of Angela, the kids sneak onto Mr. Mason's property, a place most kids stay away from because of his scary demeanor. During this adventure, Melody uncovers the angel's mission to help Mr. Mason make friends. As the Bailey School kids try to make friends with Mr. Mason, they hope to get closer to discovering the truth about Angela; instead, they discover something even more rewarding. While the plot is trite and overly sentimental, it will entertain fans of the series and appeal to reluctant readers. Reviewer: Melissa Joy Adams