Mac and his little school business of organized crime have been sitting pretty for a while. Staples, the legendary high school crime boss, is no longer in the picture, baseball tryouts are right around the corner, and the kids keep coming into the fourth stall during recess and lunch to have their problems solved. More kids means more money, and soon Mac and his best friend, Vince, may finally have enough money for the new Chicago Cubs season. The thing with organized crime, even if it’s at the school level, is that problems can pop up when you least expect them.

Problem #1: Eighth-grader Trixie Von Parkway. Trixie arrived to the fourth stall one lunch period to have Mac and his team get the new science teacher, Mr. Kjelson, off her back. Mac had dealt with teachers before, but something about Trixie’s case really threw him for a loop. Perhaps it was the fact that Trixie wasn’t even her real name, or that Mac noticed she was able to go from giggling to homicidal in the span of three seconds. Regardless, a job is a job, and Mac was determined not to let the mysterious nature of girls get in his way.

Problem #2: New assistant principal Dr. George. A new assistant principal cracking down on bullies and other inappropriate behavior is never a good thing, but Dr. George also brought the Standardized Minimum Aptitude Reviewer Tests, or SMARTs, with him. Now Mac not only had to keep his little business hidden from Dr. George, he also had to come up with a plan to help the rest of the student body pass these impossibly difficult tests or else the school will be shut down. Normally this wouldn’t be too difficult, but Dr. George seems to be watching Mac’s every move.

Problems not only pop up when you least expect them, they can also multiply pretty fast. Soon Mac is bombarded with kids complaining about unhealthy food in the cafeteria (which normally would be welcome), rat poop in lockers, dancing in PE, and the constant fear of the SMART tests. As Mac’s business is pushed to the brink, Dr. George decides to make a surprise visit to the fourth stall. A visit from the Suits can never be good, and it looks like there is no escape for Mac this time.

THE FOURTH STALL PART II has all your favorite characters from the first book --- mine being Kitten, the sweet and innocent-looking kid who can go crazy at a moment’s notice --- and introduces some new characters who only add to the crime world that Chris Rylander has so effortlessly created. Mac continues to be the epitome of a conflicted crime boss. He’s willing to sacrifice much to help those around him, but he also doesn’t put up with anything that could threaten his livelihood. Just like in the grand tradition of The Godfather Part II, THE FOURTH STALL PART II is just as good as its predecessor and shouldn’t be ignored --- or else.