Release Date: June 21, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 237
Received: Review copy from author
Rating: N/A
Goodreads Page
Summary
From Goodreads:
You think your school's scary?
Get a load of these teachers:
"Ms. Fang," an 850-year-old vampire
"Dr. Dragonbreath," who just might eat you before recess
"Mr. Snakeskin"--science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie
"Mrs. T"--break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry "Tyrannosaurus rex"
Plus
Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose
The world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch
And
The narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost
Join Charles "New Kid" Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends--including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf--and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky.
Review
You know how sometimes MG books are written in a way that makes them great for adults to read, too? Well, Scary School was not one of those MG books for me. As an adult, I struggled to get through the book. I found the humor not to my taste and the repetitive phrases grated after a while.
But, I am far from the target audience, and as far as they're concerned Scary School should be a big hit. Narrated by a ghost (though it reads more like the omniscient third-person), the story loosely follows Charles Nukid (who is also the new kid in school, haha) as he makes his way through his first year and participates in the Ghoul Games.
I say loosely because most of the book focuses on vignettes introducing the various characters and providing humorous backstories for each. Though there is a touch of Alice in Wonderland-esque nonsense to many of the characters, their stories are memorable and will likely all hit the mark with young readers.
Scary School breaks the mold and is a breath of fresh air in a genre riddled with typical paranormal creatures described in typical ways. Everything from witches and vampires to the unexpected dress-wearing tyrannosaurus rex and unconventional dodo birds make an appearance, but even the more mundane creatures are given new life through the author's creative descriptions.
But who exactly is the target audience? I'd say elementary school girls AND boys who are able to handle a longer chapter book. While this is a MG book, it is definitely on the younger side of the spectrum.
Though called "scary" there isn't much tension or peril to frighten sensitive readers. I would hand Scary School to my library kids who are a little too timid to try something like Goosebumps but want something more like the Bunnicula-type "horror." (Warning though, characters drop dead left and right, and even though most come back to life in some way or another, this might trouble some extra-sensitive readers.)
Kids able to appreciate deadpan humor, puns, and nonsensical humor will likely eat this up. Also, reluctant readers may appreciate the almost short story nature of the vignettes. The book is also peppered with fabulous illustrations kids will likely enjoy.
I am not rating this book due to the clash between my personal level of enjoyment and the fact that the target audience should enjoy it a lot more than I did.
Do you have any questions about Scary School that I haven't addressed?
Feel free to ask in the comments!
Feel free to ask in the comments!
