Book Review - Scary School

Book Review

Scary School
Derek the Ghost

In the last several months, I’ve been on an exhaustive search for age-appropriate books to read to my seven-year-old son.  I love to read aloud to him, but so many of the books that are age-appropriate bore me to tears and don’t really keep his attention as well as they should.  As a result, I’ve done an exhaustive search of Google, the library and the big book stores to find something that would capture his imagination...and maybe a little of my own imagination, too.

Scary School by Derek the Ghost looked promising.  It received a full 5-star review from Amazon readers, 4.5 stars from Barnes and Noble readers, and the overwhelming consensus of adult readers was that it was laugh-out-loud funny to both kids and adults.  If the reviews weren’t exaggerated, this was exactly the book I needed!

Written as a series of short stories and anecdotes surrounding the daily happenings at a school run by monsters, Scary School is better than laugh-out-loud funny.  It’s creative and witty, and downright bizarre at times.  

What could be more fun than a book narrated by the ghost of a kid who met his demise during a school science experiment gone wrong?  Well, you might start with the new kid at school named Charles Nukid.  When his classmates greet him as “Hey New Kid!” on his first day of school, he’s thrilled that they already know his name.  

Not funny enough for you?  How about a T-Rex in a blue dress who is responsible for detention?  Every day at lunch time she lets out a loud “roar” and if you don’t run to your own lunch quickly enough, she might just choose you for her next meal!

Still not enough? How about a one-fanged vampire-teacher named Ms. Fang?  Or a school principal with the last name of Headcrusher?  Perhaps the hallway monitor, Mr. Spider-Eyes, will spark your attention?  Maybe being sent to the school health office to see Nurse Hairymoles will capture your imagination?  If none of that grabs you, then wait until you meet the student body!

Scary School is quite simply a great read.  The bizarre antics of the characters will elicit belly laughs from young readers and bring more than a few giggles to adult readers as well.  Most surprisingly to me, it captured the interest of my almost-16-year old daughter who once asked if she could sit in on a reading.  Yes, it’s that entertaining!

This book is available through SELCO on inter-library loan.  For more information about this book, visit the book’s interactive website at http://www.scaryschool.com/.

Note:  The read-alone target audience for this book is grades 4-8; however, younger readers will enjoy this book if read to them by an adult.

~ Catherine H. Armstrong

            Watch this book's trailer on YouTube