Fun, not-too-scary school-themed spooks.
Weird is the norm in this school.
Gray-haired custodian Gertie guides readers through the cafetorium of Newville Elementary (home of the Flying Pickles!). A cafetorium can be anything you need it to be—a cafeteria, an auditorium, a gym, or maybe even an interdimensional portal. No matter what, though, odd, downright eerie stuff happens there—and also sometimes things that are just superannoying. Even the staff are weird; one never stops talking, and the other never says anything (some people believe they’re a robot). Six tales by different authors comprise this animated collection, each featuring a different protagonist but connected through recurring characters. The stories include a doppelgänger made of Jell-O, an earworm that continually plays in everyone’s heads, a sinister balloon in search of hot air, a basketball that won’t bounce, a book full of excuses (that come with a price), and a spotlight that focuses on the one person who most wants to avoid it. While the characters may be rolling their eyes or quaking in nervous fear, readers are more likely to have fits of giggles. A few loose ends are not resolved but add to the general atmosphere. Jung’s fun and kooky full-color illustrations add to the Saturday-morning–cartoon feel of the collection and include visual jokes for readers to enjoy. The illustrations depict characters with a range of skin tones.
Fun, not-too-scary school-themed spooks. (cast of characters, recipe) (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Sept. 14, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5248-6880-2
Page Count: 240
Publisher: Andrews McMeel Publishing
Review Posted Online: July 7, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 1, 2021
Lighthearted spook with a heaping side of silliness—and hair.
Fifth graders get into a hairy situation.
After an unnamed narrator’s full-page warning, readers dive right into a Wolver Hollow classroom. Mr. Noffler recounts the town legend about how, every Oct. 19, residents don fake mustaches and lock their doors. As the story goes, the late Bockius Beauregard was vaporized in an “unfortunate black powder incident,” but, somehow, his “magnificent mustache” survived to haunt the town. Once a year, the spectral ’stache searches for an exposed upper lip to rest upon. Is it real or superstition? Students Parker and Lucas—sole members of the Midnight Owl Detective Agency—decide to take the case and solve the mustache mystery. When they find that the book of legends they need for their research has been checked out from the library, they recruit the borrower: goth classmate Samantha von Oppelstein. Will the three of them be enough to take on the mustache and resolve its ghostly, unfinished business? Whether through ridiculous plot points or over-the-top descriptions, the comedy keeps coming in this first title in McGee’s new Night Frights series. A generous font and spacing make this quick-paced, 13-chapter story appealing to newly confident readers. Skaffa’s grayscale cartoon spot (and occasional full-page) illustrations help set the tone and accentuate the action. Though neither race or skin color is described in the text, images show Lucas and Samantha as light-skinned and Parker as dark-skinned.
Lighthearted spook with a heaping side of silliness—and hair. (maps) (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: Aug. 31, 2021
ISBN: 978-1-5344-8089-6
Page Count: 160
Publisher: Aladdin
Review Posted Online: June 15, 2021
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 1, 2021
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
A cutely grotesque tale with thrills and heart.
A stitched-together creature discovers his purpose.
Fulbert Freakfinder’s Traveling Carnival of Unnatural Wonders has arrived in the village of Grubbers Nubbin, but the show doesn’t wow the jaded audience. Suddenly, howls fill the air, sending the villagers scurrying indoors, and Freakfinder follows the sounds to a dark castle on a hill. Meanwhile, in the castle, Stitch Head, the first creation of Mad Professor Erasmus, hides in the rafters, forgotten for decades, watching his maker animate yet another almost-alive creature. As with past endeavors, Stitch Head is prepared to stop this new creation from bringing harm to the village—and to keep the villagers from destroying the castle in revenge. Freakfinder soon arrives to find new wonders for his carnival, and Stitch Head must decide if he wants to find fame with the carnival or take a chance at new friendships in the castle where he’s lived a lonely life protecting the best friend who forgot him. Young readers looking to move beyond early chapter books will enjoy this silly, creepy story, while older readers will recognize the deeper themes of loneliness, friendship, being forgotten, and looking beyond the surface to discover that the real monsters are sometimes human. Reminiscent of Edward Gorey’s and Charles Addams’ art, the dynamic black-and white illustrations convey characters’ emotions and offer fun details. Human characters are pale-skinned in Williamson’s art.
A cutely grotesque tale with thrills and heart. (Fiction. 7-10)Pub Date: April 4, 2023
ISBN: 9781664340626
Page Count: 192
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2023
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2023
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
