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Scary School (Scary School #1)

by Derek The Ghost (Goodreads Author), Scott M. Fischer (Illustrator)

4.11 of 5 stars 4.11 · rating details · 220 ratings · 139 reviews

You think your school's scary?

Get a load of these teachers:

Ms. Fang, an 850-year-old vampireDr. Dragonbreath, who just might eat you before recessMr. Snakeskin--science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombieMrs. T--break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex!

Plus

Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on...more

Hardcover, 237 pages

Published June 21st 2011 by HarperCollins

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Community Reviews

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Nov 11, 2011 Katie Cody rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

Amazing book that I am sure elementary and middle aged kids will love and even some of us that are still children at heart. Fun and entertaining this book will have you laughing from the first chapter. The characters are very fun and unique and had me smiling at their humorous antics at every turn of the page. My favorite character has to be Penny Possum and Charles Nukid their little adventure together was very cute and of course filled with lots of chuckles.

Give your kids a great book that wi...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Nancy (Tumbling Books) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

Scary School has been the funniest children's book I have ever read! I found myself laughing... like.. every page! I cannot give it enough praise, it was a great read and all of the characters were wonderful and very unique. I really liked the teachers, they were some of my favorites. I loved that the teachers could get away with so much at the school (like killing students... in a "PG" way).

The students themselves were also great. One of my favorites was Petunia, the purple girl on the cover. I...more

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Jul 07, 2011 Derek The rated it 5 of 5 stars · (Review from the author)

BOOKLIST REVIEW OF SCARY SCHOOL!

Scary School, by Derek the Ghost.
Kent, Derek Taylor (author).
Illustrated by Scott M. Fischer.

July 2011. 256p. Harper, hardcover, $15.99 (9780061960925). Grades 3-6.
REVIEW.
First published June 1, 2011 (Booklist).

Imagine if the teachers from Mike Thaler’s Black Lagoon series lived up to their students’ fears, and you will understand life at Scary School, a place where monsters and humans learn side by side. The book is narrated by snarky 11-year-old Derek the G...more

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Sep 19, 2012 Ratforcekids rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: fiction, humor, readalike-goosebumps, scary

Scary School – written by Derek the Ghost – is a funny and sometimes slightly creepy story. It is the first in a series.

For a winning combination of scary fun, try the Scary School series by Derek Taylor Kent. Book one ( Scary School ) and book two ( Monsters on the March ) are both available in ebook format

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Oct 03, 2012 Daniela rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a vampire or a dragon for a teacher? Or a hungry T. Rex for a detention monitor? Or maybe a principal who held the Ghoul Games and had the students get eaten by monster if they didn't win? OR your fellow classmates were werewolves and ghouls?
Well, Charles Nukid is about to find out.
Derek the Ghost's Scary School is a hilarious scholastic twist. It's a fun light read for all ages that will definitely make you smile throughout the day. The book...more Have you ever wondered what it would be like to have a vampire or a dragon for a teacher? Or a hungry T. Rex for a detention monitor? Or maybe a principal who held the Ghoul Games and had the students get eaten by monster if they didn't win? OR your fellow classmates were werewolves and ghouls?
Well, Charles Nukid is about to find out.
Derek the Ghost's Scary School is a hilarious scholastic twist. It's a fun light read for all ages that will definitely make you smile throughout the day. The book is a stack of separate stories from different characters all told by the same narrator, Derek the Ghost. He's probably the most amusing narrator I've ever encountered. His tone is indifferent, but not in an entirely callous way. Derek has a very unique voice where he can talk about death and gore in an easy manner. By the way he talks about it, you wouldn't even notice how scary the school really is.
The stories themselves were easy to get through and superbly funny. I couldn't help but smile as I read on.
And it's a perfect fit for all ages!
I had my brother, who's in fourth grade, give it a try. Here's how things went:
Me: Hey bro! Want to give Scary School a try? It's really good.
Bro: Nope.
Me: Oh come on, you love monsters!
Bro: But I hate books.
Me: *In a sing-song voice* It's got awesome pictures in it!
Bro: *Looks doubtful for a moment*
I show him the cool illustrations in it.
Bro: Okay. But I'm only reading the first chapter.
An hour later...
Me: Bro! It's dinner time!
Bro: *Groans* Oh come on! I just got to the best part!
I peek into his room and find him absorbed into the book. He absolutely loved it! The next day, he was begging the librarians to get him the second one.
Scary School is an adorably priceless read that made even my brother, who's got a thing against reading, read. It's easy, but highly entertaining and truly worth it.
Now I'm taking it on a test run with my little sister. I'm absolutely positive that she'll love it just as much. It's a boy's dream book, but girls can fall in love with it just as well.(less)

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Mar 30, 2013 Deborah Takahashi rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: tween-humor

For Charles Nukid, the "new kid" at Scary School, he has no idea that his new school would be filled with monsters. On his first day, not only was he almost eaten by the giant squid that guards Scary School, he literally falls onto the lap of Ms. T. Rex, a Tyrannosaurs Rex in a blue dress who also has a tendency to eat children when hungry. Unfortunately for Charles, he shows up wearing the "official" uniform, which lands him in detention by Mr. Spider Eyes, the hall monitor, for not wearing the...more For Charles Nukid, the "new kid" at Scary School, he has no idea that his new school would be filled with monsters. On his first day, not only was he almost eaten by the giant squid that guards Scary School, he literally falls onto the lap of Ms. T. Rex, a Tyrannosaurs Rex in a blue dress who also has a tendency to eat children when hungry. Unfortunately for Charles, he shows up wearing the "official" uniform, which lands him in detention by Mr. Spider Eyes, the hall monitor, for not wearing the unofficial official school uniform. For Charles, he lives his life by following the rules and when he doesn't it plagues him with never ending guilt (i.e., by not sleeping for a whole month because he didn't go to bed on time). When Ms. T. Rex tells him that she doesn't abide by the rules, even though she is a teacher, he starts to wonder what kind of crazy school is he attending. However, Mrs. Fang, his 850 year-old vampire teacher, is the nicest teacher any kid could ask for. In fact, she only ate 12 kids last year so that's pretty good for most of the teachers at Scary School. As Charles adapts to his new school, he is about to experience something quite horrifying: Scary School has been nominated for this year's Ghoul Games. The object of the games is that everyone must compete in a game of their choice. For Charles, his favorite game is video games and he is confident he will prevail. Not only is this Charles' first games, it's the first games to allow human children to participate, which means that mortal children will be competing against ghouls, monsters, vampires, and ghosts. What is important about these games is that if Scary School wins, they will not only get a trip to Albania to meet the Monster King, they will finally be recognized as the only school to have both human and monster students. However, Mr. Wolfbark, Principal Headcrusher's former teacher, and huge opponent to monster-human school integration, has news that changes the game: the winner of the games must eat the losers. For the human students at Scary School, this is an event they will never forget.

This book really was a lot of fun to read. Not only does it teach a valuable lesson about acceptance, the dead pan comedy outweighs the scariness of Scary School. Charles is a bit of a geek who probably doesn't get out much, but, in many ways, Scary School will force him out of his comfort zone and realize that some rules are meant to be broken. The teachers at Scary School are just hysterical. I just love that if a child (human or monster) puts one pinky toe out of line, they could be severely hurt or eaten. For example, Dr. Dragonbreath's class did not obey him at all and what did he do? He ate the entire class. Although teachers aren't supposed to eat their students, they just can't help themselves because of their monster nature and the students quickly become mindful of their behavior. Furthermore, the idea of integrating human and monster kids is a brilliant idea because both species have a lot to offer one another, especially when they are asked to team up and help one another. I also love the fact that the narrator of the story, and eleven-year-old ghost named Derek, actually befriends Charles and keeps him out of the belly of Dr. Dragonbreath's tummy. Principal Headscrusher is the driving force behind integration because not only was she the only human at the AAAAAHHHHH!!cademy, she knew what it was like to be an outcast because she is human. Her mission will not only teach students about acceptance, but respect the fact that we are all different and no species better than the other. However, her nemesis, and former teacher, happens to be the purist with a grudge against humanity who not only wants to see the demise of Scary School, but the end of integration. Personally, this is a heavy lesson for young people to learn, but Derek Kent shows the ridiculousness of segregation with over the top characterizations and diabolical schemes that makes this way of thinking beyond silly and comedic. All of the human, and monster, students come with a very different set of skills and ideas that will not only allow Scary School to thrive, but, possibly, earn them the Ghoul Games. (less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Brenna{#1 Hg Fan!} rated it 4 of 5 stars

http://themaniacalbookworm.blogspot.com/

Movie Rating: G all ages admitted
Book Rating: @@@@
Swearing: None
Inappropriate Scenes: None
# of Pages:
Genre: Middle Grade Paranormal
Publisher: Harper

My Review:

This book is something that all kids in school of all ages should read. It has some very valuable lessons that a lot of people should know about and it also gives you
a sense of thankfullness for how dull your school really is.

Scary School:

-makes you appreciate you normal everyday life a little more
-...more

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Aug 05, 2012 Rhiannon Ryder rated it 3 of 5 stars

I love a middle school story with good storytelling and awesome illustrations. The combo is a no-fail in my books and it has the added benefit of being a good enticement to reluctant younger readers who may need the smattering of illustrations to graduate them into novels. Besides, it's just pretty, and who doesn't love a pretty book?

Scary School was an excellent example of a great graduation novel. Filled with funny short anecdotal stories, which come together to tell the greater story of an un...more I love a middle school story with good storytelling and awesome illustrations. The combo is a no-fail in my books and it has the added benefit of being a good enticement to reluctant younger readers who may need the smattering of illustrations to graduate them into novels. Besides, it's just pretty, and who doesn't love a pretty book?

Scary School was an excellent example of a great graduation novel. Filled with funny short anecdotal stories, which come together to tell the greater story of an unusual school and it's quest to participate and win at the annual Ghoul Games, not to mention fabulous illustrations, I can see it winning over all sorts of readers.

The wonky concept of a school accommodating average students as well as ghosts, monsters, vampires, dinosaurs, dragons and many other assorted dangerous creatures, is an excellent set up for the comedy of its successes and failings. Kids die from irritating teachers, or are turned into vampires from asking the wrong questions, but its all told in an amusingly careless tone.
"That afternoon, twenty-nine sets of angry parents stormed into Principal Headcrusher's office.
Randall's dad barked, "I knew his chances of survival weren't good, but on the first day? Come on!"
"Listen," said Principal Headcrusher, "if your child was eaten, it's because he or she directly disobeyed one of Dr. Dragonbreath's very simple rules. You all signed the waiver forms. There's nothing I can do about it!"
I can't imagine a little boy who wouldn't love this, and many bloodthirsty little girls as well. But there are a number of excellent chuckles for older readers also, and an "A" team reference at the end had me chortling away for a good couple of days after finishing it. It was that kind of off the cuff humour that set this book apart for me.

A great read, for a wide range of readers, I highly recommend it for the young reader in your life. I think I'll be sharing my copy with my 6 and 4 year old nephews this spring when we stop in Boston on our way home from the BEA. I can already picture us reading it together.

(less)

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Jun 14, 2012 Lauren rated it 4 of 5 stars

Class is in session for Charles Nukid at Scary School where monsters run amok and being sent to detention could easily land you as lunch for a hungry T. Rex.

Derek the Ghost’s Scary School is an account of a year at the eponymous school, introducing the students and teachers and leading up to the much anticipated (and feared) Ghoul Games. The book takes a chapter with each major character, focusing mostly on Charles but also spreading out so that each character including Derek himself gets some...more

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Jun 10, 2012 Julianna Helms rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: re-read-status, own-arc, recent-favorites, e-stuff, traded-with-awesome-people, read-with-brother

Actual review: Original is here on my blog. I read this book with my brother and it's quite awesome. (Note: due to copy-and-paste, formatting and links have been lost.)

I'm a scaredy cat.

It's an universal fact, really. I get scared outta my wits for the simplest things. But over the years, I've come to discern that there are two types of scary:

1) The OH I AM GOING TO SCARE YOU ALRIGHT type: This one's so common, its ratio to Type 2 is like 99:1. It's the horror movie you're psyched to see and the...more

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May 17, 2012 Miranda Wheeler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Scary School achieves a new level of awesome!!

Ghost-kid Derek is looking for peace in halls filled with goons, ghouls, and monsters of every kind. This school is Topsy-turvy, where the uniform is not wearing the uniform and you're taught by vampires and zombies, nearly eaten by a giant squid on your first day, and detained in detention by an old-lady T-Rex that you certainly don't want to be dining with.

How could you not want to attend?

This book is totally my little brothers' humor, and I tho...more Scary School achieves a new level of awesome!!

Ghost-kid Derek is looking for peace in halls filled with goons, ghouls, and monsters of every kind. This school is Topsy-turvy, where the uniform is not wearing the uniform and you're taught by vampires and zombies, nearly eaten by a giant squid on your first day, and detained in detention by an old-lady T-Rex that you certainly don't want to be dining with.

How could you not want to attend?

This book is totally my little brothers' humor, and I thought of them often while reading it. It's nostalgic in the way that it captures everything people love about being a creepy kid: dinosaurs, monsters, and acting a little weird and incredibly silly. It's clever, it's unique, it's great for any kid (even the really big ones), and it's laugh-out-loud funny! If you're afraid you may might die of laughter, don't worry - Scary School surely has a place for you afterward.

It manages to make light of what could be a traumatic situation (like, well, croaking in the science lab and left with the depressing task of haunting your school), while still managing to pull through with a few important morals and great themes about growing up (and not). Brimming with likable, amusing characters you'd be crazy not to be fond of (like Derek the Ghost or rule-obsessed Charles "New Kid" Nukid), it's a perfect example that reading can absolutely be fun for any age, and an important reminder that being different can be a wonderful thing.

This quick, middle-grade book is adorable in the creepy way. It's a totally fun must-read grown ups will like, too! Fantastic graphics and drawings are woven throughout the pages, with flocks of bats, ghoulish characters, and ghost-pad notebook lines all reiterating the fun feel of the piece. The story is so real it's actually attributed to a character. How can one get more awesome than that? If I had come across it (expecially) in elementary school, I would've been all over this series! Of course even now I completely relate to our ghostly storyteller (there were a few times I would've liked to die in science class, too), and reading it felt like talking to a quirky childhood friend. And hey! If they open the grades, I'll consider enrolling - it would make high school so much less mundane. Scary School considered a great place for academic challenges and curious, revolutionary rules. Plus the staff is quite up-front, peculiar and interesting: you can actually pronounce all of their names (those being true-to-character... and species), and, I've always had a suspicion that most teachers want to eat you - at least at Scary School they're honest about it!

It's an entertaining cross between Scooby Doo, Monster High, and Growing Up Creepy, made for the age group a few levels before The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian. I recommend it for fans of all of the above, plus any kid (or parent) looking for something new! :)(less)

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Apr 01, 2012 Carla-Book Monster Reviews rated it 5 of 5 stars

Review done by Book Monster's Mom, Joanne. :-)

Scary School, by Derek the Ghost, is one of the funniest, craziest books I have ever read. My grandson and I read every day as part of his homework and since my grandson is not an avid reader, I try to find books that will catch his attention. Well, catch his attention it did! We laughed through every page and he actually remembered everything that happened from one end of the book to the other! This is a testament in itself in how entertaining this...more

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Mar 18, 2012 Stephanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

Scary School was a hilarious story filled with a mix of fantastic characters that I have grown to love.

Charles "New Kid" Nukid is in for a big surprise when he starts at Scary School. This school is no ordinary place. Its filled with Vampires, ghosts, a T-Rex and a mix of many other scary creatures. Scary School has a mix of short stories with an underlying main story. Oh, and did I mention its narrated by an eleven year old ghost named Derek! I really loved this book. Although it is a mid-grade...more

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Mar 14, 2012 Heather from NightlyReading rated it 4 of 5 stars

"Fang is the nicest, sweetest teacher at Scary School. She only ate twelve kids last year.”

I do not normally review middle grade books, but this one piqued my interest and the interest of my 8-year-old daughter. Just the fact that the author is Derek The Ghost was enough for us to want to pick up this book.

Derek the ghost is the narrator on our tour through scary school. Charles Nukid is starting at the school and boy is he in for a surprise.

I loved this book and so did my daughter. The illustra...more

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Feb 24, 2012 Tabitha rated it 5 of 5 stars

Scary School is definitely one of the funniest books I've read in a long time. I usually tend to read semi-depressing YA books, so this book was like a breath of fresh air. Even this book is titled Scary School it is the farthest thing from "scary" in my opinion. I guess if I was to think of this in an elementary school kids point of view it could very possibly be scary!

The writing in this book was amazing. It was simple and straight to the point, so younger readers would easily be able to read...more

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Feb 21, 2012 Karen Yingling rated it 3 of 5 stars

Charles Nukid is in for a big surprise when he starts the school year at Scary School. He is almost eaten by a monster that lives in the moat, a T. Rex in a blue dress admonishes him for not wearing the school uniform when he is the only one who is, and his teachers are all monsters of various sorts who don't mind killing a student or two. It's okay, though-- dead students come back as vampires, zombies or even dragons! The school year progresses with a variety of activities (goblins give a play...more

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Feb 15, 2012 Trudy Zufelt rated it 5 of 5 stars

My review as appeared on my blog, http://www.boystobooks.com

From the moment you walk into Scary School, you know it may be the scariest year of your life. That is, if you make it through the first day without being eaten by your teacher, Mr. Dragonbreath, for not obeying all of his nearly impossible class rules. Even if you don't make it through alive, there's always the chance you might come back as a zombie or even a ghost. Being a ghost does have it's advantages, like being able to float arou...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: This book sounded completely cute when I first read the synopsis. I always have an eye out for books I think my niece and nephew will like, especially since I babysit them a few times per week. It is hard to find a book that they will both enjoy, but I thought that this one would work well. My sister and I grew up with a love for reading and we are hoping her children will, too.

Review: Trying to get these kids to...more See My Full Review Here: http://www.hippiesbeautyandbooksohmy....

First Impressions: This book sounded completely cute when I first read the synopsis. I always have an eye out for books I think my niece and nephew will like, especially since I babysit them a few times per week. It is hard to find a book that they will both enjoy, but I thought that this one would work well. My sister and I grew up with a love for reading and we are hoping her children will, too.

Review: Trying to get these kids to sit still is usually one heck of a job. They are active kids, even without being loaded up on sugar. So when I actually got them to sit down with me to read and look through this book, I was pretty impressed. We read the entire book over a two-night span of time and the kids really seemed to enjoy the book. The youngest really loved the illustrations and so did I. They are simple and more old-school then you find in other books, yet very entertaining and effective.

Overall, this book reminded me of Harry Potter quite a bit, just without all of the darkness and killings and stuff that are meant for someone older. The main character is Derek, who happens to be a ghost. Derek is trapped at Scary School until he finishes some unfinished business, which is writing down all of the stories nobody ever told before about Scary School. He writes all of his stories down in a notebook that had endless pages, with a pen that never runs out of ink. This book is composed of introductory stories about Scary School from Derek’s perspective, and it is hinted repeatedly that there are many more stories to come. That aspect is pretty brilliant from a marketing perspective, since it gets kids excited to read more books when they are released.

The characters in this book are so creative! While I really liked Charles Nukid, the new kid at Scary School, my niece loved Mrs. T, the tyrannosaurus who might eat you if you end up in detention, and my nephew loved Mr. Snakeskin, who is a half-zombie science teacher! All of the characters were so enjoyable, unique and memorable. I personally can’t wait to see what the author comes up with next!

Despite the name of the book being called Scary School, this book is barely PG and not very scary at all. In fact, it was quite funny and hilarious most of the time and we were laughing a lot while reading the book. On top of that, this book has some good morals weaved in, which is always a plus when reading to a child. As for the level of difficulty when it comes to the reading level, it is challenging and I do think it would require help from an adult to finish the book. Some of the words that were used would be very challenging I think to younger readers. Plus, this book is over 200 pages long and to a child, that is huge amount of pages.

Final Thoughts: I highly recommend picking up a copy of Scary School! I think that this book is a great start to a wonderful new series for younger readers. I even enjoyed it! It is just too cool and funny not to love, even at my age. My little readers loved it too, so that is saying a lot! All of us are very much looking forward to the next book in the series which comes out in June of this year! (less)

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Jan 30, 2012 Kathy Ann Coleman rated it 4 of 5 stars

My Rating: <3 <3 <3 <3
Great!

*A copy of the book was provided to me for review purposes by the author. Thank you!

I've often inquired whether those who read my blog would object to the idea of my reviewing things outside of the scope of YA fiction. At the same time, I have never actually went through with this. Until now. Scary School, by Derek the Ghost, is a Middle Grade novel. Personally, I really enjoyed this book. But as both a reader and a writer I did have to recognize certain...more

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Jan 21, 2012 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012

Somewhere in the United States is Scary School; the first school for humans and monsters together. Scary School by Derek the Ghost and illustrated by Scott M. Fischer details one full year at Scary School. The kids at the school are getting ready for the Ghoul Games but preparing for them means surviving the year at Scary School.

In this book you'll meet the staff of the school. There's Ms. Fang, an 850 year old vampire whose bite is much worse then her bark. Then there's Mr. Snakeskin, the sci...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Cathie rated it 5 of 5 stars

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 Ghos...more 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!(less)

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Jan 07, 2012 NebraskaIcebergs rated it 4 of 5 stars

Scary School is about the most unusual school (next to Hogwarts of course) that you’ll likely encounter. At the school’s front entrance is a large, dark moat without any visible way to cross. If you attempt to swim, like new kid Charles did, a giant and slimy tentacle might shoot out the murky water and wrap itself around you. Should you survive, you next might encounter the hall monitor Mr. Spider Eyes who, yes, has that name for a reason. Where most people have just two eyes, he has one hundre...more Scary School is about the most unusual school (next to Hogwarts of course) that you’ll likely encounter. At the school’s front entrance is a large, dark moat without any visible way to cross. If you attempt to swim, like new kid Charles did, a giant and slimy tentacle might shoot out the murky water and wrap itself around you. Should you survive, you next might encounter the hall monitor Mr. Spider Eyes who, yes, has that name for a reason. Where most people have just two eyes, he has one hundred tiny eyes. And, if you’re lucky (which you have been if you’ve made it to your first class alive), you’ll have Ms. Fang as your teacher. But don’t worry, she’s only eaten twelve of her students. In contrast, the other fifth-grade teacher, Mr. Dragonbreath, ate his entire class on the first day. This might sound gruesome, but is instead wacky and weird thanks to some adept crafting by the author. But more about that later.

If you were to open up Scary School to the table of contents, you would find a listing of twenty-three chapters. You’ll also soon see that the chapters average around ten to fifteen pages. The print is of a bigger size too. All these things make Scary School feel like a chapter book. As you start to delve into each chapter, however, you’ll realize something else. The introduction is about our narrator Derek, the first chapter is about our presumed hero Charles, but the second chapter is about Mrs. Fang, the third is about Nurse Hairymoles, and so the cast grows. If you read far enough, you’ll discover that the lives of all of these characters do truly connect. Still, reading chapter-length stories about each of the fifteen plus characters sometimes makes Scary School feel like a short story collection. But more about that after the next paragraph.

Now about that author…. He’s a ghost. Derek the Ghost is an eleven-year-old ghost who haunts the classrooms and hallways of Scary School, writing down all the spine-tingling often hilarious things that go on there. Or is the author really Derek Taylor Kent, a “first-time ghost whisperer” with whom Derek the Ghost communicates?

So as I was saying, I was initially put off a little by the many “short stories” about the many, many characters. I was also taken aback by the sudden change in perspective in the first chapter. One minute Derek the Ghost is telling us: “It’s not often that a new kid arrives at Scary School, but when one does…..” The next minute, we’re reading Charles’ thoughts: “How am I supposed to swim across?” Up until now, I thought we were inside Derek’s head only and so this new viewpoint threw me. As did the chapter about Petunia, because it’s so sad that it feels creepy instead of wacky. Over all though, Scary School is one hilarious book. Where else are you going to find a tyrannosaurus dressed in a blue dress? In what other school can you get in trouble for wearing the school uniform, because no student had ever worn it before and so none of the teachers knew what it looked like and so they assumed that not wearing the uniform was the school uniform. Sound illogical? You bet! But it makes for a wickedly insane and hilarious book. But more about that later.

Let’s talk for a moment about the violence in the book. First off, there’s the explanation offered by our ghost narrator: “You’re probably thinking this book isn’t going to be wholesome at all. Well, don’t worry; just because a kid dies at Scary School, it doesn’t mean that he or she will stay dead.” Second, as that quote should have proven, Scary School is so tongue-in-cheek that no kid will ever take it serious and so neither should adults. One of the funniest (and most violent) chapters is about the aforementioned Mr. Dragonbreath. His name doesn’t just describe his breath. He’s also a nine-foot dragon who never smiles but makes clear that his teeth are for one thing: eating fresh meat. At the start of the new kid’s year at school, Mr. Dragonbreath announces that all the class has to do to survive is follow five simple rules. Then he proceeds to do a song-and-dance with them, where he reads a rule, a student breaks it, and he excuses them just this one time. He follows up by telling them to read the final rule, which he merely points to: “Rule Number Five: This is the forbidden rule. No student is allowed to read this rule.” Ah, we had such hopes that his class would survive. Actually, two of them do, but you’ll need to read chapter six to learn their secret.

Now let’s return to the humor. I need to let you know that there’s a point to Scary School than one laugh after another. True, the crazy situations tend to predominate. That’s why when I first read about the real reason bugs fly off Petunia, I felt disturbed instead of sad. Yet eventually I grew used to the idea that Scary School also had some lessons to share. I appreciated the bittersweet story of puck-scarred Jason—who, yes, is a fun play on his movie counterpart and has a hockey mask to prove it. I also loved every chapter about the Ghoul Games.

As for what happens in all of these stories, you’ll have to check them out for yourself. There will be no “more about that later,” an often used phrase in the book. It refers to adventures to happen in future chapters or even books. You see, Derek Taylor Kent is a smart writer who knows what is popular with a younger audience and what carrots to tantalize them with. At the same time, he well remembers what it felt like to be the new kid, to be eleven, and to see school as something to survive. And so there are tender moments mixed in with the ghoulish ones, which should heighten the appeal of Scary School even to adults. Basically, everyone will be happy to know that there will be more books.(less)

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Jan 05, 2012 Holly rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: children, fantasy, fiction, read-in-2011, young-adult

Scary School sure is a crazy place! Poor "New Kid" Charles has no idea what's coming to him on the morning he first steps in front of Scary School, only to be greeted by the crazy giant squid living in the moat surrounding the building. Author Derek Kent (also known as Derek the Ghost) creates a fully imaginative world where the most mundane details become twisted and spooky, luring readers in to see just what will happen next at Scary School.

This debut novel introduces us to all that Scary Sch...more

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Dec 27, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This novel was aimed for younger readers than my usually reads, but I'm really glad I read it because it was so much fun. Scary School is a mixed school of humans and monsters. While you may learn a lot from the fang baring, fire breathing staff, at the same time you could always be eaten by your teacher for giving the wrong answer. This novel had such a unique concept and I think it will appeal to younger readers. It was action-packed, fast-paced, and there was always something usual happening....more

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Dec 20, 2011 E rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Scary School by Derek The Ghost, author Derek Taylor Kent and Illustrated by Scott M. Fisher, is the story of a year in a truly unusual school. I know of no other school that has a moat and a drawbridge. It is a place where a T. rex who wears a blue dress is both the librarian and detention room monitor. Another staff member, Mr Turtlesnaps claims to have been a friend of Darwin as well as being the recipient of his books.
The book is narrated by Derek. an eleven year old ghost who is unable to...more

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Dec 11, 2011 Beverly rated it 4 of 5 stars

My thoughts:
Original, witty, clever, creative, silly, and a little twisted - all wrapped up in a great little story about what it means to be friends.
It's filled with scary monsters, crazy humans, terrifying teachers, a bunch of dead kids and a load of life lessons. The kids will be laughing from the very start.
I enjoyed the story. It's a bit silly for the adult in me, a bit twisted for the parent in me, and wonderful for the kid in me. I am sure that this book will be a huge hit with middle sc...more

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Dec 06, 2011 Krystal rated it 4 of 5 stars

Looking for a children's book this Christmas? This book might be a great gift for a young boy or middle grade reader. The illustrations added that perfect bit to the book that brought it to a higher level; it was easier to picture the characters, plots, and scenes and any young reader will appreciate the illustrations. The characters are inventive, as well as their names; the characters are very memorable over all.

The events are perfectly paced for a younger reader. The plot was easy to follow...more

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Nov 16, 2011 Courtney rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: kid-friendly, for-review

One of my favorite books as a young kid was Sideway Stories from Wayside School and Scary School reminded me a lot of that book!! It was similar in layout and style but completely different in content! In Scary School by Derek the Ghost you have chapters pretty much dedicated to getting to know the characters!! Each one is about someone Derek is talking about but then they flow easily in to the next chapter!! I had a really great time reading this book!! The characters are all fun, unique and bi...more

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Oct 12, 2011 Eric Schwartz rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Age 6-12

Recommended to Eric by: Derek Kent (aka Derek the Ghost)

Do you remember your first day at a new school? It was a scary experience, wasn’t it? You didn’t know anybody, you didn’t know where anything is at, and just your luck you had the really mean teacher with the hairy wart on her nose. Well, welcome to Scary School where a hairy wart is the least of your worries. That’s because at Scary School regular boys and girls attend class with scary kids, and those classes are taught by scary teachers.

Yeah, you heard me…head crushing, blood sucking, fire bre...more Do you remember your first day at a new school? It was a scary experience, wasn’t it? You didn’t know anybody, you didn’t know where anything is at, and just your luck you had the really mean teacher with the hairy wart on her nose. Well, welcome to Scary School where a hairy wart is the least of your worries. That’s because at Scary School regular boys and girls attend class with scary kids, and those classes are taught by scary teachers.

Yeah, you heard me…head crushing, blood sucking, fire breathing, curse casting scary people. And, that is just a drop in the moat of scariness found at Scary School.

At Scary School it is common for a student to be eaten by teacher or be turned into a scary kid yourself. In fact, you’re considered lucky if you survive the first day of school. If that’s not scary enough the school is hosting this year’s Ghoul Games, and a new rule makes your chances of surviving the school year even harder. So, join your host (and former student) Derek the Ghost as he shares with you the wonderful and delightfully scary world of Scary School.

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Derek Kent wrote Scary School from the perspective of his penname Derek the Ghost. DtG unfortunately perished when one of his teacher’s experiments went terribly wrong. Now he wonders the halls of the school as a ghost pursuing a hobby he’s always loved…writing. As you read Scary School you’ll notice that it is not written in a structured timeline. Early in the book characters and stories are presented randomly with only the loosest connection to previous chapters, if any at all. In fact, it reads more like an anthology or like you’re flipping through the author’s notes rather than a seamlessly connected novel. Eventually, a central (or main) conflict emerges, and some of these random stories begin coming together.

BUT, don’t let this deter you from reading this book. I still found it to be very entertaining. The humor in Scary School is very simple, which makes sense being that the target audience is 3-5 graders. Yet, I still found myself chuckling with every turn of the page (like the way DtG nonchalantly tells how a teacher eats one of their students like it’s a normal thing.) All the characters are entertaining and imaginative. Their hilarious stories will keep your kids laughing and you smiling in amusement. The artwork by Scott M. Fischer is great and definitely bumps up the entertainment value. Older kids will love reading it, and younger kids will love it while you remain entertained by read it to them. If you enjoy this book then you should read his first book Rudy and the Beast: My Homework Ate My Dog! (I personally think it is his best book)(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Splash Of Our Worlds *Yiota* rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: must-buy-printed

It's probably impossible to describe how awesome this book is? So what if it's for kids and has illustrations in? That makes it even better!! It totally made my day :)

Sample Illustrations by Scott Fischer

Scary School is a book written by Derek the Ghost. After he died, he decided to write a book about Scary School. The School which he died into and tell us what happens after his death. We get to learn about the interesting-scary teachers, the students (humans & scary monsters ), and the Ghou...more

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About Derek The Ghost

Derek is an eleven-year-old ghost who haunts the classrooms and hallways of Scary School, writing down all the spine-tingling often hilarious things that go on there. Despite his ghostly state, Derek still enjoys reading comic books and hopes to one day become a master ninja. If that doesn’t work out, he will continue to share the fun of this very special, very secret school, so all kids can exper...more

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Monsters on the March (Scary School, #2)

Rudy and the Beast - Book One: My Homework Ate My Dog!

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“Ms. Fang is the nicest, sweetest teacher at Scary School. She only ate twelve kids last year.” — 7 people liked it

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