Little Ghoul Goes to School: A Sweet and Funny Story About Being Nervous for Kids

by Jef Czekaj

Perfect for back-to-school and Halloween promotions, this is a funny and sweet story about a monster’s first day of school by Jef Czekaj, the popular author-illustrator of Cat Secrets.

Little Ghoul is nervous about her first day of school. Her mom assures her that it will be great: The teachers will be scary. The lunch will be revolting! And the other classmates will be spine-tingling and creepy.

But what if Little Ghoul’s greatest fears come true—and everyone is nice?

In this hilariously silly take on a monster’s first day, Little Ghoul learns that school can be fun for creatures of every kind.

Genres: Picture Books, School, Monsters, Halloween, Back To School, Childrens, Storytime

32 pages, Hardcover

Published June 15, 2021

About the author

Jef Czekaj is a cartoonist, children's book author and illustrator, and musician.

Jef has written and/or illustrated 12 books with titles like Hip and Hop Don't Stop!, Cat Secrets, A Call for a New Alphabet, and Austin, Lost in America.

His books have been named Junior Library Guild selections, designated "Must Read" by the Massachusetts Center for the Book, and won awards with names like the Black-Eyed Susan Book Award and the Young Hoosier Book Award.

His comic, Grampa and Julie: Shark Hunters, ran in Nickelodeon Magazine for more than 10 years. A collection of the first three years of the comic was published with the help of a Xeric Foundation Grant and distributed byTop Shelf.

Jef lives and works in Somerville, MA.

BTW, Czekaj is pronounced "check-eye"!

Reviews

[Jesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

How could I not love a first day of school story that flips all those nerves into humor? And how could I not love a story that prominently features a badass librarian with tats and excellent book recs as the epitome of cool?!

[Kip · Rating 5 out of 5]

This may be the very best picture book ever. This had me cackling at every turn.

[Amity · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am contractually obligated to give any book with an awesome librarian character at least 4 stars. Miss Shelley is a queen and I want to see The Goth Kittens in concert ASAP.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

We discovered this absolute gem of a book in our local library this past weekend. (Thank you rainy day!) My six year old son cannot get enough of it. This is one of the funniest children’s books I’ve ever read. It was like a breath of fresh air to truly enjoy the humor of this book. It also helps kids explore their relationship to school and what it is that they expect when they get there.

[Shanley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be hilariously unexpected, and loved the nod to librarians

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect book for back to school leading into the fall season. Readers meet Little Ghoul who is nervous about their first day. Readers see them go to school and everything is nice and so is everyone. It's more than the Little Ghoul can stand. They start screaming and realize it's a nightmare. Readers then get to see their real first day and it is just as horrible as they hoped.
So much fun and humor to share with elementary classes.

[Shaye Miller · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little ghoul doesn’t want a normal day of school, so when she goes to bed and dreams up how the day she’s disappointed. Never fear, the school librarian will come to her rescue! The artist used ink on paper and digitally colored in Adobe Photoshop to create the illustrations for this book.

For more children's literature, middle grade literature, and YA literature reviews, feel free to visit my personal blog at The Miller Memo!!

[Elaine Fultz, Teacher Librarian, MLS · Rating 2 out of 5]

Little ghoul is terrified that school is going to be all clean and goody-goody and that’s exactly what he experiences, but it’s a dream. School is as repulsive as she was hoping. A tattooed librarian is the same in both the dream and reality ‘cuz she’s just bad*%s. This will circ at start of school and October, but it’s not anything special.

[Sarah Brooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked the Edward Gory reference. It’s going to be lost on so many people. It was kinda cute. An opposite situation to a normal kid having a nightmare about the worst possible first day of school. It was cute.

[Marla · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a fun book to read with older elementary kids (maybe 1-3 grade?), but certainly not with kindergartners or sensitive first graders. The little ones may end up more afraid of school than before!

[Marla at the Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

This would be a fun book to read with older elementary kids (maybe 1-3 grade?), but certainly not with kindergartners or sensitive first graders. The little ones may end up more afraid of school than before!

[Miss Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this preschool and up book about a should imagining going to school an how things can go right and wrong but in different funny ways.

[Nessa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ages: K - 1st

Book was cute about a monster having a great first day at school which was the opposite of what he was expecting!

[kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

the highlight is by far the librarian!!!

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Little Ghoul has a dreadful first day at school which is just how she likes it.

[Katherine C. Hirstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

The end redeemed the book for me.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It wasn't my favorite. I rounded up because my son loves it.

[Lisa D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't find this story that entertaining, but my daughter loves it and keeps re-checking it out from our library.