Scary School is a silly, entertaining book full of helpful information like why you can't always remember names and other "life lessons". The book is narrated by Derek, an eleven-year-old ghost. He tells all about the crazy monster teachers who eat students and parents who are excited about their students turning into dragons.

There really is a plot, but the book is full of silly nonsense that will appeal to young readers. I giggled a few times myself. Such as when Scary School is selected as the host for the Annual Ghoul Games, the children have to decide what games they want to use for the competition.

"I'm going to play basketball," said Johnny.
"I'm going to play hopscotch," said Lindsey.
"I'm going to play dead," said Penny Possum.

Or this: Mrs. T often goes hunting to supply lunch for the school chef, Sue the Amazing Octo-Chef. One day Sue requested a dodo bird for a Thanksgiving menu.

"It made sense since dodoes are kind of like giant turkeys, only much more extinct."

There is also just enough "icky" to appeal to the middle-grade crowd. I especially liked the biology teacher who could remove his skin to give the students a real-life view of muscles and organs. (I was concerned that this might be too much for my Aspie son who has real issues with any body-related "icky" stuff, but he loved the book and just thought that scene was cool.)

The 10-year-old's review
I always let my son read the MG books I get, because when you're buying a book for a kid, who cares whether an adult likes it? (I did warn him about the "icky" stuff I was worried about.)

I really liked this book! I hope there are more in the series! My favorite part was the three "Rachels".

I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. ( )

If you like funny books with unique characters then you will be enchanted by Scary School by Derek the Ghost. Derek is a character that I could easily relate to because he is nice and does like to help other people. Plus he is witty and tells the story with such honesty. The school is definitely dangerous, but even with all of the deaths it wasn’t very gruesome. I thought the names of the teachers in the book were very creative. There were also drawings to go with each chapter, which added a lot to the book. It was fun to see if the monsters looked like what I imagined them to look like. As this is the first one in a series and I am definitely looking forward to reading the next book which is already out. This is a great book for people ages 8 and up. It is a perfect book to read during the spooky months of October and November, but it can be enjoyed at any time of year. Not only will you laugh out loud, but you will learn a few lessons from Derek the Ghost along the way, too. ( )

Now you might be thinking that a book for Middle Grade isn't for you. That you're too old to enjoy a book entitled Scary School. That, my friends, is where you'd be wrong. I have no qualms at all with telling you straight out that I adored this book! Yes, I'm in my late twenties. You know what though? Derek the Ghost is one heck of a narrator, and the stories in this book are pure awesome. Fan girl ramblings shall now ensue. You've been warned.

From page one Scary School is pure madness in the best way possible! If you've ever been to Wayside School, you'll know that sometimes the sheer ridiculousness of the stories is what really the draw. I found myself giggling through chapter after chapter of hilarious happenings. The teachers here won't just discipline you, they might actually eat you! Never fear though, you'll probably come back as a zombie, or a vampire, or you know, something else. Your best friend might be named Frank (pronounced Rachel) and you might even get in trouble for reading something you shouldn't have. In a word, being a student at Scary School is, well, scary!

The characters here are all vivid and so much fun. Scott M. Fischer's illustrations really bring them to life, and I found myself laughing out loud over the pictures more than once. After all, who doesn't love a T-rex in a dress? Lest you think that this is all just silliness though, I can assure you that there are actually very important lessons hidden in all the fun. Charles and his friends teach readers to be kind, to listen carefully, to be good friends, and even not to judge people for what they look like. Lessons and laughs? How can you go wrong?

If you have a reluctant reader at home, this is a book to put into their hands. The stories will make them laugh, the illustrations will delight them, and I'll guarantee that you won't be able to get them to stop talking about how funny it all is. I will happily admit that I'm a fan. Derek, you have me on board. I'm ready for more! ( )

For me Scary School was a meeting and meshing of Harry Potter, Diary of a Wimpy Kid and The Black Lagoon series. This sort of meshing leads to a witty and interesting read. With each chapter the reader is introduced to all sorts of scary yet very funny creatures and I can promise that you will think about them afterwards. The book is full of really awesome illustrations so that the reader doesn’t just have to imagine what each character really looks like, they can see for themselves. I think my favorite character was Jason, the kid who always wears a hockey mask and has the hots for Ms. Fang. I’m assuming this is a shout out to another Jason we all know, so it is funny to see him in a different light.

I thought the writing was really fun to read. It was more conversational and quirky than anything else. My favorite line is the following: “If you can remember more than fifty names, that means you have a superbrain and there’s no excuses for not getting straight As” (2). Looks like I have no excuse.

Overall, this was a little bit hard for me to get through, mainly because I am really not the intended audience. I really think the audience that would most enjoy the tale of Scary School would be boys between the ages of eight-twelve. ( )

This book takes you through a year at Scary School, where werewolves, zombies, and humans mingle and the teachers range from dragons to vampires.