Cartoon Saturday- Scare School

Lerner, Jarret. Welcome to Scare School (1)
July 16, 2024 by Aladdin
E ARC Provided by Edelweiss Plus

Bash is worried about going off to boarding school. His older sister Bella was a big success, but Bash struggles with making friends and with "ghost stuff", and has trouble becoming invisible and passing through walls. He's also apprehensive about sharing a bedroom and living away from home. When he finally arrives at the school, he meets the staff, which includes Headmaster Dave, Mr. Crane, who is a ghost, Ms. Graves, a witch, and Ms. Scully, the librarian. They seem okay, but Bash has doubts about some of the students, like vampires Vlad and Vicky. He gets along well with Itsy, the spider, and is pleased to find that the two are roommates. Each school session is two weeks long, and after that students can go home, but before that, there are Creature Aptitude tests that must be passed or students will have to leave. As much as Bash has studied, he still doesn't feel good about his chances. His sister, who has an internship haunting a house, writes to encourage him, and Itsy does a lot of studying and helps Bash prepare. With his future at Scare School in the balance, will Bash be able to successfully pass two of his three tests?

Strengths: Lerner is a big proponent of art in schools, and connects with young readers and teachers alike with his distinctive style. Like his Hunger Heroes books, Scare School addresses realistic concerns that children might have about testing, school, and making friends. Bash struggles with many issues, but is able to make friends, study for his tests, and even be a force of good in his school. It will be interesting to see what future volumes will explore. This reminded me in the best way of Jane Thayer's classic 1962 Gus Was a Friendly Ghost. 
Weaknesses: Bash's sister Bella finds a typewriter to use to write him letters, and types them on notebook paper. The odds of finding a typewriter with a working ribbon are very slim, and typing on notebook paper is difficult. That said, I may have, um, five or six typewriters in my school library that I found at thrift store back when they were priced at $6.00. Now, if one appears, it is likely a showcase item that runs $75! 
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who liked spooky titles with lots of pictures, like Hegearty and Owen's  Lumberjackula, Rivadeneira and Jones' FrankinSchool, or the rebooted Dadey and Jones The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids.