It Could Be Worse! My School Stinks by Becky Scharnhorst

 

DEAR DIARY,

TOMORROW IS MY FIRST DAY AT MY NEW SCHOOL. MOM AND DAD TOLD ME TO TAKE DEEP BREATHS.

IT ISN'T WORKING.

His seatmate smells like a skunk! His locker mate is a croc. His teacher is a real bear. And the monkey bars are full of... MONKEYS!

The next morning he tries faking red spots all over. But his fake stick-on spots don't fool Mom.

But Wildwood Elementary is a ZOO! A beaver eats his pencils. A gorilla grooms his hair, looking for tasty bugs. Only Mr. Fuzzybottom, a mouse, is friendly. So naturally Mr. Fuzzbottom disappears under suspicious circustances.

I SUSPECT SAMMY THE SNAKE, BUT HE SAYS HE WAS STILL DIGESTING FROM LAST WEEK'S BREAKFAST.

And when our boy tries to make friends by sharing his cupcakes, Charlie the Crocodile bites his finger. But Nurse Molly gives him a bandaid and some good news:

"YOU CAN'T GET RABIES FROM A CROCODILE. I ASKED."

It's a jungle out there, in Becky Scharnhorst's latest, My School Stinks! (Philomel Books, 2021).

Our young scholar finds a way to adapt to his new school. After all, Betsy the Beaver has stopped chewing up his pencils and just sharpens them for him daily. His class job is cleaning the closet, where he finds dead bugs to trade with Sammy the Snake for all his desserts in the lunchroom.

And Mom and Dad finally believe him when they come to OPEN HOUSE!

Artwork by illustrator Julia Patton backs up the scene at Wildwood Elementary with jolly spot art that pictures the beastly goings-on, and Scharnhorst's Wildwood Elementary School tale provides an introduction to comic scary school stories like the classic The Teacher from the Black Lagoon series.

What to Wear! Annie and Snowball and the Dress-Up Birthday by Cynthia Rylant

It was almost Annie's birthday. This year she had her new bunny, Snowball.

Annie wanted to invite her family--her dad and Snowball, and her cousin Henry, and his parents--and of course Henry's big dog Mudge. She phoned Henry and told him that her party was on Tuesday.

"Dad is going to make all my favorite foods--finger sandwiches and lemon tarts and strawberries dipped in chocolate!

And it's going to be a dress-up birthday!"

Henry couldn't wait to dress up Mudge!

On Tuesday Annie's house was all dressed up, too, with daisies and yellow balloons and fancy finger foods arranged on pretty plates. Annie was wearing a frilly pink satin dress with matching tights and bows in her hair. Snowball even had a little bow on her fluffy tail.

Annie's dad was in a tuxedo!

At last it was time for her guests to arrive.

The doorbell rang.

And there stood a pirate, a gypsy, a mummy, and a moose!

"Dress-up" has more than one meaning, as Annie finds out when Henry, his parents, and his big dog Mudge arrive, all dressed up in costumes for her party, in Annie and Snowball and the Dress-up Birthday (Level 1) (Simon Spotlight). In this early reader story in her series about Annie and Henry, notable author Cynthia Rylant and artist Sucie Stevenson combine their skills to tell a funny story of mixed-up meanings that ends with a good laugh and a perfect birthday party and a happy fortune for the birthday girl told by the Gypsy, a.k.a. Henry's mom. Learning to read is fun when you do it with friends like Henry and Annie. Newbery author Rylant is the author of several outstanding early reader series besides the Annie and Snowball series--the Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Mr. Putter and Tabby.

Be My Guest! Scare B and B (Vampirina) by Chelsea Beyl

This is Vampirina Hauntley. Her friends call her Vee.

This is Vampirina's house. It's also a Scare B and B.

Vee's house is specially styled with the latest creepy accouterments for their clientele, who frankly tend to be on the spooky side themselves. Her mom has advertised on the WorldWideCobweb, and the family is all set to greet their very first bed and breakfast guests, Edna, Edgar, and their daughter Poppy, who need a place to stay while their house is being painted.

Poppy knows Vampirina is a vampire. Edna and Edgar do not.

That's ONE problem.

But Poppy knows Vampirina and is glad to share her bedroom, and Edna and Edgar find the guest room charmingly quaint.

But then Vampirina's two grown-up sisters fly in unexpectedly, weird as ever, and expecting a warm welcome and appropriately weird accommodations for themselves.

Now the Hauntleys have humans and vampires, but only one guest room!

Now that is ANOTHER problem.

Vampirina has an idea. Since vampires are active at night and humans are busy all day, perhaps the Hauntleys can arrange for both sets of guests to, er, share, the room--without their knowing it, of course! Poppy agrees to help. Can they carry off their their double-booking plan?

There are plenty of laughs along the way in Chelsea Beyl's World of Reading: Vampirina Scare B and B: Level 1 with Stickers (World of Reading: Level 1) (Disney Press, 2017). The young hostess and her friend show their mettle in their two-timing plan, with a lot of near misses, quick thinking, and humorous scenes, and beginning readers will find this one an intriguing independent read. Artist Jeff King provides the funny sight gags and visual cues that help primary readers keep up on the action, and a stay with the Hauntleys is one bed and breakfast experience that is definitely unique.  A fun book for young would-be Halloween vampires to cut their read alone teeth on.

For the upcoming scary season, this one also pairs well with the first book in this series, Vampirina Going Batty and together or separately, these inexpensive paperbacks (with stickers) make nice "treats" for the Halloween pumpkin for a favorite creepy costumed kid.