Review of Scary School by Derek The Ghost

Title: Scary School
Author: Derek The Ghost
Published by: HarperCollins
Pages: 237
Source: Author
Format: Hardcover
Rating: ★★★★

Summary From Goodreads: 
You think your school's scary?

Get a load of these teachers:
Ms. Fang, an 850-year-old vampire
Dr. Dragonbreath, who just might eat you before recess
Mr. Snakeskin—science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie
Mrs. T—break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex!

Plus
Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose The world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch

And
The narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost!

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.

This story is a told by Derek the Ghost who was once a student at Scary School.  The story revolves around all the students at Scary School and their unique abilities.  I really enjoyed that the author was part of the story.  We do get to learn a little about how Derek became a ghost, but mostly Derek the Ghost talks about what is happening in preparation for the Ghoul Games where the students will face off against other schools in various games.  The only problem is that the other schools enroll only monsters and the winners get the choice of eating the losers.

While this novel reminded me of the Wayside School novels with the quirkiness, it still felt like it was missing that spark to make it spectacular.  Don't get me wrong, it was a great story and I was laughing throughout reading it, so I'm guessing it has more to do with me and my age, than the story itself.  If I could transport myself back to about 10 years old, I would have fallen in love with this story.  For me there were a couple of things that got a bit repetitive, like Derek the Ghost telling us that we would learn more about that in the next book, etc. 

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and would recommend it for older children and preteens or anyone who likes a quirky and fun story.