Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive

I’ve been testing out Scholastic’s new Branches title, Eerie Elementary: The School is Alive recommended for grades 1-3 with several classes. This should speak to its quality: before I read it to a class, I feel obligated to make a public service announcement, “If you feel uncomfortable at any point, you’re welcome to get up, get a drink, take a walk, or find a book to read somewhere else in the library.” So far, nobody’s left but several second graders definitely gripped a neighbor for support. 

Sam is Eerie’s newest hall monitor, a position he’s none too excited about. Little does he know the job responsibilities go far beyond reminding his friends to be in class on time. Hand selected by Mr. Nekobi, the aging grounds keeper, Sam quickly discovers that his job isn’t keeping students punctual, it’s keeping them alive. Eerie Elementary eats children and it hasn’t been fed in a very long time. With Mr. Nekobi aging and his replacement still new, the school knows it’s the perfect time to strike. 

Unlike Goosebumps, this one gets scary in a hurry. It doesn’t take more than ten pages to find some seriously creepy scenes. One at a time locker doors slam open and shut forcing Sam into the clutches of the gnarled oak tree outside. Everyone else may hear the ticking of the clock but only same can hear the tick-tocks morph into the ba-bumps of a beating heart. 

This is an amazing step for early chapter books. Short but vivid sentences, engaging illustrations, and brilliant pacing throughout captures the ability and attention of even the most hesitant readers.