It’s been a while since the kids went back to school and some may already be grumbling about homework, that teacher, or uncomfortable chairs. They may be interested in reading about schools they really don’t want to attend.
If your child doesn’t like the cafeteria food, give them The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy by Nikki Loftin. What if your old school burned down and over the weekend a brand new glorious school appeared complete with a playground that even had zip lines. And as for the food, everything is delicious and all-you-can-eat. Snacks are encouraged and there are bowls of candy on your desk. You can talk and text in class and you don’t have to raise your hand to go to the bathroom. Too good to be true? Of course. But how do Lorelei and Andrew convince the other students?
If you have a middle school kid who enjoys a truly creepy tale now and then, like I do, give them The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet S. Fox. In order to protect them from the bombing of London during WWII, children are sent to a boarding school in a dark, old, castle in Scotland. Of course, nothing is as it seems with a sense of evil magic everywhere especially about the headmistress, Lady Eleanor. When classmates disappear and there is evidence of a Nazi spy at the school, can the logical Katherine use her skills solving puzzles when things get desperate?
For younger readers, try Eerie Elementary. In this beginning reader series, hall monitor Sam Graves and his friends, Lucy and Antonio, have more to do than just make sure kids have a hall pass. They have to protect the students from a playground that turns into a jungle, attacking fire hoses and vending machine, and exploding science fair projects. Then there are the monsters of Stermont Elementary in the Notebook of Doom. Alexander, Rip and Nikki form the Super Secret Monster Patrol to save the school, and the town, from some most unusual monsters.
For more books about schools you hopefully won’t find in your school district, try this list or stop by your neighborhood Johnson County Library.
