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Table of Contents
About The Book
A young ghost tries his best to fit in with the rest of the ghouls in this sweet and spooky chapter book by acclaimed author Jarrett Lerner.
Bash, a young ghost who’s never been good at “ghost stuff” is heading off to Scare School, the world’s leading institution for elementary scare instruction, and he’s not happy about it. In fact, he’s kind of scared! His older sister Bella, precocious in every way, was a star student there and he knows the classes are hard and the teachers are tough.
Even before his first day of school, Bash is worried about how he’s going to make it through the rigorous curriculum when he hasn’t been able to get the hang of basics like making himself invisible or passing through walls (without bonking his head!). Will the young ghost get booooted out of Scare School?
Bash, a young ghost who’s never been good at “ghost stuff” is heading off to Scare School, the world’s leading institution for elementary scare instruction, and he’s not happy about it. In fact, he’s kind of scared! His older sister Bella, precocious in every way, was a star student there and he knows the classes are hard and the teachers are tough.
Even before his first day of school, Bash is worried about how he’s going to make it through the rigorous curriculum when he hasn’t been able to get the hang of basics like making himself invisible or passing through walls (without bonking his head!). Will the young ghost get booooted out of Scare School?
Excerpt
For all of the fearless school librarians
PRIVATE
Do NOT turn another page…
…OR ELSE!
MY SCHEDULE
Student: Bash (ghost)
Homeroom: Graves
Period
Class
1
Introduction to Scare Tactics with Ms. Graves
2
Cackles, Laughs, and other
3
Human Behavior with Headmaster Dave
4
Lunch with Captain Loosebeard
5
Advanced Creeping and Crawling with Prof. Snekk
6
Philosophy of Fear with Ms. Scully
7
Creature Intensive with Mr. Crane
Sunday
Tomorrow is my first day at Scare School. Dad’s dropping me off in the morning. And since this is my TOTALLY PRIVATE notebook that no one else is going to read EVER, I guess I can say…
I’m kind of SCARED.
Which is kinda silly, I know. kids go to Scare School to learn how to BE SCARY, not to BE SCARED.
But I can’t help it. I’ve just never been very good at all the GHOST STUFF.
Dad says I’m just a late bloomer. He says I’ll learn my skills in no time, and that being at Scare School will help. He says the teachers there are the best of the best, and that soon enough I’ll be as scary a ghost as any. He also keeps talking about how I’m going to make SO MANY friends….
But I’m not so sure about all that. And maybe the friend thing especially. I haven’t spent much time around creatures my own age. And every time I have? Well, let’s just say it never goes well.
Dad also keeps bringing up my sister.
“Bella went to Scare School,” he says. “She loved it!”
And yeah, I know. But that’s because Bella is Bella.
Bella was passing through brick walls as a baby. She could go invisible for a whole day by the time she was four. (She used to do it all the time when she didn’t want to play with me.) Sometimes I think Bella was born with so much talent, there was none left over for ME.
Another thing I’m kind of worried about is that I’m going to have a ROOMMATE. That means I have to share a bedroom with somebody else FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR! AND I DON’T EVEN GET TO PICK WHO IT’S GOING TO BE!
But I have one more night here at home with Dad. So for now, I’m just going to focus on that.
Last dinner at home with Dad (we are all my favorite things)
(I just realized all my favorite foods start with the letter p….)
PRIVATE
Do NOT turn another page…
…OR ELSE!
MY SCHEDULE
Student: Bash (ghost)
Homeroom: Graves
Period
Class
1
Introduction to Scare Tactics with Ms. Graves
2
Cackles, Laughs, and other
3
Human Behavior with Headmaster Dave
4
Lunch with Captain Loosebeard
5
Advanced Creeping and Crawling with Prof. Snekk
6
Philosophy of Fear with Ms. Scully
7
Creature Intensive with Mr. Crane
Sunday
Tomorrow is my first day at Scare School. Dad’s dropping me off in the morning. And since this is my TOTALLY PRIVATE notebook that no one else is going to read EVER, I guess I can say…
I’m kind of SCARED.
Which is kinda silly, I know. kids go to Scare School to learn how to BE SCARY, not to BE SCARED.
But I can’t help it. I’ve just never been very good at all the GHOST STUFF.
Dad says I’m just a late bloomer. He says I’ll learn my skills in no time, and that being at Scare School will help. He says the teachers there are the best of the best, and that soon enough I’ll be as scary a ghost as any. He also keeps talking about how I’m going to make SO MANY friends….
But I’m not so sure about all that. And maybe the friend thing especially. I haven’t spent much time around creatures my own age. And every time I have? Well, let’s just say it never goes well.
Dad also keeps bringing up my sister.
“Bella went to Scare School,” he says. “She loved it!”
And yeah, I know. But that’s because Bella is Bella.
Bella was passing through brick walls as a baby. She could go invisible for a whole day by the time she was four. (She used to do it all the time when she didn’t want to play with me.) Sometimes I think Bella was born with so much talent, there was none left over for ME.
Another thing I’m kind of worried about is that I’m going to have a ROOMMATE. That means I have to share a bedroom with somebody else FOR THE WHOLE ENTIRE YEAR! AND I DON’T EVEN GET TO PICK WHO IT’S GOING TO BE!
But I have one more night here at home with Dad. So for now, I’m just going to focus on that.
Last dinner at home with Dad (we are all my favorite things)
(I just realized all my favorite foods start with the letter p….)
About The Author
n/a
Jarrett Lerner is the award-winning creator of more than a dozen books for kids, including the EngiNerds series of middle grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the Hunger Heroes series of graphic chapter books, two activity books, the illustrated novel in verse A Work in Progress, and the Nat the Cat series of early readers. You can find him online at JarrettLerner.com and on X and Instagram at @Jarrett_Lerner. He lives with his wife and daughters in Massachusetts.
About The Illustrator
n/a
Jarrett Lerner is the award-winning creator of more than a dozen books for kids, including the EngiNerds series of middle grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the Hunger Heroes series of graphic chapter books, two activity books, the illustrated novel in verse A Work in Progress, and the Nat the Cat series of early readers. You can find him online at JarrettLerner.com and on X and Instagram at @Jarrett_Lerner. He lives with his wife and daughters in Massachusetts.
Product Details
- Publisher: Aladdin (October 16, 2024)
- Length: 144 pages
- ISBN13: 9781665922081
- Ages: 5 - 8
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Raves and Reviews
"... the book’s takeaway—believe in yourself, and you can do anything—...it’s just what many children need…and who better to deliver the message than an adorably nervous ghost?"
–Kirkus Reviews
"Via Bash’s “TOTALLY PRIVATE” journal entries, Lerner utilizes howling humor and occasional b&w comics to depict timid Bash, who—with help from his new friends and an unexpected source—faces his fears and (mostly) succeeds."
– -Publisher's Weekly
Resources and Downloads
Activity Sheets
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Welcome to Scare School Trade Paperback 9781665922081
- Author Photo (jpg): Jarrett Lerner n/a(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
