Rutabaga's Reads 2023: Part 12

Thanks to my local library, I’m back with a second chapter books compilation post.

Miss Banks Pulls Lots of Pranks (Feb. 14, 2023) by Dan Gutman.

   Jim Paillot, illustrator.

*This is the first story in a series.*

At this weirdtastic school, A.J. is entering fourth grade. He wants to eat Oreos and continue summertime and has no interest in being like his classmate, Little Miss Know-It-All a.k.a. the Human Homework Machine. (Her name’s Andrea.) The Domebooks (“very advanced laptops”) seem cool, until their new teacher tells them they can’t play video games on them during school hours. Then there’s Miss Banks herself. She’s always pulling pranks on the class and A.J. feels especially picked on. Eventually, he declares, “This means war!” Will Miss Banks prevail as the ultimate prankster? Or can A.J. and his classmates one-up their fourth grade teacher?

            The first in the My Weirdtastic School series certainly makes being weird a fantastic thing. The practical jokes are tame, the mischief and mayhem youthfully silly. There’s the occasional moment that an adult can appreciate, like pranking the class with brownies that are actually cutouts of Es on brown-colored paper. But mostly, I found Miss Banks to be annoying, because her pranks are too many. While I won’t be reading anymore of any of these series, I do expect that these goofy little stories captivate many a young reader. I hope they find entertainment in them that I do not. I’m young-at-heart, but not young-at-heart enough for these books.

The School is Alive! (June 24, 2014) by Jack Chabert.

   Sam Ricks, illustrator.

*This is the first story in a series.*

There’s a new hall monitor at Eerie Elementary, and Sam Graves wants nothing to do with his orange hall monitor sash. But he isn’t any hall monitor, he’s the new protector of the school. The school is alive! It breathes – he’s felt it – and the school is a beast, a monster. It’s hungry for students! Mr. Nekobi, the old man who cares for the school, tells him these things, if Eerie Elementary’s first hall monitor is to be believed. And Sam believes Mr. Nekobi, but his best friends – Antonio and Lucy – do not. Not about the quicksand, nor the oak tree. Mr. Nekobi chose Sam, because the janitor is now too aged and weak to fight the school, and the school knows it. So Sam’s job is to make sure everyone gets to class on time, and he’s got to protect everyone from the school, too. How do you train to fight a school building?

            While I don’t plan to continue the series, this is a safe-scary choice for young readers who want horror without actual, can’t-fall-asleep scares. They can read this first in the Eerie Elementary series before graduating to Goosebumps by R.L. Stine. For a simple story, the plot and tamely ominous storyline flowed well, though any school assembling a successful theater production in a week’s time is ludicrous, especially when it’s Peter Pan, and it involves “flying” students. Still, the cartoonish sketch illustrations work well. The story has an overall gloomy vibe, but it remains playful. There is a lot of text on each page considering it’s a chapter book, but hopefully that won’t discourage would-be readers of the series.

The Triplets Get Charmed (June 1, 2021) by Laura Brown and Elly Kramer.

   Sarah Mensinga, illustrator.

*This is the first story in a series.*

Eight-year-old triplets Emmy, Clare and Giselle are actually found sisters. They were found by Dr. J.A., a veterinarian, when he was feeling lonesome caring for the animals of the forest by himself. Together with little brother, Zee, they’re readying to celebrate “Founding Day,” the day he found the triplets and they became a family. The girls were found alongside their young animal companions a.k.a. “mini’mals” – an eaglet called Soar, a bear cub called Claw and a wolf pup called Fluffy – and three trillium flower petals, the latter of which Dr. J.A. has saved for them. Dr. J.A. is off tending to Bruce the Moose while the triplets and Zee go off to seek strawberries for their trillium pancakes. When Zee’s in trouble, the trillium charms activate to form a glowing flower, giving the girls superpowers. How long will those powers last?

            The first in the Trillium Sisters series carries an upbeat tone, and the woodsy setting and animals are charming, but I found the story to lack substance. It suffers from the blandness that comes from characters not developed enough and a plot that should be happily magical but falls short. It’s an uncomplicated story that highlights family, which may suit beginning chapter book readers who want to read something cute and simple.