Dread Detention (Creatures & Teachers #1)

Arriving at their gothic Dread Wood Academy for Saturday morning detention, four seventh graders find themselves embroiled in an even ghastlier predicament in this creepy crawly, morbidly comedic horror mystery by British author Killick. Angelo, a loner experiencing food insecurity; overachieving Naira; impassioned activist Hallie; and wisecracking Gus trudge to their assigned “Back on Track” session after a string of moral trespasses at school land them in trouble. Initially glum because of their confiscated phones, the group kicks into survival mode when their supervising teacher Mr. Canton is dragged beneath the athletic field by a spider “the size of a dog,” leaving the youths to fend for themselves against the monstrous arachnids and the married groundskeepers who appear to be controlling them. As the tweens trauma-bond over the eerie coincidences that forced them into detention, they puzzle over why they are being targeted and attempt to survive the ordeal. Between nail-biting chase scenes and elegantly wrought character development, hardly a moment is wasted in this arachnophobia-inducing thriller, making for an icky-fun adventure full of scares and gallows humor. Main characters default to white. Ages 8–12. Agent: Kirsty McLachlan, Morgan Green Creatives. (Feb.)