Ghoul School #01: Welcome to Chillsville Elementary

A glance at the list of students (Tanya Coffin, Ben Howl, Frank N. Stein) in their class at their new school gives twins Adam and Sophie Blake pause--and tips readers off to the lack of subtlety in this trifling tale, which launches the Ghoul School series. The pun-saturated plot chronicles the seemingly offbeat happenings at Hillsville Elementary, where a pet spider is loose in the classroom, bats live in trees near the playground and a creepy man roams the grounds in the evenings. And the twins find it mighty eerie that their blue-haired teacher, Ms. Wolf, has red marks like vampire bites on her arms and sneaks food up to an attic tower, from which lights blink on and off at night. Not surprisingly, the author provides rational explanations to all the weird goings-on at the end of her story. Though silly, it is short and peppy enough to snare less than ardent readers. The series' second helping, Creepy Cafeteria, will be served up in November. Ages 6-9. (Oct.)