Frankie Stein Starts School

In this sequel to Frankie Stein, the titular towhead doesn’t just look different from his green-skinned, Frankenstein monster parents—he looks different from all the kids at Miss Wart’s Academy. At first, Frankie has a hard time making friends (“Ewwwww,” complains Wilma, a young witch. “I’m not sitting next to him. He looks weird!”). But soon he’s out-scaring his skeleton and vampire classmates with grotesque faces, coyote calls, and fang-growing potions, proving that how you look isn’t who you are. In spite of all the spookiness (and misbehavior), Schaefer’s story remains lighthearted, due in large part to Atteberry’s lively cartoons. Ages 5–8. (July)