Creepy ­Cafetorium

Gr 2-4–Set in an ever-shifting Cafetorium (part cafeteria, auditorium, and gymnasium), these illustrated vignettes mix over-the-top wackiness with expressive illustrations. Gertie, the elderly custodian, tells stories about Newville Elementary, each set in the Cafetorium and focusing on a different student. Each of the six entries is edited by Venable and written by a different author, which keeps the overall tone consistent yet fresh. Though the book is described as “serving up spooky thrills and plenty of laughs,” the spookiness component is debatable. The plots are too ridiculous and the humor too broad for the tales to seem genuinely eerie—in one story, Jell-O transforms into people, but no one notices except one shocked girl. In another, a boy gets an “excuse notepad,” from a book fair and his new prize makes all his excuses come true. Still, the odd happenings and quirky characters give off a zany “Wayside School” vibe that kids will likely find funny.