By Gitty Daneshvari, Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, $16.99, 307 pages
“Everyone’s afraid of something: Blennophobia is the fear of slime.”
The School of Fear is back in session and attendance is not optional. Gitty Daneshvari, author of School of Fear: Class is NOT Dismissed returns with the hilarious second book in the series. Madeleine (fear of insects), Theo (fear of death), Lulu (fear of enclosed spaces), and Garrison (fear of water) are back for a summer refresher course with Mrs. Wellington, teacher and 48-time beauty pageant winner. Schmidty, Mrs. Wellington’s comb-over wearing assistant, and Macaroni the bulldog are on the scene to help the children face their fears. The kids arrive to find that there have been several break-ins at the school and a new student has joined the class! Hyacinth (fear of being alone) and Celery, her pet ferret, add more humor to the already laugh-out-loud book.
Carrie Gifford’s illustrations bring the characters to life and provide fantastically funny images at the start of each chapter. The beautiful thing about Young Adult books is that adults can enjoy them too. The authors in the genre are some of the most talented writers because they know they’re writing for several different audiences. The School of Fear series is no exception. Adults and teens, prepare to laugh!
Reviewed by Elizabeth Franklin