Review: The Northern Frights (Scary School #3) by Derek Kent

Be sure to check out my reviews of Scary School #1 and Scary School #2

The Northern Frights

(Scary School #3)

by Derek Kent

Pub Date: 6/25/13

Pub: Harper Collins

Format: Hardcover

Source: from pub and author

In The Northern Frights, the third book in the spooky Scary School series, Charles “New Kid” Nukid and his friends, including Lattie, a girl ninja, must fight an epic battle with an ice dragon to save their school. But first they must survive going to Scream Academy as exchange students. And that may be hard, because the Academy has an abominable snowman for a principal, a Headless Horseman as one of the teachers, and the students are yetis, trolls, and ogres! Will Charles survive to make an ancient prophecy come to pass and save everyone? The illustrated Scary School trilogy by Derek the Ghost, with its mix of humor, scares, and adventure, is a perfect pick for middle-grade readers of the Wayside School series and the Zach Files books.

Books 1 & 2

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Derek Kent's spooktacular, awesomely kooky Scary School Trilogy comes to a wildly fun end with the third book, The Northern Frights. This is one of my absolute favorite middle-grade series, and while I'm sad to see this trilogy end, I'm happy to report that it goes out with a frighteningly fantastic finale!

In The Northern Frights Charles “New Kid” Nukid and several of his classmates, including Lattie, a new ninja girl, find themselves at Scream Academy as exchange students. Scream Academy is the scariest, wildest, most terrifying monster school there is. With an abominable snowman for a principle, the Headless Horseman as a teacher, and trolls; ogres; and witches as classmates, the Scary School kids are up to their eyeballs in all things spooky and kooky. And the scariest thing of all is an epic showdown between a huge ice dragon and the Scary School kids. Charles and his friends must defeat the ice dragon or lose their beloved school.

Derek Kent's (aka Derek the Ghost) over-the-top in the best way possible, a laugh and a fun scare a minute Scary School series is the epitome of fun reading! Everything I've come to love about this series- the pitch-perfect MG voice, the spectacular storytelling, the unforgettable characters, the awesome illustrations- is seamlessly and fantastically carried over from each book and really sparkles and shines in The Northern Frights.

Derek Kent knows his audience and “gets” them so well. Younger readers will be charmed by this series' silly humor, thoroughly entertained by the wacky situations the characters find themselves in, and utterly addicted to the world-building, which is equal parts whimsical, eerie, and fascinating. The Northern Frights, like books one and two, has the perfect mix of thrills and chills and humor and adventure, and is always appropriate for its intended audience. The spooks and kooks in this series are scary enough to be exciting, but never nightmare worthy. In book three, we get to explore a whole new setting, Scream Academy. I've said before that Scary School is like a crazier, zanier, but just as unpredictable and enthralling, Hogwarts...well if Hogwarts had an evil, bonkers twin, it would be the too cool Scream Academy. Just like the Scary School exchange students, readers will explore every dark corridor and classroom of Scream Academy with spine-tingling anticipation, and open every door and take every footstep with bated breath, never knowing what might just jump out, fall down, or magically appear.

I just adore the unique, eclectic bunch of characters in this series! Kent has a real knack for creating refreshing characters that are relatable and lovable, even when they may have a frightening appearance (or appetite!). All my faves are back and many new, awesomely unusual faces are introduced in The Northern Frights. I loved meeting the more monstrous students and teachers of Scream Academy, but Lattie the ninja girl is especially cool. But what I love the most about all these characters, are the genuine, surprising friendships and relationships they develop with one another. And as spooktacularly fun as this series is, these books also send young readers a really great message about the power of friendship, acceptance, and courage.

The Northern Frights will keep readers eagerly turning pages, especially when the thrilling and explosive battle with the ice dragon begins, and ends on a really satisfying and happy note (and ends with room for future adventures...I really hope there's more Scary School fun to come!).

MY FINAL THOUGHTS: The Northern Frights is the perfect enthralling and scary fun filled conclusion to this deliciously spooky trilogy. If you're a fan of the series, then you'll love book three. And if you haven't started the series yet, you're in for an awesome surprise. This must read book and series are excellent reads for younger readers (and grown-ups too!). I highly recommend them!

MY RATING

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Derek Kent

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Derek is an eleven-year-old ghost who haunts the classrooms and hallways of Scary School, writing down all the spine-tingling often hilarious things that go on there. Despite his ghostly state, Derek still enjoys reading comic books and hopes to one day become a master ninja. If that doesn’t work out, he will continue to share the fun of this very special, very secret school, so all kids can experience the scariest school on earth. Derek the Ghost communicates through the first-time ghost whisperer Derek Taylor Kent, who is a writer and performer in Los Angeles, California.