  | Strangeville School is totally normal (Strangeville School) Author: Miller, Darcy | |
| Price: $21.88 | ||
Summary:
Harvey Hill's first day at Strangeville Middle School doesn't go quite as expected when he discovers it's full of various creatures and odd happenings, including a particularly nefarious supply closet.
| Illustrator: | Helquist, Brett |
| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 5.00 Points: 4.0 Quiz: 520070 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (10/15/21)
School Library Journal (11/01/21)
Booklist (11/01/21)
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (00/01/22)
Full Text Reviews:
Booklist - 11/01/2021 In many respects, Strangeville School resembles Wayside School—gone a bit to the dark side. So it is that on his very first day, fifth-grader Harvey Hill encounters a hulking class rat that has ingested a growth serum: a toe-eating crocodile brought in to take care of a “piranha problem” in the plumbing; an unusually bloody-minded school nurse; and, climatically, a sinister, people-swallowing supply closet. Harvey starts out as the sort for whom belief in himself “wasn’t one of his strong points,” but by the time he’s survived all this and plunged into the evil closet’s interdimensional wormhole to rescue budding journalist and classmate Stella (and a large number of other victims), he has not only gained a fresh charge of confidence but revealed a surprising talent of his own. Helquist tucks in frequent vignettes and full-page illustrations (finished versions not seen), while Miller enhances the surreal atmosphere by getting into mini disquisitions on toffee hammers, the (real!) sport of Klootschieten, and other irrelevancies. A hoot—though readers may want to think twice before filling out transfer requests. - Copyright 2021 Booklist.
School Library Journal - 11/01/2021 Gr 4–7—Fifth grader and budding photographer Harvey Hill is the new kid at Strangeville School. With freckles and average elbows, Harvey seems perfectly normal—except he is guarding a mysterious secret. Strangeville, on the other hand, is the opposite of normal, with crocodiles roaming the hallways, a rat named Cuddles who is growing at an alarming rate due to a science fair mishap, and an evil lizard named Mr. Pickles with his own sinister plans, among other oddities. Harvey befriends Stella Cho, lead reporter of the school paper, and together they become wrapped up in the mystery of the dangerous Supply Closet on the third floor, which is responsible for the disappearances of several students and teachers over the years. In the same vein as Louis Sachar's "Wayside School," this tale offers a blend of dark humor, quirky characters, and strange happenings. Although the unusual encounters and odd bits of trivia seem random, there is continuity within the narrative and with the characterizations. Harvey, despite seeming average (especially when compared to his classmates and teachers at Strangeville), is an endearing character who's easy to root for. He plays well off his cohort, Stella, who remains calm and matter-of-fact, even when faced with giant, mutated rats and meatloaf made from black holes. The mystery surrounding the Supply Closet concludes in an appropriately extravagant and bizarre manner, as does the reveal of Harvey's big secret. Harvey is cued as white, while Stella is cued as Asian American. VERDICT Give this offbeat and irreverent book to young readers who like dark comedy, eccentric characters, and off-the-wall storytelling.—Laura J. Giunta, Garden City P.L., NY - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
