Gloom and Bloom by Nancy Loewen

It's time for a little spookiness...which doesn't really seem to fit to July. Unless it's ghost story time, of course, and today's read is a story about ghosts! I was captured by the idea of a ghost school, and the title already had me smiling. I'm getting Little Shop of Horrors vibes from the cover...although I highly doubt that this goes in any direction even similar to the movie. But what do I know?

I'm hoping that this group of ghosts is one that readers would like to meet and go to school with themselves. I'm expecting some mishaps, humor, friendship, and more.  Let's open it up and see what ghostly adventure lies inside.

GLOOM AND BLOOM

Ghost School

by Nancy Loewen

Illustrated by Mike Moran

Picture Window Books

Picture Book

32 pages

ages 5 to 8

COMING AUGUST 1st!!!

Welcome to Ghost School—where young ghosts learn how to float, fright, and find their spirit! In this adventure, Glint is excited to grow his very own ghostly plant. But when his Floating Forget-Me-Not sprouts into a spook-tacular flop, he feels like the odd ghost out. With help from a quiet friend, Glint discovers that sometimes the strangest plants—and the most unexpected friends—are the ones that truly shine like the moonlight.

GOODREADS

MY TIDBITS

Pressure to avoid failure slides into ghostly surprises in a classroom to enjoy.

Glint can't wait to see his own plant sprout and grow in this ghost school class, but his plant isn't cooperating. The others have long seen their seeds shoot up into all sorts of odd vegetation, but his is stubborn. When it finally does produce some leaves, they are very droopy and nothing like the radiant flower pictured on his pack of seeds. So, he does the only thing that can make him feel better and hides the plant so he doesn't have to be reminded of how much he's failing.

This ghost school carries a fun mix of familiarity while bringing in the uncertain atmosphere of paranormal fun. The scenes of a teacher, an assignment, and the fear of failing will connect with many readers and their own lives, while the colorful ghosts and their unique plants adds imagination and humor. The illustrations help readers along while offering enjoyable scenes. And at only 30 some pages, the book doesn't immediately feel overwhelming. This works great for those beginning readers, who are pretty sure of their words, but need a little more practice before heading into slightly longer reads.

The book begins with a quick vocabulary list and definitions of a few words. Then, the book dives right in. The author makes sure to let the silly moments shine while working in a message about not immediately meeting expectations. This message comes across smoothly and never preachy as it melds right into the tale. The illustrations keep the ghosts light and in a cheerful pastel direction, while the plants add a dab of creepy. At the end of the book, there's an activity, a discussion question, and a quick, reading comprehension exercise. This makes it great for solo-readers, groups, and even homeschoolers, too.

And here she is...

Nancy Loewen grew up on a farm in southwestern Minnesota, surrounded by library books and cats. She's published more than 140 books for children and young adults. The LAST Day of Kindergarten and Four to the Pole (co-authored with polar explorer Ann Bancroft) were Minnesota Book Award finalists. Her Writer's Toolbox series received a Distinguished Achievement Award from the Association of Educational Publishers. Nancy has also received awards from The American Library Association, the New York Public Library, and the Society of School Librarians International. Nancy lives in St. Paul and has an MFA in Creative Writing from Hamline University. She likes to read, cook, take long walks, and photograph oddities from thrift stores. Please visit her website at nancyloewen.net.