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Eerie Elementary #3
Recess Is a Jungle!
Sam, Antonio, and Lucy get trapped in a monstrous hedge maze! Will they ever find their way out? This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line called Branches, which is aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost reading confidence and stamina. Branches books help readers grow!Sam, Antonio, and Lucy are passing around a soccer ball at recess when something strange happens... They soon find themselves in a fog-filled jungle! The grass and trees have come alive, growing high into the sky. And the friends discover that it's not just the school itself that's alive -- it's everything on the school grounds! Sam, Antonio, and Lucy must find their way out of a monstrous hedge maze in time to rescue the rest of the students!
96 pages, Hardcover
First published January 5, 2016
237 people are currently reading
422 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
May 19, 2019
These are such fun and short reads! wish my library had the rest lol still a good series. :)
August 10, 2019
3.5🌟
It's getting more enjoyable than the first and the second book
It's getting more enjoyable than the first and the second book
August 20, 2017
I enjoyed this book because I like Eerie Elementary books. I did not like this book because I do not like jungles.
September 16, 2018
Another fun and inventive installment of this series, with great design and illustrations.
June 25, 2017
Great book!
My seven year old grandson laughs out loud a parts of this book. He is enjoying this series so much!
My seven year old grandson laughs out loud a parts of this book. He is enjoying this series so much!
January 12, 2021
great book
March 30, 2022
Such a cute series and the illustrations are really good! 3.5 stars
February 15, 2025
3.75
My son is becoming obsessed with this series. Lots of action, a spooky story, and a storyline continuing through each book in the series makes this a great bedtime read.
My son is becoming obsessed with this series. Lots of action, a spooky story, and a storyline continuing through each book in the series makes this a great bedtime read.
September 13, 2015
Sam and his friends Lucy and Antonio are still at work protecting the other students at Eerie Elementary. They have learned that Orson Eerie built the school a hundred years ago, and that he found a way to become the school and live forever. Now he wants to swallow up the students of the school, but he has to contend with Sam, the school's hall monitor, and his friends and assistants. When a soccer ball rolls through a gap in the fence, they think nothing of going to retrieve it. After all, Orson only has power on the school grounds, right? But maybe there are still secrets that they have not yet discovered. And maybe those secrets can place them and all the students in terrible danger.
Facing fearsome swamps, conniving crows, tricky mazes, and playground equipment that comes to diabolical life, will Sam, Lucy, and Antonio make it back to school in time to protect the others? It takes courage, teamwork, and intelligence to battle Eerie Elementary - and these hall monitors have what it takes.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through edelweiss.
Facing fearsome swamps, conniving crows, tricky mazes, and playground equipment that comes to diabolical life, will Sam, Lucy, and Antonio make it back to school in time to protect the others? It takes courage, teamwork, and intelligence to battle Eerie Elementary - and these hall monitors have what it takes.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through edelweiss.
January 15, 2016
Best one in the series!
January 16, 2016
For a beginning chapter book series, I really enjoyed this book and I have not even read the first two books in this series. The story was intriguing and fast paced even for an adult.
January 24, 2016
Great book my grandson and I loved it again.
February 22, 2017
Interest and Energy Levels Remain High
This is the third book in the Eerie Elementary series and it didn't show me any signs of flagging. If you're new to the series it might be wise to start with Book One, "The School Is Alive", just because it sets up the premise that, you know, the school is alive. It also shows us how our hero, Sam, became the school's hall monitor/student protector. But, the set up is simple enough, and the author does an efficient enough job of recapping, that you can start here and be right up to speed.
Scholastic has launched a series it calls "Branches", which so far consists of about nine different sets of books. I read one, "Let's Get Cracking!", in the Kung Pow Chicken series, and it was funny and very clever. These are supposed to be early chapter books, with a bit of oomph to grab readers. I'm impressed. The idea here is that the books are intended for "newly independent" readers, and emphasize "easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots" and lots of illustrations. I am happy to report, at least for me, that these books, judging from this series and the Kung Pow books, actually do deliver.
(VERY MILD SPOILER.) The story here is that Sam, with his pals Lucy and Antonio, are out at recess and chase a soccer ball through a hole in the playground fence. Being off school grounds they should be safe from its eeevil, but it turns out they aren't. They have many hair raising scrapes trying to get back.
Now this is a pretty clever hook and allows for some creepy action, some mild eeevil doings, cooperative effort by Sam and his friends, and all kinds of action/adventure complications. (Actually, some parts are pretty scary, so parents might want to keep an eye on really young readers.)
The book is irony, sarcasm, and snark free. The author isn't trying to have it both ways by spoofing the very book he has written. There are laughs, but not at the book's or the reader's expense. Mercifully, there also aren't mean kids and bullies, which lately always seem to be tossed in to these efforts, even if they make no sense and add nothing to the story.
The upshot is that this would be a great book for a confident, independent early reader, and would also be accessible to a more tentative reader. It would also work as a read to or a read with. (Although the illustrations add a lot, so you don't want to miss them during a read-to.) Bottom line - the book has some laughs, some substance and some thrills. Sounds good to me.
Please note that I picked up this copy during a local library wander. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book. I just like to read these books and write these reviews with my grandkids, (all early readers), in mind.
This is the third book in the Eerie Elementary series and it didn't show me any signs of flagging. If you're new to the series it might be wise to start with Book One, "The School Is Alive", just because it sets up the premise that, you know, the school is alive. It also shows us how our hero, Sam, became the school's hall monitor/student protector. But, the set up is simple enough, and the author does an efficient enough job of recapping, that you can start here and be right up to speed.
Scholastic has launched a series it calls "Branches", which so far consists of about nine different sets of books. I read one, "Let's Get Cracking!", in the Kung Pow Chicken series, and it was funny and very clever. These are supposed to be early chapter books, with a bit of oomph to grab readers. I'm impressed. The idea here is that the books are intended for "newly independent" readers, and emphasize "easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots" and lots of illustrations. I am happy to report, at least for me, that these books, judging from this series and the Kung Pow books, actually do deliver.
(VERY MILD SPOILER.) The story here is that Sam, with his pals Lucy and Antonio, are out at recess and chase a soccer ball through a hole in the playground fence. Being off school grounds they should be safe from its eeevil, but it turns out they aren't. They have many hair raising scrapes trying to get back.
Now this is a pretty clever hook and allows for some creepy action, some mild eeevil doings, cooperative effort by Sam and his friends, and all kinds of action/adventure complications. (Actually, some parts are pretty scary, so parents might want to keep an eye on really young readers.)
The book is irony, sarcasm, and snark free. The author isn't trying to have it both ways by spoofing the very book he has written. There are laughs, but not at the book's or the reader's expense. Mercifully, there also aren't mean kids and bullies, which lately always seem to be tossed in to these efforts, even if they make no sense and add nothing to the story.
The upshot is that this would be a great book for a confident, independent early reader, and would also be accessible to a more tentative reader. It would also work as a read to or a read with. (Although the illustrations add a lot, so you don't want to miss them during a read-to.) Bottom line - the book has some laughs, some substance and some thrills. Sounds good to me.
Please note that I picked up this copy during a local library wander. I have no connection at all to either the author or the publisher of this book. I just like to read these books and write these reviews with my grandkids, (all early readers), in mind.
July 12, 2022
Eerie Elementary is alive and the scientist that built it, the late Orson Eerie, is at it again. While playing soccer at recess, Hall Monitor Sam and his friends Antonio and Lucy kick a soccer ball near the school fence. It moves on its own into the woods behind the school. While in the woods, which become a jungle that seems to be trapping them, they find an old statue of Orson Eerie and realize this was a trap and the students are in danger. Much adventure ensues as they try to return to the school through the jungle and then a grass maze and dangerous playground equipment. I love many of the Branches series as my youngest readers and many others prefer short chapters, lots of picture support, and white space on the page with larger font than most chapter books. This particular series has a pretty good creepy factor with children outwitting a sinister adult. This is a worthwhile purchase if your library serves students.
August 27, 2024
In the last two installments of the Eerie Elementary saga, Sam and his friends Lucy and Antonio discover first that their school is alive and full of sinister intentions for the students that inhabit it. Secondly, they discover that the mad scientist that founded the school never actually died—he is the mastermind and consciousness of the spooky, scary school! In the third installment, Recess Is A Jungle, Sam and his friends are playing at recess when someone kicks the soccer ball past the school grounds into the woods. The three go to retrieve it only to discover that the treachery of the school extends beyond the literal school bounds into anything that was once part of the school! While in the woods, the three realize the soccer ball was a decoy to get them—the heroes tasked with protecting the school—off of the school grounds and away from the students so the school can follow through on an evil plan! Can Sam and his friends make it back in time to save the school from . . . itself?
I don’t see a lot of authors lean into environmental descriptions in chapter books for this young of readers, but this author does an excellent job of creating a visceral feel of spookiness in what they choose to describe. Overgrown playground equipment, squeaky swings, I’m not even much of a suspense or horror reader, but this author did an excellent job pulling from the sights and sounds that would make a playground, well, eerie. I definitely enjoyed this third book in the series as much as the last two, and I look forward to reading the fourth.
I don’t see a lot of authors lean into environmental descriptions in chapter books for this young of readers, but this author does an excellent job of creating a visceral feel of spookiness in what they choose to describe. Overgrown playground equipment, squeaky swings, I’m not even much of a suspense or horror reader, but this author did an excellent job pulling from the sights and sounds that would make a playground, well, eerie. I definitely enjoyed this third book in the series as much as the last two, and I look forward to reading the fourth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2024
It isn't enough that the school has been attacking these three kids in the other books, now the schoolyard seems intent on keeping them OUT of the building. Now they have to fight their way through a hedge maze, against every force of evil to get back into their classroom before it's too late!
This series is so much fun. I have loved every one of these books and really enjoyed sharing them with my husband (who's a big fan of horror). The brilliance lies in what the author is really talking about beneath the surface, which makes this series clever as well as horrifying. Highly recommended to your kids who like things a little spooky and scary. Perfect Halloween reads perhaps?
This series is so much fun. I have loved every one of these books and really enjoyed sharing them with my husband (who's a big fan of horror). The brilliance lies in what the author is really talking about beneath the surface, which makes this series clever as well as horrifying. Highly recommended to your kids who like things a little spooky and scary. Perfect Halloween reads perhaps?
June 17, 2024
Fiction
1st Grade- 4th Grade Reading Level
.This captivating book is perfect for young readers at a 1st to 4th grade reading level. Jack Chabert skillfully crafts engaging adventures, making it easy for kids to understand and enjoy. The addition of colorful images throughout the book brings the story to life. If you want to immerse your child in an enjoyable reading experience, I highly recommend this book.
1st Grade- 4th Grade Reading Level
.This captivating book is perfect for young readers at a 1st to 4th grade reading level. Jack Chabert skillfully crafts engaging adventures, making it easy for kids to understand and enjoy. The addition of colorful images throughout the book brings the story to life. If you want to immerse your child in an enjoyable reading experience, I highly recommend this book.
October 22, 2017
Once again the school is out to get them. This time the friends have to venture into the swampy area behind the school but it might not be what it seems. Can the friend save the day?
This series is very cute. Great for kids start to read chapter books. This will keep them reading. Highly recommend.
This series is very cute. Great for kids start to read chapter books. This will keep them reading. Highly recommend.
November 25, 2022
This is book 3 of the Eerie Elementary books. I read it after reading the 1st book, "The School is Alive!". I found this series fun and easy to read. In this one, Sam, Antonio, and Lucy get trapped outside in a terrible maze while trying to get back inside of the elementary school. Great for young readers. This is a wonderful series for boys.
January 1, 2024
This is a series about Sam and his two friends. Sam has been chosen to be the hall monitor to protect the students from the school. He and his two friends work at making the school safe for other the other kids. I love this series as each book gives you a bit more about the school and where it came from. We learn more about the 3 main characters too.
December 5, 2024
For a children’s book it was pretty good. My grandson has so much reading he has to do for school every day. So sometimes I sit down with him and we take turns reading. This book is about 3 kids who to a school that is alive. They had to go thru a swamp and their playground became foggy and alive. Somehow they needed to get back to school.
July 21, 2017
90 pages. I read four chapters and it was a very weird book. It was also boring. A mad scientist built the school and now IS the school. It is trying to eat kids who attend there. This is a BAD idea for a book. Skip this one. Reading level is Gr. 1-3 but I do not recommend it.
November 15, 2020
This book is a great adventure/ Mystery book. I feel a lot of kids would like it. I enjoyed that it used a location that the students are familiar with. I would allow students to imagen their school play ground as the setting of the book.
January 4, 2021
I loved it
It was a really good book I loved it so I would recommend it because it was really good so that is why you should read this book and ps. This was Claire on my daddy’s phone good book bye bye ps. I am 6 years old bye bye
It was a really good book I loved it so I would recommend it because it was really good so that is why you should read this book and ps. This was Claire on my daddy’s phone good book bye bye ps. I am 6 years old bye bye
October 7, 2021
Can’t wait to continue!
My kids and I have been reading this series together and absolutely can’t wait to keep going! They’re completely engrossed in Eerie Elementary and look forward to reading a few chapters each day. Tomorrow we start #4! Thanks for such a great little series!
My kids and I have been reading this series together and absolutely can’t wait to keep going! They’re completely engrossed in Eerie Elementary and look forward to reading a few chapters each day. Tomorrow we start #4! Thanks for such a great little series!
July 20, 2023
We couldn't find book #2 at the library so ended up skipping to this book. There were definitely some knowledge gaps but overall the book did well at keeping the reader caught up. The kids enjoyed it.
May 13, 2017
From my young reader: I really like these books, and have ordered the 4th and 5th. I love them so much! They're my favorite books. I love them because the school is alive. Make more!
August 30, 2017
I really liked this book.
October 26, 2017
My kids enjoyed this one. They try to guess what's going to happen next and are always surprised by where the story goes. I love seeing my kids so excited while reading.
November 14, 2017
This is a cute book appropriate for grades 2-3. Children will be intrigued when they learn that their playground equipment can come to life.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews