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School of Fear #1
School of Fear
Everyone is afraid of something...
Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders.
Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying.
Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces.
Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water.
With very few options left, the parents of these four twelve year-olds send them to the highly elusive and exclusive School of Fear to help them overcome their phobias. But when their peculiar teacher, Mrs. Wellington, and her unconventional teaching methods turn out to be more frightening than even their fears, the foursome realize that this just may be the scariest summer of their lives.
Madeleine Masterson is deathly afraid of bugs, especially spiders.
Theodore Bartholomew is petrified of dying.
Lulu Punchalower is scared of confined spaces.
Garrison Feldman is terrified of deep water.
With very few options left, the parents of these four twelve year-olds send them to the highly elusive and exclusive School of Fear to help them overcome their phobias. But when their peculiar teacher, Mrs. Wellington, and her unconventional teaching methods turn out to be more frightening than even their fears, the foursome realize that this just may be the scariest summer of their lives.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 9, 1999
333 people are currently reading
4056 people want to read
About the author
Gitty Daneshvari
36 books206 followersGitty Daneshvari was born in Los Angeles to an Iranian father and an American mother. As a child she talked incessantly, feeling the need to comment on everything around her. While at first charmed by her verbose nature, her family soon tired of the constant commenting. This is how she found writing — it was better than talking since she didn't even need anyone else to do it with.
She currently lives in New York City and yes she still talks too much.
She currently lives in New York City and yes she still talks too much.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 898 reviews
March 16, 2021
Cute!
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾
October 26, 2017
Genial este libro, fantástico para los más chicos y una delicia para los grandes, ¡tanto sarcasmo! *¬*
La trama es muy predecible, pero es perfecto para el publico al que está orientado y se disfruta mucho a cualquier edad.
Me divertí mucho leyéndolo, es una lectura de lo más agradable (ok, por momentos no tanto, hay cosas MUY asquerosas xD) y me hizo reír como loca.
Si Tim Burton hiciera una película de esto, la primera en la cola del cine sería yo, lo garantizo :P
La trama es muy predecible, pero es perfecto para el publico al que está orientado y se disfruta mucho a cualquier edad.
Me divertí mucho leyéndolo, es una lectura de lo más agradable (ok, por momentos no tanto, hay cosas MUY asquerosas xD) y me hizo reír como loca.
Si Tim Burton hiciera una película de esto, la primera en la cola del cine sería yo, lo garantizo :P
March 9, 2011
REVIEW
I can describe School of Fear in one word….wait for it….QUIRKY! I bet you thought I was going to say spooky or scary or phobias or fearful. It has those too, but it’s mostly quirky. And I really like quirky.
The four main characters are children with serious phobias. So serious, in fact, that their parents have sent them to the School of Fear to be cured. My favorite character was Madeleine She was smart and soft-spoken, but she also had a major fear of bugs – especially spiders. I can relate to that. Bugs are scary!
Another character that I enjoyed was Mrs. Wellington, the children’s teacher at the School of Fear. I don’t even know if quirky is a strong enough word to describe her. Her antics had me laughing as I read. I was surprised by her unusual teaching methods.
School of Fear is a great middle grade book that is not so much scary as it is funny and QUIRKY. Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for sending this book for me to review.
RATING
5 Plot
5 Characters
4 Attention Grabbing
4 Girlie Meter
4 Ending
22 TOTAL
5 STARS
I can describe School of Fear in one word….wait for it….QUIRKY! I bet you thought I was going to say spooky or scary or phobias or fearful. It has those too, but it’s mostly quirky. And I really like quirky.
The four main characters are children with serious phobias. So serious, in fact, that their parents have sent them to the School of Fear to be cured. My favorite character was Madeleine She was smart and soft-spoken, but she also had a major fear of bugs – especially spiders. I can relate to that. Bugs are scary!
Another character that I enjoyed was Mrs. Wellington, the children’s teacher at the School of Fear. I don’t even know if quirky is a strong enough word to describe her. Her antics had me laughing as I read. I was surprised by her unusual teaching methods.
School of Fear is a great middle grade book that is not so much scary as it is funny and QUIRKY. Thank you to Little, Brown and Company for sending this book for me to review.
RATING
5 Plot
5 Characters
4 Attention Grabbing
4 Girlie Meter
4 Ending
22 TOTAL
5 STARS
September 8, 2016
This came to my attention when it got mentioned in a group I'm in, and it looked like something I might like. Unfortunately, it didn't quite work for me.
It starts by introducing us - at length - to the four main characters and their fears. First we see them individually, and then as they start to come together. But this extended intro doesn't really add anything new, it's just the same sort of introductions to their phobia-induced quirks over and over again.
We finally get to the school and meet the quirky headmistress, who calls the kids contestants and treats everything like a beauty pageant.
Yeah - quirky is all well and good, but you need more than that to move a story along. For the first, heck, 75% of the book nothing much happens, the characters were more annoying than sympathetic, and Wellington is pretty much a bully. I was tempted to DNF it a couple of times, to be honest, and probably would've if I were not such a completionist. Plus I figured I could push through since it's at least short.
Anyway - it did pick up towards the end and was actually marginally interesting, but it was also pretty obvious that the whole thing was But, still, things finally moved along, predictable or not, and the lat quarter was probably 2.5 level.
But while some things are learned, we're also told that facing your fears is a continuous process - and so the groundwork for the following books in the, I believe, trilogy is laid. I'm not sure I'll be continuing with it, though.
***
ETA: The illustrations go well with the book, in that
It starts by introducing us - at length - to the four main characters and their fears. First we see them individually, and then as they start to come together. But this extended intro doesn't really add anything new, it's just the same sort of introductions to their phobia-induced quirks over and over again.
We finally get to the school and meet the quirky headmistress, who calls the kids contestants and treats everything like a beauty pageant.
Yeah - quirky is all well and good, but you need more than that to move a story along. For the first, heck, 75% of the book nothing much happens, the characters were more annoying than sympathetic, and Wellington is pretty much a bully. I was tempted to DNF it a couple of times, to be honest, and probably would've if I were not such a completionist. Plus I figured I could push through since it's at least short.
Anyway - it did pick up towards the end and was actually marginally interesting, but it was also pretty obvious that the whole thing was But, still, things finally moved along, predictable or not, and the lat quarter was probably 2.5 level.
But while some things are learned, we're also told that facing your fears is a continuous process - and so the groundwork for the following books in the, I believe, trilogy is laid. I'm not sure I'll be continuing with it, though.
***
ETA: The illustrations go well with the book, in that
June 11, 2012
For me, the best part of this book was the page before each new chapter where the author gave the name and basic description of different fears. The characters were annoying. The plot was predictable.
I'll end up using it in my second grade classroom to show students that even as an adult, sometimes we have to sound out l-o-n-g words (the different phobias).
Since that was my favorite part, I'll put those in here to save you the time from reading the rest of the book yourself...
Mottephobia is the fear of moths.
Phasmophobia is the fear of ghosts.
Illyngophobia is the fear of vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down.
Agyrophobia is the fear of crossing the street.
Ablutophobia is the fear of washing or bathing.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words.
Didaskaleinophobia is the fear of going to school.
Optophobia is the fear opening one's eyes.
Cacophobia is the fear of ugliness.
Lachanophobia is the fear of vegetables.
Peladophobia is the fear of bald people.
Nomatophobia is the fear of names.
Ailurophobia is the fear of cats.
Logizomechanophobia is the fear of computers.
Osmophobia is the fear of smells.
Helminthobhobia is the fear of being infested with worms.
Mastigophobia is the fear of punishment.
Eisoptrophobia is the fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.
Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Atychiphobia is the fear of failure.
Mnemophobia is the fear of memories.
Somniphobia is the fear of sleep.
Autophobia is the fear of being alone.
Chirophobia is the fear of hands.
Geliophobia is the fear of laughter.
Heliophobia is the fear of the sun.
Cynophobia is the fear of dogs.
Phobophobia is the fear of phobias.
I'll end up using it in my second grade classroom to show students that even as an adult, sometimes we have to sound out l-o-n-g words (the different phobias).
Since that was my favorite part, I'll put those in here to save you the time from reading the rest of the book yourself...
Mottephobia is the fear of moths.
Phasmophobia is the fear of ghosts.
Illyngophobia is the fear of vertigo or feeling dizzy when looking down.
Agyrophobia is the fear of crossing the street.
Ablutophobia is the fear of washing or bathing.
Hippopotomonstrosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words.
Didaskaleinophobia is the fear of going to school.
Optophobia is the fear opening one's eyes.
Cacophobia is the fear of ugliness.
Lachanophobia is the fear of vegetables.
Peladophobia is the fear of bald people.
Nomatophobia is the fear of names.
Ailurophobia is the fear of cats.
Logizomechanophobia is the fear of computers.
Osmophobia is the fear of smells.
Helminthobhobia is the fear of being infested with worms.
Mastigophobia is the fear of punishment.
Eisoptrophobia is the fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in a mirror.
Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth.
Atychiphobia is the fear of failure.
Mnemophobia is the fear of memories.
Somniphobia is the fear of sleep.
Autophobia is the fear of being alone.
Chirophobia is the fear of hands.
Geliophobia is the fear of laughter.
Heliophobia is the fear of the sun.
Cynophobia is the fear of dogs.
Phobophobia is the fear of phobias.
August 2, 2021
If you're looking for a quirky MG that's like a combination of The School for Good and Evil meets A Series of Unfortunate Events, you might want to try School of Fear (School of Fear #1) by Gitty Daneshvari. It doesn't quite have what those two have but it comes pretty close to replicating their respective styles.. I especially appreciated the phobia list and definitions at the beginning of each chapter.
June 28, 2022
czytałam jako dzieciak, godna polecenia
September 27, 2010
School of Fear is the story of four kids trying to conquer their fears by enrolling in an exclusive, hush-hush summer program in Massachusetts called…the School of Fear. The only way to attend is by getting a recommendation from a therapist who is in the know about the school. Everyone who knows about it swears by its results.
The four kids in question are Theo, who is afraid of dying, Madeline who is afraid of spiders and insects, Lulu who is claustrophobic and afraid of heights, and Garrison, a jock who is afraid of water. All of the children are quite precocious and intelligent (with the exception of Garrison), yet harbor irrational fears that consume their lives.
At first the children and their fears were pretty funny. They are all smart enough to know better, but like anyone with a phobia, they just don’t care. Their fears put serious strain on each family, from Madeline who insists on everything being regularly fumigated to Theo, who makes his family check in every hour to make sure they’re still alive. The kids are also from upper-middle to upper class upbringings, so it’s obvious they’re all a little spoiled as well. It’s all hyperbolic fun until about halfway through the book, when you realize that there is not much else to these characters besides their crippling fears. Every joke, every line of dialogue revolves around each child constantly reiterating their fear, and always in the most unrevealing, topical sense. They are phobias go from funny and relatable to just annoying.
Even more annoying than the one-dimensional characters is the way a good plot was ruined. Kids go to a secret school at the top of a secluded mountain to conquer their fears? Cool. Turns out that the teacher/headmistress is a former beauty queen, and a bit batty to boot? Nice surprise. With each new day at the school, the children are exposed to some strange new lesson, normally revolving around beauty pageants. It’s a nice twist, until it’s obvious that the children are not learning anything, and the ‘lessons’ lack even the most remote connection to their fears. Three quarters of the way through, the big WTF moment happens, and it doesn’t take too long before it’s obvious what’s really going on. Unfortunately, the reader must trudge through to the end to confirm their suspicions, and one wonders why these seemingly intelligent children never figured out their own situation.
This was a big disappointment, as the writing for most of the book was strong, funny, and with fine strokes of cynicism. Daneshavari had a good thing going here, if only she had spent a little more time coming up with a more original ending.
The four kids in question are Theo, who is afraid of dying, Madeline who is afraid of spiders and insects, Lulu who is claustrophobic and afraid of heights, and Garrison, a jock who is afraid of water. All of the children are quite precocious and intelligent (with the exception of Garrison), yet harbor irrational fears that consume their lives.
At first the children and their fears were pretty funny. They are all smart enough to know better, but like anyone with a phobia, they just don’t care. Their fears put serious strain on each family, from Madeline who insists on everything being regularly fumigated to Theo, who makes his family check in every hour to make sure they’re still alive. The kids are also from upper-middle to upper class upbringings, so it’s obvious they’re all a little spoiled as well. It’s all hyperbolic fun until about halfway through the book, when you realize that there is not much else to these characters besides their crippling fears. Every joke, every line of dialogue revolves around each child constantly reiterating their fear, and always in the most unrevealing, topical sense. They are phobias go from funny and relatable to just annoying.
Even more annoying than the one-dimensional characters is the way a good plot was ruined. Kids go to a secret school at the top of a secluded mountain to conquer their fears? Cool. Turns out that the teacher/headmistress is a former beauty queen, and a bit batty to boot? Nice surprise. With each new day at the school, the children are exposed to some strange new lesson, normally revolving around beauty pageants. It’s a nice twist, until it’s obvious that the children are not learning anything, and the ‘lessons’ lack even the most remote connection to their fears. Three quarters of the way through, the big WTF moment happens, and it doesn’t take too long before it’s obvious what’s really going on. Unfortunately, the reader must trudge through to the end to confirm their suspicions, and one wonders why these seemingly intelligent children never figured out their own situation.
This was a big disappointment, as the writing for most of the book was strong, funny, and with fine strokes of cynicism. Daneshavari had a good thing going here, if only she had spent a little more time coming up with a more original ending.
June 11, 2010
Quite enjoyable TBCD for a drive down hwy 101.
I've always been fascinated by phobias. Personally, I'm afraid of clowns/interactive performers/performances and loud noises (can't stand fireworks, balloons, suspense involving a gun going off, etc.). As a kid, I thought myself very unusual for not liking typically kid-beloved things (clowns, balloons). Anyway, that may or may not be the reason I enjoyed this book. Irrational fears are fascinating.
School of Fear is about four kids who are forced to go to a school where they will be trained out of their fears. The heightened (though basically realistic) world reminded me of other quirky j fiction like The Mysterious Benedict Society. I would have been happy if they'd simply spent the whole story discovering the school.
But I thought the headmistresses obsession with beauty pageants tiresome, and when the plot "derailed," I was irritated.
Definitely enjoyable, but lost a star for those things.
Great hook for booktalks, though.
I've always been fascinated by phobias. Personally, I'm afraid of clowns/interactive performers/performances and loud noises (can't stand fireworks, balloons, suspense involving a gun going off, etc.). As a kid, I thought myself very unusual for not liking typically kid-beloved things (clowns, balloons). Anyway, that may or may not be the reason I enjoyed this book. Irrational fears are fascinating.
School of Fear is about four kids who are forced to go to a school where they will be trained out of their fears. The heightened (though basically realistic) world reminded me of other quirky j fiction like The Mysterious Benedict Society. I would have been happy if they'd simply spent the whole story discovering the school.
But I thought the headmistresses obsession with beauty pageants tiresome, and when the plot "derailed," I was irritated.
Definitely enjoyable, but lost a star for those things.
Great hook for booktalks, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2009
This is a funny, offbeat book for middle grade students with an intriguing premise: four 12-year-olds go to the School of Fear one summer to overcome their phobias. Madeleine Masterson comes from England with a fear of bugs and spiders; Theodore Bartholomew is afraid of dying (and endearingly annoying); Lulu Punchalower is claustrophobic and mean; and Garrison Feldman, athlete extraordinaire, from Miami is afraid of large bodies of water. Eccentric former beauty pagent contestant, Mrs. Wellington runs the school on top of a high plateau, the base of which is surrounded by a forest. She is assisted by her faithful, visually impaired servant Schmidty, who is responsible for such things as cooking and applying Mrs. Wellington's makeup. She has 5 pets, 4 cats and 1 bulldog named Macaroni whose companion, Cheese, recently passed away. The chapters are short, and some of the phrasing is so delightful it is arresting. While sophisticated readers will catch on to what is happening in the story, I think most of its target audience will love the surprises.
November 12, 2016
çocuk kitabı olduğu için biraz daha eğlenceli olur sanmışdım pek olmadı. ayrıca arka kapaktaki tanıtım da insanda yanlış bir beklenti uyandırıyor. umduğum gibi öğretmenleri, öğrencileri olan bir korkuları yenmek üzere bir eğitim veren okulda geçseydi daha eğlenceli olurdu.
her bölüm başında bir fobiyi tanımlaması ve karakterlerin zekice işlenişini beğendim ama bunlar da korku okulu'na gelecekteki sınıf kitaplığımda olma şerefini kazandıramadı ne yazık ki.
her bölüm başında bir fobiyi tanımlaması ve karakterlerin zekice işlenişini beğendim ama bunlar da korku okulu'na gelecekteki sınıf kitaplığımda olma şerefini kazandıramadı ne yazık ki.
August 31, 2022
I know I am not the target audience for this, but I especially love how it takes 200 pages to get to the conflict and then the conflict is like 20 pages.
November 13, 2020
This book is bonkers! I thoroughly enjoyed it.
July 1, 2009
What's up with people not being able to write an ending to save their lives?
It was fairly easy to see what was happening during the final quest, since the title is School of Fear, and somehow, all the kids were forced to confront their fears during the journey.
I know it's set up for sequels, but it literally just sort of stopped. I turned the page thinking there would be more, and then there was blankness, the worst kind of blankness since I was expecting something.
I will read the second one, because I did enjoy the writing style and laugh out loud at certain parts.
I wish there was a choice between liked it and it was ok. I want to give it 2.5 stars.
I do think people between 7 and 11 would really adore the book, ages 12 to 18 maybe less so.
It was fairly easy to see what was happening during the final quest, since the title is School of Fear, and somehow, all the kids were forced to confront their fears during the journey.
I know it's set up for sequels, but it literally just sort of stopped. I turned the page thinking there would be more, and then there was blankness, the worst kind of blankness since I was expecting something.
I will read the second one, because I did enjoy the writing style and laugh out loud at certain parts.
I wish there was a choice between liked it and it was ok. I want to give it 2.5 stars.
I do think people between 7 and 11 would really adore the book, ages 12 to 18 maybe less so.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 23, 2014
I had this book in one of my piles for a while now, as my mom picked it up because it looked interesting.
While it was indeed interesting, and had a fun concept, it was predictable, in my opinion, and I didn't find it a new plot line. I personally wished they had played up on the actual fears though, as it seemed they were rather untouched throughout the entirety of the book.
The style and illustrations heavily reminded me of The Benedict Society. It was similar in ways, though I feel School of Fear had less of an impact.
It was, overall, good, and I'm going to finish the series, of course. It's an entertaining read if you want something quick and not too serious.
While it was indeed interesting, and had a fun concept, it was predictable, in my opinion, and I didn't find it a new plot line. I personally wished they had played up on the actual fears though, as it seemed they were rather untouched throughout the entirety of the book.
The style and illustrations heavily reminded me of The Benedict Society. It was similar in ways, though I feel School of Fear had less of an impact.
It was, overall, good, and I'm going to finish the series, of course. It's an entertaining read if you want something quick and not too serious.
July 17, 2011
Rife with stereotype and caricature, yet oddly lacking any diversity.
February 16, 2025
Awesome book. I read this as a kid and it made me wanna read more. I just reread it, and it still goes just as hard. I think it’s neat to do fear exposure as a child’s novel because it sorta sets you up to be able to digest the fucked literature of today.
If I went to School of Fear, they would just tell me all my friends and family actually secretly hate me and I’d have to deal with it I guess
If I went to School of Fear, they would just tell me all my friends and family actually secretly hate me and I’d have to deal with it I guess
August 26, 2017
Co mogę więcej powiedzieć, oprócz tego, że ta książka jest po prostu genialna?
4,5
4,5
February 6, 2015
What are you afraid of?
It may be spiders, death, confined spaces, or even large areas of water?
Whatever it is just remember, everyone is afraid of something.
The cover and name of School of Fear, by Gitty Daneshvari, makes the book look scary and serious. But before I was finished with the first page I knew it was a carefree, silly book. There is a wide range of characters from the normal, sports loving Garrison Feldman to the odd, brainiac Madeleine Masterson.
Meet the thoughtful, strange Madeleine Masterson. The second you meet her you would know something is a little off about her. You might be able to tell that she has a "small" fear of bugs, especially spiders. "How might you be able to tell?" you ask. Maybe from the veil that always covers Madeleine's face, or the bottles of bug repellent that she always has on hand. Madeleine has a horrible fear of spiders.
Right after Madeleine you meet the timid Theodore Bartholomew, more commonly known as Theo. Theo also has a fear, but he is not scared of bugs, Theo is scared of death. Whether it is his hourly "dead or alive" check-ins with each and everyone in his family or calling the rangers from Yosemite National Forest and ruining his parents' vacation. Theo's family are ready for things to change in the area of Theo's phobia.
How does one describe Lulu Punchalower? Some words that might pop into your head would be spoiled, mean, and ungrateful. These words might be correct to describe Lulu. But these are only words. If you really got to know Lulu you would find that she can have some very nice moments.... If she wasn't so scared of confined spaces. She avoids drinking and eating in public in case she would have to go to the bathroom. Even on a field trip she refuses to get into the elevator due to her phobia. After this incident Lulu's parents decide to look into the matter of finding a place to conquer her fear.
Garrison Feldman's has a less dramatic fear than the others but his attitude will turn from sweet to sour in seconds at the mention of large amounts of water. Garrison's father has a strict personality, one of the main things that he lives by is "No respect for quitters, whether in sports or scrabble." (Page 65) so Garrison, wanting to please his father, starts looking for a way to cure his fear.
As you can see these children have very little in common, besides that they each have a phobia. If I had to sum up the word phobia in one sentence I would say, a phobia is an irrational fear of something or someone. Phobia is basically a fancy word for the fear of something. The children and their families are getting tired of the fears that affect their daily lives . So when each family hears about School of Fear they immediately start listening.
The School of Fear is a school that supposedly will get rid of anyone's fear just after one summer. Only select people know about the School of Fear. Some teachers and Guidance Counselors know, but the largest percentage of people who know about it have graduated from this curious school. Though some kids are less enthusiastic about losing their summer to a summer school that they know nothing about, others are almost excited to go if it means they would cure their fears. As the kids and their families prepare for the arrival to School of Fear they would never ever suspect what really happens at the School of Fear.
What would you expect of a program with a name like School of Fear? I would expect a big mansion with hundreds of classes, a room for each fear. The eerie School of Fear was nothing like this. All the cook serves is Casu Frazigu (Maggot cheese) and there is only one teacher, a crazy woman who has a diploma in beauty pageant. Overall the school seems crazy, and the children think that it could in no way help them get over their fear.
The author, Gitty Daneshvari is a writer that anyone can admire. At some moments the book can be relaxed and calm, then you turn the page and get a suspenseful action scene that will have you glued to this book. The goofy characters would attract younger kids, but the fantastic writing would be suitable for any age. I would highly recommend this book to any kid with an interest in reading about how to conquer your fear. Maybe you might not be able to totally get rid of your fear. One, because the main teacher does not want to teach about getting over fears but how to be the best beauty pageant queen. Secondly, you probably could you could not get over your fear by reading a book, but it is still fun to read.
September 27, 2019
Starker Anfang, der Ängste und wie es ist, sie zu haben, gut beschreibt. Leider wurde es mit der Ankunft der Kinder auf Summerstone zu schrill. Ich stehe auf skurrile, schräge Charaktere, doch hier fühlte es sich zu gewollt an und wurde dadruch zu viel des Guten.
March 25, 2020
Review written in 2012.
Gitty Daneshvari’s debut novel for children, is recommended to readers aged nine or over. School of Fear, first published in the United States in 2009, is the first book in the trilogy, the second volume of which is due to be released in October.
The general premise of the novel is that four children from very different backgrounds are sent far from home to attend the School of Fear during their summer holidays. Here, they will ‘be forced to face their phobias head-on – in a desperate race to conquer them before term ends’. The novel itself opens with a letter of acceptance to the school, ‘an exceedingly select institution, run by the elusive Mrs. Wellington, aimed at eradicating children’s fears through unorthodox methods’.
We are introduced to the novel’s four main protagonists in relatively quick succession. The first is Madeleine Masterson, a pupil at the Brunswick School for Girls in Kensington, London. ‘Raven-haired’ Madeleine, who ‘had nothing but trepidation and fright for the start of summer’, is twelve years old and absolutely terrified of bugs. Her parents, sick with her fear, have been told by Madeleine’s counsellor, Mrs Kleiner, that she will benefit from visiting the School of Fear.
The second chapter then introduces Theodore Bartholomew, a ‘stout boy with alabaster skin, dark brown hair, and milk chocolate eyes framed by glasses’. Theo lives in Manhattan and is the youngest of seven children, all of whom find him an irritating burden. He has an ‘intense fear of death’ and obsesses as to whether every single member of his family are safe in his every waking moment.
The third protagonist is Lucy Punchalower, from Providence, Rhode Island. Whereas most believe that Lulu has a ‘penchant for speaking her mind, rolling her eyes and generally antagonizing those around her’, her classmates see her merely as ‘mean’. Lulu is terrified of confined spaces and is even deterred from going on field trips with her elementary school as she flatly refuses to ride lifts and the like.
The final main character is Garrison Feldman, a thirteen-year-old boy from Florida. He is something of a ‘local celebrity at his Miami middle school’, and is absolutely horrified at the thought of water. Garrison is the only one of the four children who has personally applied for a place at the school, begging his parents to fund the trip so that he is able to conquer his irrational fear.
The school is situated in ‘the wilderness outside Farmington’ in the state of Massachusetts. Its location is an isolated one, which sits atop a mountain with no road access. The children simultaneously see it as a place of ‘grandeur and pecularity’, where nothing is quite as it should be. The school has no other students aside from the four protagonists, and its headmistress, Mrs Wellington, is a hive of oddities and contradictions. A turtle lives in the bathtub, a blind man is employed as the school’s chef – ‘He hasn’t hurt anyone yet. Well, actually, that’s not true. I should say, he hasn’t killed anyone.’ – and one room is absolutely full of live bats and bees.
The beginning of each chapter lists a different phobia, some of which are related to the story and others which are not. These include such phobias as mottephobia (the fear of moths), nematophobia (the fear of names) and even phobophobia, the fear of phobias.
The novel uses an omniscient third person perspective, and the dialogue throughout works well, particularly with regard to the exchanges between the children. The language style and vocabulary which Daneshvari has used throughout has not been simplified in any way, rendering it a book which is as suitable for adults as children. The writing itself is rather amusing and quite descriptive. The characters are built up well and they feel like believable people, if a little over the top at times. Carrie Gifford’s illustrations throughout are lovely and fit incredibly well with the story.
School of Fear is rather a fun, intriguing and cleverly styled novel. The story itself is inventive and filled with twists and turns. Daneshvari writes well and has created a series which will amuse scores of children and adults alike.
Gitty Daneshvari’s debut novel for children, is recommended to readers aged nine or over. School of Fear, first published in the United States in 2009, is the first book in the trilogy, the second volume of which is due to be released in October.
The general premise of the novel is that four children from very different backgrounds are sent far from home to attend the School of Fear during their summer holidays. Here, they will ‘be forced to face their phobias head-on – in a desperate race to conquer them before term ends’. The novel itself opens with a letter of acceptance to the school, ‘an exceedingly select institution, run by the elusive Mrs. Wellington, aimed at eradicating children’s fears through unorthodox methods’.
We are introduced to the novel’s four main protagonists in relatively quick succession. The first is Madeleine Masterson, a pupil at the Brunswick School for Girls in Kensington, London. ‘Raven-haired’ Madeleine, who ‘had nothing but trepidation and fright for the start of summer’, is twelve years old and absolutely terrified of bugs. Her parents, sick with her fear, have been told by Madeleine’s counsellor, Mrs Kleiner, that she will benefit from visiting the School of Fear.
The second chapter then introduces Theodore Bartholomew, a ‘stout boy with alabaster skin, dark brown hair, and milk chocolate eyes framed by glasses’. Theo lives in Manhattan and is the youngest of seven children, all of whom find him an irritating burden. He has an ‘intense fear of death’ and obsesses as to whether every single member of his family are safe in his every waking moment.
The third protagonist is Lucy Punchalower, from Providence, Rhode Island. Whereas most believe that Lulu has a ‘penchant for speaking her mind, rolling her eyes and generally antagonizing those around her’, her classmates see her merely as ‘mean’. Lulu is terrified of confined spaces and is even deterred from going on field trips with her elementary school as she flatly refuses to ride lifts and the like.
The final main character is Garrison Feldman, a thirteen-year-old boy from Florida. He is something of a ‘local celebrity at his Miami middle school’, and is absolutely horrified at the thought of water. Garrison is the only one of the four children who has personally applied for a place at the school, begging his parents to fund the trip so that he is able to conquer his irrational fear.
The school is situated in ‘the wilderness outside Farmington’ in the state of Massachusetts. Its location is an isolated one, which sits atop a mountain with no road access. The children simultaneously see it as a place of ‘grandeur and pecularity’, where nothing is quite as it should be. The school has no other students aside from the four protagonists, and its headmistress, Mrs Wellington, is a hive of oddities and contradictions. A turtle lives in the bathtub, a blind man is employed as the school’s chef – ‘He hasn’t hurt anyone yet. Well, actually, that’s not true. I should say, he hasn’t killed anyone.’ – and one room is absolutely full of live bats and bees.
The beginning of each chapter lists a different phobia, some of which are related to the story and others which are not. These include such phobias as mottephobia (the fear of moths), nematophobia (the fear of names) and even phobophobia, the fear of phobias.
The novel uses an omniscient third person perspective, and the dialogue throughout works well, particularly with regard to the exchanges between the children. The language style and vocabulary which Daneshvari has used throughout has not been simplified in any way, rendering it a book which is as suitable for adults as children. The writing itself is rather amusing and quite descriptive. The characters are built up well and they feel like believable people, if a little over the top at times. Carrie Gifford’s illustrations throughout are lovely and fit incredibly well with the story.
School of Fear is rather a fun, intriguing and cleverly styled novel. The story itself is inventive and filled with twists and turns. Daneshvari writes well and has created a series which will amuse scores of children and adults alike.
May 6, 2016
What I liked:
-The story was OK. (I wasn't that interested in it.)
-The author would put the name of the fear then, define what the fear was.
What I didn't like:
-So many details not needed. (Could've been simplified by a lot.)
-Didn't hook me at all. (I only read this book for the sake of A.R.)
I would probably read the 3rd book. I thought the 2nd book was good. The 1st was kind of boring. (I read the books out of order... I read the 2nd one first.)
Summary:
This book is basically about 4 kids with fears. These four kids are Madeline, Theo, Lulu, and Garrison. Madeline is a girl from England that has a fear of spiders. Theo is a boy from Manhattan with a huge fear of death. Lulu has claustrophobia. (I forgot where she was from.) Garrison is a popular boy from Miami with the fear of big bodies of water. He gets love notes from girls and is really good at sports. Everyone (except for Garrison) was signed up by their parents to attend the school of fear. (Garrison signed himself up.) Madeline is with her parents riding on a bus, and so is Garrison, though his parents didn't come. Theo's mom drives him to the school of fear since he worries that he and his parents could die in the bus. Lulu gets to the school of fear in a limousine (her parents want to keep a good reputation.) Then, they finally arrive at the school of fear. The school of fear is located on a hill (or was it a mountain?) so that it could be hidden from society. Everyone's bags get checked by a dog named Macaroni. Macaroni sniffs out a cellphone in Theo's bag. (Cellphones are not allowed at the school of fear.) The phone gets taken away and Theo cries and freaks out. Schimidty takes their bags and their teacher shows them around. On the first day at the school of fear, their teacher Mrs.Wellington takes them to the fearnasium. In the fearnasium, she instructions the students to use their imagination. She tells Maddie to pretend that the fake spiders she puts on them are real. Then, she puts Lulu and Theo in a coffin. She puts Lulu in there because of her fear of tight spaces and she puts Theo in there so that he could pretend that he is dead. Now for Garrison. She just tells him to think about swimming or water. Garrison starts to sweat a lot which makes it feel more real. After that, she instructs them to stop imagining and then teaches them about pageantry. One night, Munchhauser (which is Mrs. Wellington's attorney) comes back and warns her that Abernathy is back. Abernathy is the only student that Mrs. Wellington couldn't cure (he is also Mrs. Wellington's stepson.)
-The story was OK. (I wasn't that interested in it.)
-The author would put the name of the fear then, define what the fear was.
What I didn't like:
-So many details not needed. (Could've been simplified by a lot.)
-Didn't hook me at all. (I only read this book for the sake of A.R.)
I would probably read the 3rd book. I thought the 2nd book was good. The 1st was kind of boring. (I read the books out of order... I read the 2nd one first.)
Summary:
This book is basically about 4 kids with fears. These four kids are Madeline, Theo, Lulu, and Garrison. Madeline is a girl from England that has a fear of spiders. Theo is a boy from Manhattan with a huge fear of death. Lulu has claustrophobia. (I forgot where she was from.) Garrison is a popular boy from Miami with the fear of big bodies of water. He gets love notes from girls and is really good at sports. Everyone (except for Garrison) was signed up by their parents to attend the school of fear. (Garrison signed himself up.) Madeline is with her parents riding on a bus, and so is Garrison, though his parents didn't come. Theo's mom drives him to the school of fear since he worries that he and his parents could die in the bus. Lulu gets to the school of fear in a limousine (her parents want to keep a good reputation.) Then, they finally arrive at the school of fear. The school of fear is located on a hill (or was it a mountain?) so that it could be hidden from society. Everyone's bags get checked by a dog named Macaroni. Macaroni sniffs out a cellphone in Theo's bag. (Cellphones are not allowed at the school of fear.) The phone gets taken away and Theo cries and freaks out. Schimidty takes their bags and their teacher shows them around. On the first day at the school of fear, their teacher Mrs.Wellington takes them to the fearnasium. In the fearnasium, she instructions the students to use their imagination. She tells Maddie to pretend that the fake spiders she puts on them are real. Then, she puts Lulu and Theo in a coffin. She puts Lulu in there because of her fear of tight spaces and she puts Theo in there so that he could pretend that he is dead. Now for Garrison. She just tells him to think about swimming or water. Garrison starts to sweat a lot which makes it feel more real. After that, she instructs them to stop imagining and then teaches them about pageantry. One night, Munchhauser (which is Mrs. Wellington's attorney) comes back and warns her that Abernathy is back. Abernathy is the only student that Mrs. Wellington couldn't cure (he is also Mrs. Wellington's stepson.)
October 10, 2012
I can't say I truly read it, but I can say I gave it a very concerted effort.
My 8yo daughter read it and then lent me the book. Since I'd seen it at the library and was interested in it then, I thought I'd go for it. I tried for over 100 pages but the pacing was all off and I didn't care a lick about the characters. I felt that the writer was trying to write like someone else, although I'm not sure who, and it did not come across very genuine.
It's important to note that my 8yo, with an independent reading level around 6th grade, did read and enjoy it. However, when I asked if she was going to borrow the other two in the series from the library, she shrugged and said probably not.
My 8yo daughter read it and then lent me the book. Since I'd seen it at the library and was interested in it then, I thought I'd go for it. I tried for over 100 pages but the pacing was all off and I didn't care a lick about the characters. I felt that the writer was trying to write like someone else, although I'm not sure who, and it did not come across very genuine.
It's important to note that my 8yo, with an independent reading level around 6th grade, did read and enjoy it. However, when I asked if she was going to borrow the other two in the series from the library, she shrugged and said probably not.
November 6, 2016
This book is very interesting and I liked it very much. I liked how is was funny and creative and unique. It showed all the characters thoughts. It did, although, have some more dull parts that made you just want to skim through to get to the interesting part. I really enjoyed how they described the characters and made them very unique. It is definitely one of the more unique books I have read, and I like that. I have read the second book, and (Spoiler-ish) (not really) in my opinion, it is a little better then the first book. I do want to keep reading the series, and see where it goes with the story. If your looking for a more unique book, then this is a good book to read.
December 31, 2018
Cumplió el propósito que debe tener cualquier libro que es divertirme y entretenerme. Es un libro muy bueno para los niños aunque también podemos leerlo aquellos que ya no somos tan niños. Mi personaje favorito sin duda es Madeleine y su educada forma de hablar. Lo más interesante es que creo que el libro tiene algo de razón la única forma de superar una fobia o un miedo es enfrentando se a el de manera inconsciente y cuando te das cuenta que lo superaste y que sigues vivo puede disminuir un poco esa fobia, que es al final como la resuelven los niños.
February 14, 2012
I can't speak poorly enough of this book. Daneshvari has a simplistic, childlike way of writing that isn't nearly as endearing as that should be. In fact, it's obnoxious. I haven't finished this book, and I won't. It's so poorly written that it's not even worth it.
November 27, 2011
Humorous, well written, twisty novel that left me wanting another semester!
July 27, 2019
I decided to downsize the books in my house. I have been paring down and reading and came to several of my daughter's books. I read a lot of nonfiction so this was a nice change. A quick journey with Gitty DAneshvari. All four of the students have epic phobias and The School of Fear and her headmistress Miss Wellington will fix the phobias right quick. A fun read with, a lot of laughs especially in the second half of the book as the students must rely on each other if they are to graduate!
January 24, 2021
This was great, actually. Whimsical sense of humour and use of language—reminds me a bit of the Series of Unfortunate Events books. Will be using to teach a creative writing class for middle schoolers & I think they'll have a lot of fun with it!
July 25, 2017
We got this from our neighborhood Little Lending Library (those are so fun!). I read it out loud to some of my kids, ages 12-6. They enjoyed it.
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