Sir Simon: Super Scarer

by Cale Atkinson (Author)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A delightful, funny story of friendship, ghost chores, a spooky house and a professional haunter.

Meet Sir Simon, Super Scarer. He's a professional ghost who has been transferred to his first house. And just in time! He was getting tired of haunting bus stops and forests and potatoes. And to top it off, this house is occupied by an old lady -- they're the easiest to haunt! But things don't go as planned when it turns out a kid comes with this old lady. Chester spots Simon immediately and peppers him with questions. Simon is exasperated. . . until he realizes he can trick Chester into doing his ghost chores.

Spooky sounds, footsteps in the attic, creaks on the stairs -- these things don't happen on their own, you know! After a long night of haunting, it seems that maybe Chester isn't cut out to be a ghost, so Simon decides to help with Chester's human chores. Turns out Simon isn't cut out for human chores either. But maybe they're both cut out to be friends . . .

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Hardcover
$17.99

Booklist

A sweet and silly Halloween pick!

Kirkus Reviews

Starred Review
There's enough detail in the pictures (made with "Ghost toots and Photoshop") to keep readers riveted.

Publishers Weekly

Sir Simon Spookington has haunted a boat, a bus stop, and a pizza pie, among other spots. His transfer to a new haunting residence, his first house, is complicated by the arrival of Chester, a brown-skinned child who is thrilled by Sir Simon's presence and yearns to "be a ghost with you." Simon ropes Chester into doing his varied haunting tasks by touting them as privileges, Tom Sawyer-style: "First chore, er, I mean activity, is spooky animal sounds!" But Chester isn't so good at haunting, and Simon becomes uneasy about his trickery. Photographs in the boy's room create empathy within Simon ("Looks like Chester gets transferred a lot, just like me"), and he repents the next day, offering to share Chester's chores. Detailed art by Atkinson (Where Oliver Fits) mirrors the story's energy through architectural cross-sections and explanatory diagrams. Part snarky comedy, part feel-good tale, the book offers enough laughs to be a solid readaloud, and its lack of scary moments makes it a good choice for kids who prefer their ghost stories scream-free. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Copyright 2018 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

Review quotes

"[R]eaders will get an insider's peek at how not scary ghosts really are. In fact, they are hilarious!" —CM Magazine
Cale Atkinson
CALE ATKINSON is an illustrator, writer and animator living lakeside with his family in Kelowna, British Columbia, whose books include Sir Simon: Super Scarer, Where Oliver Fits, Monsters 101, Unicorns 101, Simon and Chester: Super Detectives! and Simon and Chester: Super Sleepover!, to name a few. Cale is assisted in his artistic endeavors by Charlie, a wise and noble floof.
Classification
Fiction
ISBN-13
9781101919095
Lexile Measure
-
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Tundra Books (NY)
Publication date
September 20, 2018
Series
-
BISAC categories
JUV039060 - Juvenile Fiction | Social Themes | Friendship
JUV019000 - Juvenile Fiction | Humorous Stories
JUV069000 - Juvenile Fiction | Ghost Stories
Library of Congress categories
Ghosts
Ghost stories

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