Eerie Tales from the School of Screams

White-cued schoolteacher Ms. Nomed challenges her students to tell the eeriest tale they can imagine in this spine-chilling graphic novel collection by Annable (the Peter & Ernesto series), which teems with ghoulish charm and innovative flair. Bespectacled Alvin, who reads as Black, tells an 18th-century drama titled "The Village that Vanished," in which tax collectors searching for a town called Wattersburg instead meet a lone elderly shepherd. When prompted for the town's whereabouts, the shepherd informs the collectors that, following a deadly transgression, sea people dragged Wattersburg's citizens into the ocean--all except the old man. Subsequent genre-spanning tales detail a space crew navigating a time loop's fallout and a girl uncovering her father's dismembered remains, with help from his talking head. And as they spin their sinister yarns, unusual quips from Ms. Nomed sow unease among the class. Saturated spot colors set each story apart from contemporary school scenes rendered in grayscale and muted green. Cartoonish characters, minimalist backdrops, and Annable's gently absurd humor juxtapose the stories' frightening undertones. Via simple yet effective paneling, Annable balances terrifying visuals and taut storytelling with finesse and expert timing to deliver a horror-filled collection that is sure to scare and delight. Ages 8-12. (July)

Copyright 2023 Publishers Weekly, LLC Used with permission.

"Horror buffs will revel in the intelligent and spooky tales as these students await whatever awfulness or tantalizing but narrow chance of escape will befall them."—Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Graham is a treasure—his humor and pacing are vivid and unique—a trueborn storyteller and a raconteur of great wit!" —Guillermo del Toro, Filmmaker

"There is something wrong with Graham Annable, in the best way possible. Hilarious and heartfelt without compromising on scares, this is a book you'll want to read with all the lights on and a giant bowl of candy. I would've killed for horror comics like this as a kid . . . but then maybe I would never have slept again. So never mind." —Vera Brosgol, Anya's Ghost

"Has Graham Annable ever made a bad drawing? No. The answer is no. And he can write a twisted story— think you can handle hilarious/wicked twisted stories? Prepare to test your nerves to the outer limits!"— Jeff Smith, creator of Bone and Tuki