  | Scarum fair Author: Swaim, Jessica | |
| Price: $6.50 | ||
Summary:
Enter the Scarum Fair, a hilariously ghoulish gathering of thrill rides, creepy creatures, and ghastly sideshow entertainers.
| Illustrator: | Ashley, Carol |
| Reading Counts Information: Interest Level: 3-5 Reading Level: 5.40 Points: 3.0 Quiz: 57087 | ||
Common Core Standards
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Key Ideas & Details
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → 4.RL Range of Reading & Level of Text Complexity
Grade 4 → Reading → RL Literature → Texts Illustrating the Complexity, Quality, & Rang
Grade 3 → Reading → RF Foundational Skills → 3.RF Fluency
Grade 4 → Reading → RF Foundational Skills → 4.RF Fluency
Grade 5 → Reading → RL Literature → 5.RL Key Ideas & Details
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (09/15/10)
School Library Journal (11/01/10)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 11/01/2010 Gr 3–6—Clever writing pulls children into a creepy carnival of 29 humorous poems. In a series of mostly four- to twelve-line selections, children ride the "Teacup Terror," "Scary-Go-Round," and "Rattler Coaster"; taste a bit of "Devil's Food Cake" and "I-Scream"; and attend "Count Dracula's Wedding." The first poem, "The Ghoul at the Gate," warns one kid to "Turn back,/or you'll regret it," and a large green claw comes onto the page to pick up an unsuspecting red-haired boy. Although the poems all seem to be written about that one boy becoming trapped ("Hey, kid...I told you/not to come here./Did you listen to me? No!/You'll never leave the Scarum Fair./The hand won't let you go..."), readers do not see that particular boy throughout but rather a cast of Caucasian children. Dark background colors add a sense of foreboding as the cartoon children meet the ghouls illustrated in acrylics, graphite, and pen and ink. This book will require little hand-selling and will be especially popular among fans of Adam Rex's Frankenstein Makes a Sandwich (2006) or Frankenstein Takes the Cake (2008, both Harcourt) and Jack Prelutsky's Awful Ogre's Awful Day (Greenwillow, 2001).—Julie R. Ranelli, Queen Anne's County Free Library, Stevensville, MD - Copyright 2010 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
