Halloween Fraidy-Cat (Ready, Freddy! Series #8) by Klein, John McKinley (Illustrator)

From the Publisher

Meet Freddy Thresher, a boy who has a nose for trouble and a last name that's made him an expert on sharks. You can learn more about sharks, too, in Freddy's Shark Journal at the back of the book. And see if you can find the word "fin" hidden in every picture! With content, humor, characters, and vocabulary that are perfect for the chapter-book reader--it's time to get ready for Freddy!

Children's Literature

Freddy Thresher, hero of Scholastic's "Ready, Freddy!" series of not-too-difficult chapter books, is a first-grader prone to fears and hassles. Poor Freddy! He's afraid of any kind of monster or ghost, even if it's only a costume or mask, and now classmate Chloe's giving a cool haunted-house Hallowe'en party. Max, the class bully and Freddy's particular nemesis, is going as a scary zombie, but Freddy (a shark aficionado) will stick to his usual shark costume, made by Mom. This year it'll be a hammerhead. Although big sister Suzie buys a Bride of Frankenstein outfit, Freddy's relieved that his best friends Robbie and Jessie have home-made costumes, too: Robbie's a pirate and Jessie's abuela has made her a Dracula costume complete with bat. For most of the party, Freddy's terrified. It's easy to lose patience with such a super wimp, but kids who sympathize will find satisfaction in Freddy's triumph over his fears and the obnoxious Max. Freddy's world may seem rather remote to some young readers: many of the children buy their costumes at a party store and Chloe's event is catered by a planner who transforms her home into an elaborate haunted house. (Chloe also warns about the expensive living room carpet, which might get wet during apple bobbing. Where are the parents?) For fun, each of McKinley's perky pictures contains the hidden word FIN in the style of Hirschfeld's NINA. Included are a shark fact page, a Hallowe'en crossword, and a plug for Scholastic's Lucky Book Club.

Product Details

• ISBN: 0439784573
  
• ISBN-13: 9780439784573
• Format: Paperback, 96pp
• Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
• Pub. Date: August 2006
• Sales Rank: 15,358
• Age Range: 4 to 8
• Series: Ready, Freddy! Series, #8