17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
First in a fun series, February 6, 2001
In Vampires Don't Wear Polka-Dots, we are introduced to the soon-to-be-very-odd world of Bailey Elementary School. As our saga opens, the third grade has successfully managed to drive their teacher crazy. Legend has it she has left for the remotest parts of Alaska. Eddie, the class prankster, is thrilled. Not only has he made this class too hot to handle, it means that a NEW teacher is soon to come in!! Ahhh, fresh blood!! (so to speak!)
Well, Bailey Elementary had no idea what they were in for. Their new teacher is a tall, red-haired woman with "eyes the color of lime Kool-Aid". She's also Transylvanian and an absolutely no-nonsense sort of teacher. Most students are immediately intimidated by her thick accent and piercing stare, and almost immediately all students calm down and become the sort of dream students most teachers wish for.
Almost all, that is. Let us not forget about Eddie, who is determined to make sure that the room is run according to HIS adjenda, not hers. At least that's his plan. Of course, Ms. Jeepers has her OWN ideas of how a class should be run.
Suffice it to say that strange and sometimes creepy things begin to happen in class. All the wonderful tricks Eddie tries to play just somehow *don't work*, and there's no good reason why not. Indeed, sometimes tricks that should work perfectly well suddenly defy all laws of physics and logic--like things thrown suddenly changing direction and flying *back* at the thrower-- and, what's more, only when Ms. J is rubbing that strange, glowing brooch she always wears...
As of this writing, there's over 30 Bailey School Kids books, each with a "Don't" title, like "Ghosts Don't Eat Potato Chips" and "Werewolves Don't Go to Summer Camp". What sets each one apart and makes each worth reading is a light blend of camp and creepiness. The kids throw insults back and forth at each other, and the pace of the book is quick enough to keep even the most jaded reader interested. Yet, the books have moments of real creepiness; finding a coffin-sized box in the basement of Ms. J's house, for example.
What makes the books even more enjoyable is the lack of concrete evidence one way or the other regarding the new, odd character. Maybe Ms. J really IS a vampire, maybe she's not. Maybe there really IS a werewolf at summer camp, maybe there isn't. Quick-witted children and students can easily argue either side of the coin.
Less frightening than the Goosebumps books, this series is a great choice for early readers who are looking to have their spines tickled, but not necessarily completely shaken up. It's also an excellent choice for reluctant readers and children who transitioning from picture to chapter books.
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