Books like Creature Teacher

Being shipped off to boarding school is never a good omen in a Goosebumps book. With your parents out of the picture, who's left to defend you if a monster comes calling? Twelve-year-old Paul Perez finds himself in just that predicament when he gets in trouble one too many times at his public school. His straight-laced parents have had enough, and they use their connections to gain him admittance to the Caring Academy, a prosperous private school in New England where Paul can build toward his future without the distractions of public education. Paul doesn't want to go, but his objection would be much more urgent if he knew what awaits him there... Paul makes a pair of friends quickly, Celeste Majors and Molly Bagby, but his first encounter with his teacher erases any doubt that enrolling in the Caring Academy was a calamitous mistake. Mrs. Maaargh is huge and grotesque, and her slimy bare feet squish and squelch on the classroom floor. She doesn't try to hide the fact that she's a monster from the kids, keeping a food-chain chart at the front of the room and moving their names up and down on it depending on their behavior and achievements. The bottom student in the food chain when the school session ends will become a meal for Mrs. Maaargh. After Paul's class clown routine gets on her nerves right away, he knows he's doomed if he can't escape from the Caring Academy. "What do you do after your last chance is gone?" —Creature Teacher, P. 106 Phones are off-limits to students except on holidays, the faculty scoff at any claim that one of the teachers is a monster, and the only breakout attempted—by Molly—ended with Mrs. Maaargh dragging her back inside the school and dropping her name to the bottom of the food chain. After badmouthing Mrs. Maaargh to a boy he didn't realize was her son, Paul figures his only shot to avoid being the teacher's prey is to put in a spectacular performance at the class talent show. Paul's a witty kid, and he can do impressive balloon animals...will that be enough to save him? Can anything keep Paul off Mrs. Maaargh's monstrous menu? "But there is always one last chance—right?" —Creature Teacher, P. 107 R.L. Stine has written deeper stories than Creature Teacher, with much more surprising twists and turns, but this is a serviceable juvenile horror novel. Goosebumps books set at boarding school have a distinctive feel, with young characters whose parents aren't around so they have to learn to rescue themselves, and that can make for compelling drama. I'd give Creature Teacher one and a half stars. If you're a diehard Goosebumps fan, check it out.