The first day of school is nerve-racking enough without ghosts. Charlotte Gunnufson's rhyming picture book sends a class of students to show a mischievous crew of spirits how school works.

Readical Key Points

• Picture book in rhyme for ages 4 to 8 (preschool to grade 3)
• Illustrated by Rebecca Crane
• Starred review from School Library Journal; also reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews and the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
• Hardcover, 40 pages; Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2026

When the ghosts turn up, stockpiling hula hoops and sending lunches floating through the air, the students have a choice: panic, or show the newcomers the ropes. By modeling good manners and working together, the class helps the spirits learn how school runs. School Library Journal points to the friendship and problem-solving at its center.

Parents, teachers and librarians can read it aloud in the run-up to a new school year or through the stretch from back-to-school to Halloween; Kirkus describes it as "a tale to bolster young worrywarts." The first day has plenty to worry about, and here the worry arrives with hula hoops and floating lunches.

About the Author and Illustrator

Charlotte Gunnufson's other books include Halloween Hustle, Dream Submarine, and Hard Hat Hank and the Sky-High Solution. Rebecca Crane writes and illustrates books and designs characters for books and animation.

Condition: Brand New and Readical Ready.

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