SATA

• Forest Frights - 2024 Aladdin, New York, NY
• Welcome to Scare School (by Jarrett Lerner ; illustrated by Jarrett Lerner) - 2024 Aladdin, New York, NY
• Saved by the Smell - 2025 Aladdin, New York, NY
• No More Mr. Mice Guy - 2025 Aladdin, New York, NY

• Jarrett Lerner website - https://jarrettlerner.com/

  Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner is the award-winning creator of the EngiNerds series of Middle Grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the activity books Give This Book a Title and Give This Book a Cover, The Hunger Heroes series of graphic novel chapter books, the Nat the Cat series of early readers (the first of which was named an ALSC/ALA 2024 Notable Book), the Scare School Diaries series of highly illustrated chapter books, and the My Mad Scientist Mom series of illustrated chapter books. Jarrett is also the creator of the illustrated novel in verse A Work in Progress, which received multiple starred reviews, was a Kids’ Indie Next List pick, and was selected for the 2023 Global Read Aloud. The book also appeared on the New York Public Library’s Best Books of 2023 list, the Chicago Public Library’s Best of the Best 2023 list, and was named an Audible Best Book of 2023. The book has also, more recently, been nominated for several 2024 state awards and was given a 2024 Notable Children’s Book Award by NCTE’s Children’s Literature Assembly. All of Jarrett’s books are published by Simon & Schuster. In addition to writing, drawing, and visiting schools and libraries across the country, Jarrett co-founded and co-organizes the KidsNeedBooks and KidsNeedMentors projects, and regularly spearheads fundraisers for various reading- and book-related causes. He is also the founder and operator of Jarrett Lerner’s Creator Club. He can be found at jarrettlerner.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @Jarrett_Lerner. He lives with his wife and daughters in Massachusetts.

• From the Mixed-Up Files - https://fromthemixedupfiles.com/a-work-in-progress-jarrett-lerner-interview-giveaway/

  A Work in Progress: Jarrett Lerner Interview + Giveaway
  A Work in Progress

  Jarrett Lerner —Interview
  I am been following author/illustrator Jarrett Lerner on Twitter for years. What really caught my eye is how during the pandemic he posted drawing activities for kids. He is the author/illustrator of the humorous EngiNerds and Geiger the Robot series as well as the new Nat the Cat series. Now he has a new book out written in verse on a more serious topic.

  About the Book

  Hi Jarrett! I was so honored to get to read A Work in Progress. Can you give us a short summary about the book?

  Thank you! Here’s the official description from my publisher:

  Will is the only round kid in a school full of this ones. So he hides…in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, in the back row during class, and anywhere but the cafeteria during lunch. But shame isn’t the only feeling that dominates Will’s life. He’s also got a crush on a girl named Jules who knows he doesn’t have a chance with—string beans only date string beans—but he can’t help wondering what if?

  Will’s best shot at attracting Jules’s attention is by slaying the Will Monster inside him by changing his eating habits and getting more exercise. But the results are either frustratingly slow or infuriatingly unsuccessful, and Will’s shame begins to morph into self-loathing.

  As he resorts to increasingly drastic measures to transform his appearance, Will meets skateboarder Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress.

  Tell us who would especially enjoy this book?

  I worked had to make sure this book would be enjoyable for as many readers as possible. The book is physically big – 360-something pages – but is only 18,000 words long (other Middle Grade books of that page length contain probably four or five times that many words). It’s also highly illustrated. I hope kids (and adults!) who see bits of themselves in Will’s story will read it, and that they’ll find comfort and hope. But I also hope just as many, if not more, kids (and adults!) will read it, too, and hopefully be left with greater empathy for their peers.

  I saw your tweet about misconceptions of eating disorders. What misconceptions did you address in your book?

  I think the biggest misconception is that disordered eating and eating disorders are things that are only developed by girls. Growing up, when I was going through what Will goes through in the book, I sought out books that addressed body image, disordered eating, and body dysmorphia (though I certainly hadn’t learned all those terms yet). I found very few, and all of them had two things in common: the protagonists were girls, and they were always extreme cases. It wasn’t until a couple years ago, when I had already begun working on what would become A Work in Progress, that I first read a book about a boy who had a troubled relationship with their body and food and eating, but whose troubles didn’t require medical intervention. I hope Will’s story helps fill that still-enormous gap in the literature. We need those books that I did find on shelves back when I was in middle school, but we also need ones about the kids silently suffering with problems that fall just short of grabbing adults’ attention. Unfortunately, when it comes to bodily insecurity and disordered eating, there are a tremendous number of kids suffering.

  About the Author/Illustrator

  How did your childhood help to shape this book (both content and format)?

  Will’s story is a fictionalized version of my own. My own story took place over more time, and featured a larger cast of characters. In order to make the book as powerful as possible, I had to compress time and characters. And while having had all these experiences certainly gave me the ability to authentically tell this story, that doesn’t mean it was easy. Making A Work in Progress was the toughest creative challenge of my life. I’d been trying for over a decade to get the story out of me in a way that felt “right.” It wasn’t until I finally landed on the idea of telling the story as if it were being set down in real time in Will’s private notebook/sketchbook that things started moving in that “right” direction. And Will’s notebook looks very much like my own notebooks did back when I was his age – a mishmash of free verse, doodles, and drawings.

  What authors and/or illustrators would you say influenced your writing and illustration style?

  So many. Too many to name. There’s a quote I think about (and share) nearly every day of my life: “Reading is breathing in, writing is breathing out.” Pam Allen said that. It’s just brilliant. And so very true. You can’t write well without reading. And you can’t draw well without “reading” drawings. These two things – reading and writing (and drawing, if you tell stories visually) – are two parts of the same process. The more you do one, the better you get at the other. So I read constantly, and have been influenced by so, so many. Along with that, I’m constantly exposing myself to new authors and illustrators – always seeking to be influenced in new ways and continue growing as a creator.

  Do you share any personality traits with Will Chambers and/or Markus?

  I think there’s a part of me in every one of my characters. I’m not sure if it starts that way, or if the process of writing and drawing them engages my empathy in a way that I just, by the end of it all, feel so connected and close to them. I guess, when it comes to Will and Markus, I’d say that I’m just where Will is at the end of book – he’s still himself, but he’s trying his best to adopt some of the approaches to life that Markus embodies and shares.

  For Artists

  I love how the artwork adds an additional layer to the story. Do you incorporate the artwork in your brainstorming/early draft? Please share your process.

  Yes. I start all of my projects longhand, usually in composition notebooks. I write and draw, back and forth, sometimes leaning more heavily on one or another – whatever language, verbal or visual, I can use to get my ideas out of my head and down onto paper at any given moment. Usually, once I’ve got a clearer idea of the story I’m trying to tell, I try to figure out what specific format will best serve the story. Sometimes, I decide that it’s best to stick with just text, that I want my readers to provide all the story’s visuals in their imagination. Sometimes I decide text with occasional illustrations will be ideal to tell a story in the most funny or exciting or powerful or emotionally resonant (or whatever I’m going for) way. And sometimes, I have to sort of create my own form. My editor has taken to calling many of my upcoming books “hybrids,” because the usual terminology can’t really capture what they are. They’re not traditional chapter books, but not full graphic novels – I’ve taken to telling each part of a story using whatever tool best accomplishes what I want that part to do. There are a lot of other creators who’ve begun doing this. Each season, more and more books get published that defy these easy classifications. I think it’s one of the most exciting trends in publishing right now, and will only grow in the coming years.

  And are these illustrations done by hand or on a computer?

  I work on all my art on paper, but once I’ve got a clear conception of what a final piece needs to be, I work digitally. The art you see in my books is all done on an iPad Pro using an Apple Pencil (second generation) and the Procreate app.

  What’s your art background? Were you a writer or illustrator first? And how did the second one happen?

  I’m self-taught, so to speak. Growing up, I took every art class and every creative writing course offered in school. But I don’t have any formal training in either writing or drawing. I read, and looked, and copied and copied and copied, gradually finding my own approach and processes and developing my own style.

  More About Jarrett
  How can we learn more about you?

  Website: jarrettlerner.com

  Twitter and Instagram: @Jarrett_Lerner

  YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@JarrettLernerBooks

  Thanks for your time, Jarrett!

  Thank YOU! Really excellent questions. I appreciate them very much, and the opportunity to share.

• Josh Draws Comics - https://joshdrawscomics.com/3-questions-with-jarrett-lerner/

  3 Questions With… Jarrett Lerner
  by jdsmeaton | Jul 18, 2023 | 3 Questions With...

  Jarrett Lerner

  Jarrett popped up on my Twitter feed at some point. Maybe with his Read More, Ban Less activism. I liked what I saw and have been following him ever since.

  Jarrett is the award-winning creater of more than a dozen books for kids, including the EngiNerds series of middle-grade novels, and the Hunger Heroes graphic novel series.

  In addition to writing, drawing, and visiting schools and libraries across the country, Jarrett co-founded and co-organizes the #KidsNeedBooks and #KidsNeedMentors projects, and regularly spearheads fundraisers for various reading- and book-related causes. He is also the founder and operator of Jarrett Lerner’s Creator Club. He lives with his wife and daughters in Massachusetts.

  Jarret’s latest book A Work in Progress is an illustrator novel. It’s about a young boy struggling with his body image. Though not a graphic novel, Jarrett uses drawings along with prose to tell the story rather than an illustration of a scene. And I thought it was a book worth sharing.

  Why comics? (What compels you to create in this medium?)
  I rarely, if ever, think and imagine exclusively in words and pictures. My head is typically filled with a mixed-up stew of BOTH. Comics are the only medium that lets one use both words and pictures to their maximum potential — and do so at the same time. When comics are done well, I don’t think there is any other form of storytelling (or even just communication) that is more expressive, powerful, or stimulating. It’s a beautiful and amazing thing.

  What is your favorite part/step of the process?
  It’s tough to pick a favorite. But I really love when I get from loose sketches and bits of script to actually putting together pages, making decisions about paneling and layouts. That’s when a comic or graphic novel really starts to come alive for me, when I begin to get a sense of the pacing of things, and the ways in which the story will best unfold. That being said, there are also times when I really love the process of inking. I can put on a bunch of podcasts of an audiobook and just trace and trace and trace. I find that very soothing and rewarding. Also, getting to that part of the process usually comes with a great deal of relief. So that’s nice, too.

  What are you currently working on?
  A whole bunch of stuff! I’ve got a series of early readers that I’m continuing to make, and I’ll be launching two new chapter book series over the next two years. In addition to that, I’ve got a few projects I am preparing for submission this summer and fall — another early reader endeavor, a solidly Middle Grade novel that I’m co-writing/co-drawing with a good pal, and a YA concept. I’ve learned over the years that I’m most productive and efficient when I’m working on a bunch of different things, especially if those things all target different audiences. Each project helps me more clearly grasp what the others are and need to be.

  You can find Jarrett and links to his work at the following:

  JarrettLerner.Com

  Instagram

  Twitter

• YA Books Central - https://yabookscentral.com/interview-with-jarrett-lerner-a-work-in-progress/

  Interview With Jarrett Lerner (A WORK IN PROGRESS)
  May 5, 2023No Comments
  Written by Cherokee Crum, Blog Manager and Staff Reviewer
  Posted in Authors, Interviews, News & Updates
  Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Jarrett Lerner (A Work in Progress)!

  Meet the Author: Jarrett Lerner

  Jarrett Lerner is the award-winning creator of more than a dozen books for kids, including the EngiNerds series of middle grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the Hunger Heroes series of graphic novel chapter books, two activity books, the illustrated novel in verse A Work in Progress, and the Nat the Cat series of early readers. You can find him online at JarrettLerner.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @Jarrett_Lerner. He lives with his wife and daughters in Massachusetts.

  Website * Twitter * Instagram

  About the Book: A Work in Progress

  A young boy struggles with body image in this poignant middle grade journey to self-acceptance told through prose, verse, and illustration. Will is the only round kid in a school full of string beans. So he hides…in baggy jeans and oversized hoodies, in the back row during class, and anywhere but the cafeteria during lunch. But shame isn’t the only feeling that dominates Will’s life. He’s also got a crush on a girl named Jules who knows he doesn’t have a chance with—string beans only date string beans—but he can’t help wondering what if? Will’s best shot at attracting Jules’s attention is by slaying the Will Monster inside him by changing his eating habits and getting more exercise. But the results are either frustratingly slow or infuriatingly unsuccessful, and Will’s shame begins to morph into self-loathing. As he resorts to increasingly drastic measures to transform his appearance, Will meets skateboarder Markus, who helps him see his body and all it contains as an ever-evolving work in progress.

  Purchase

  ~Author Chat~

  YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?

  This book is very much autobiographical, and I’ve been trying to write it, off and on, for over a decade. But none of my previous attempts ever got much of anywhere. Nothing ever felt “right.” A few years ago, I finally landed on the proper format for this book — I realized I needed to frame it as my main character’s private notebook, the exact sort of thing that I myself kept back when I was in middle school. But even once I’d landed on that, even once I’d managed to get out a first draft, I still wasn’t sure I’d publish the thing. If it wasn’t for my wife, my agent, and my longtime editor encouraging and supporting me throughout the process, I don’t think I ever would’ve had the guts to finally share this story of mine with the world.

  YABC: How do you know when a book is finished?

  This is actually one of the most difficult parts of being an author — and it’s an essential skill that I think everyone who wants a career in publishing needs to develop. I don’t think a book ever feels completely, perfectly finished. We change — as people, as writers — every day, and what one considers “perfect” or “finished” is going to shift as we do. If you can’t bring yourself to let go of a project, then every time you sit back down with it, you’re going to find something else that can use improving. You’ll never, ever be done. I think the key is to get to the point where the changes you’re making are the kind that are so minor, no one but YOU will ever really notice them. THAT is when you’ve got to let go, before you become such a different person and writer that you’d want to change some major things. Every book is just a reflection of the writer you are at any given time, and up until the time when you let it go. I know a lot of authors who haven’t published — anything, or much — because they can’t let go soon enough, and find themselves stuck in a repetitive loop of overhauling the same book again and again.

  YABC: When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

  I caught the reading AND writing bug back in fourth grade, thanks to a teacher of mine named Mr. Lombard. And I think I knew, deep down, that a writer is what I wanted to be — that that’s what I was MEANT to be (if you believe in that sort of thing). BUT . . . I never had an author visit growing up. I didn’t meet a real live published author until I was in college, and in the absence of having any concrete knowledge about what it was like to be an author, and what one could do in order to try and create such a life for themselves, I didn’t know I COULD be one. I didn’t allow myself to have that dream. Not until a college professor of mine — a published author himself — gave me the permission I needed, in a way, to have and to chase that dream. All this is one of the reasons I spend so much time visiting schools. I want to make sure every kid knows that they can do what I do, should they decide they want to, and that I give them some tools and information about how they can do it.

  YABC: What word do you have trouble overusing?

  Ha, I’ve got a lot of those . . . Before I send any manuscript to my agent or editor, I always do a pass and remove certain things I know I overuse. I think there are certain expressions, certain sentence-starting phrases, that I rely on a great deal in the drafting phase of my books. But I think the single WORD I find myself overusing the most is “just.”

  YABC: What is your favorite writing space?

  I’ve got my own little zone at home. But another important skill that I think you need to develop if you want a career in publishing is the ability to create anywhere, anytime. If you get too precious about your routine and space, you’re going to be in trouble. There are deadlines you have to hit, and plenty of curveballs get thrown at you along the way. You might not be able to find a five hour-long chunk of time to work on something — you might only have five one hour-long chunks of time. Or even sixty FIVE MINUTE-long chunks of time. Being able to assess how you can be productive in any given time and space you find is essential.

  YABC: How do you plan to celebrate the launch of your book?

  I’ve got a whole bunch of events planned, but I’ll be officially launching the book how I always do — at my wonderful, incredible, local independent bookstore, The Silver Unicorn. I’m lucky to have visited hundreds of indies, and while there are so many amazing ones, I really feel that I landed right beside the best. If you are ever near Acton, Massachusetts — or even just SORT OF near — I can’t encourage you enough to swing by, meet the staff, and pick up some great books.

  YABC: What hobbies do you enjoy?

  I’m a bit of a foodie. I love to go out to restaurants, especially “weird” ones, and also enjoy cooking and baking. My other great passion is skateboarding. Skateboarding is instrumental in A Work in Progress, as it was in my own life. Last summer, my father-in-law and I built a mini-ramp in my family’s backyard, and one of my favorite things to do is go out there and skate it with my daughters.

  YABC: What kind of animal would your main character be and why?

  What a cool question! I think he’d probably be a turtle — which, incidentally (or maybe not?), is my favorite animal. Like a turtle, he often tucks himself away in his shell, protects himself from the world around him by throwing up whatever defenses he can. But, by the end, he’s seen the benefits of coming out of your shell, and he’s making progress toward becoming the best version of himself — slowly and steadily, just like a turtle.

  YABC: What other age group would you consider writing for?

  I’ve been with my agent for nearly a decade now, and have published for Middle Grade and every age group younger — but I actually first signed with my agent after she read a YA novel of mine! Those who know my books would probably be surprised to hear that. But the only age group I haven’t published for so far is YA, and one of the projects I’m working on now is YA. I hope to get it out in the world soon!

  YABC: What’s up next for you?

  I’ll soon be launching two new series: one is an illustrated chapter book, and the other is a hybrid chapter book, meaning it’s a mix of mediums. There are comics, diary entries, letters, and a variety of other items (a class schedule, lists, lunch menus, etc.). I’m also making a bunch more early readers on the Simon Spotlight Ready-to-Read line. Beyond that, I’ve got a few new projects cooking that I’ll be sharing with editors — and hopefully selling! — soon.

• Amazon -

  Author-illustrator Jarrett Lerner is the award-winning creator of more than two dozen books for kids, including the EngiNerds series of middle grade novels, the Geeger the Robot series of early chapter books, the activity books Give This Book a Title and Give This Book a Cover, the Hunger Heroes series of graphic novel chapter books, the Nat the Cat series of early readers, the Scare School Diaries series of highly illustrated chapter books, and the My Mad Scientist Mom series of illustrated chapter books. He is also the creator of the illustrated novel in verse A Work in Progress. Jarrett lives with his wife and daughter in Massachusetts.

Lerner, Jarrett SAVED BY THE SMELL Aladdin (Children's None) $17.99 3, 4 ISBN: 9781665942973

Ari's odorous T-shirt comes in handy on an unexpected trip to the Cretaceous Period.

New in town, Ari hasn't made a single friend, though next-door neighbor Mr. Jakes' frequent visits indicate his interest in Ari's mom, an inventor who's been deemed a "mad scientist" for her unusual experiments. Ari takes all this in stride, mostly. Mom's latest project is a time portal that will allow her and Ari to retrieve piles of clean clothes from "the last time we washed, dried, and folded our laundry." It's a necessary creation; Ari's been wearing a T-shirt that started to smell "four and one quarter days ago," according to TED, Mom's snarky, ice cube-size supercomputer. They decide to travel six weeks back in time, but when the portal overshoots their goal, Ari, Mom, TED, and Ari's pet turtle, Fred, find themselves 60 million years in the past. Fred nearly becomes prey to a Tyrannosaurus, but fortunately the funk from Ari's shirt is enough to scare off even a ferocious dinosaur. And, just maybe, there's a better solution to the laundry problem--one that might bring Mom and Mr. Jakes a bit closer. The fast-moving story is filled with wild antics. Ari's affection for Mom comes through clearly and humorously, and the book sets up the possibility of future mishaps. Goofy cartoons match the energy of the lighthearted adventures; characters have skin the white of the page.

A wacky tale jam-packed with prehistoric hijinks and weird science.(Fiction. 7-10)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2025 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Lerner, Jarrett: SAVED BY THE SMELL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A823102315/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=eb04c661. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Saved by the Smell (My Mad Scientist Mom #1)

Jarrett Lerner. Aladdin, $17.99 (128p)

ISBN 978-1-66594-297-3; $7.99 paper

ISBN 978-1-6659-4298-0

Middle schooler Ari's mother--a scientist with a knack for finding often-catastrophic solutions to problems most other scientists (and nonscientists) don't believe need solving--is unlike his classmates' mothers. Few kids, for example, must dodge laser beams from their parents' inventions. With laundry piling up, Ari's mom, wearing her last clean lab coat and fielding comments from her ice cube--size supercomputer creation about Ari "having started smelling funky four days ago," neither repairs the family's washing machine nor heads to a laundromat. Instead, she invents a time portal to take the family back to when they last had fresh clothing. When mother, son, and pet turtle Fred are inadvertently transported to the Cretaceous Period and the time portal's remote control is destroyed, the trio must run for their lives in a dinosaur-populated landscape--until a side effect of Ari's odor proves an unexpected savior. Early readers will delight in Ari's wild adventures with his quirky and loving mad scientist mom in this good-humored series kickoff by Lerner (the Nat the Cat series), punctuated by crisp, unadorned line drawings. Character skin tones match the hue of the page. Ages 5-8. Agent; Myrsini Stephanides, Arc Literary. (Mar.)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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"Saved by the Smell (My Mad Scientist Mom #1)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 47, 9 Dec. 2024, pp. 123+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A820017361/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=245387a0. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Lerner, Jarrett FOREST FRIGHTS Aladdin (Children's None) $17.99 11, 5 ISBN: 9781665922128

Bash is back for another session of Scare School.

This second series installment sees the young ghost tasked with completing a group project that requires him to learn about a terrifying place in or around the school. Bash is assigned to work with Wes, a shy but gentle and artistic werewolf, and Vicky and Vlad, two prickly vampires. The group decides to research the spooky forest. Bash is nervous about exploring the forest; plus, he must contend with teammates who don't pull their own weight (Vicky and Vlad goof off in the gym while Bash and Wes wait for them in the library). But Bash eventually finds a way to confront his fears as he and the others complete their project. Despite the premise, this tale's more sweet than spooky. Endearing Bash frets about new experiences but proves eager to jump in. He has a delightful, supportive friend in his roommate, Itsy the spider; her tiny knitted socks are an especially charming detail. The characters' realization that fear can sometimes hold us back will resonate with readers. The plot moves at a steady clip, while stick figure illustrations and comic panels break up the text, giving the tale an appealing, Wimpy Kid-esque vibe.

A warmly reassuring tale for those who prefer their scares on the lighter side.(Fiction. 6-8)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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"Lerner, Jarrett: FOREST FRIGHTS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A815560409/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6d0eaa39. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Lerner, Jarrett WELCOME TO SCARE SCHOOL Aladdin (Children's None) $17.99 7, 16 ISBN: 9781665922098

A young ghost arrives at Scare School.

Unlike big sister Bella, late bloomer Bash has never been good at "all the GHOST STUFF." Dad's sure that Scare School is just what Bash needs. Bash isn't so certain; he's intimidated by his classmates and teachers. But he perks up when he meets his roommate, Itsy, a smart, welcoming spider, though he vows to steer clear of mean-spirited Vlad and Vicky. Still, the dreaded Creature Aptitude Test worries Bash. To pass, he must pass through solid objects and turn himself invisible--skills he struggles with. Bash doesn't want to be kicked out of school, so he'll have to buckle down. With Itsy's help and encouragement from his classmates, Bash realizes he's more capable than he thought. Written in first person from endearingly anxious Bash's point of view, the book has a diarylike feel. The text is presented in a handwritten font, while grayscale cartoon illustrations are peppered throughout. The supportive, sincere friendship between Bash and Itsy is the most compelling part of the story. Letters between Bash and Bella shed further light on Bash's personality and their relationship. Though the book's takeaway--believe in yourself, and you can do anything--is a familiar one, it's just what many children need and who better to deliver the message than an adorably nervous ghost?

Approachable and comfortably predictable. (Fiction. 6-8)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Lerner, Jarrett: WELCOME TO SCARE SCHOOL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A793537137/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8a56d90a. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Welcome to Scare School (Scare School Diaries #1)

Jarrett Lerner. Aladdin, $17.99 (144p) ISBN 978-1-665-92209-8; $6.99 paper ISBN 978-1-6659-2208-1

This frightfully fun book by Lerner (the Nat the Cat series) collects all the paranormal creatures of the night into a boarding school setting. Quivering with dread, Bash, an insecure young ghost, enters Scare School, fearful that he will fail the classes meant to test his ghostly skills, including flying, invisibility, and intangibility. Bash isn't as proficient as his talented older sister Bella, and worries he'll be doomed to haunt small-time locations like closets or dresser drawers as a result. He's surprised to discover he (mostly) enjoys Scare School: the headless headmaster is kind and his roommate, Itsy Spider, is his first real friend. Still, the classes are just as difficult--and the teachers are just as fearsome--as Bash anticipated. Even with amateur hypnotist Itsy as his study buddy, Bash struggles. But while he fumbles his attempt to use his powers to rescue Itsy from bullies, Bash's actions provide a distraction that allows Itsy to scurry to safety. Via Bash's "TOTALLY PRIVATE" journal entries, Lerner utilizes howling humor and occasional b&w comics to depict timid Bash, who--with help from his new friends and an unexpected source--faces his fears and (mostly) succeeds. Ages 5-8. (July)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Source Citation
Source Citation
MLA 9th Edition APA 7th Edition Chicago 17th Edition Harvard
"Welcome to Scare School (Scare School Diaries #1)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 17, 29 Apr. 2024, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799108995/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2a5f3e6b. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Lerner, Jarrett NAT THE CAT TAKES A NAP Simon Spotlight (Children's None) $17.99 1, 17 ISBN: 9781665918916

Lots of laughs at the expense of a sleepy cat.

Poor Nat the Cat wants to take a nap, but the voice of an offstage narrator keeps him from doing so for most of the story. When readers first meet Nat, the cartoon feline is seen standing with his eyes closed below a speech balloon reading "zzzzzz ." Next, the narrator announces, "This is Nat. Nat is a Cat," and one of Nat's closed eyes pops open. When the narrator tells us, "Nat the Cat is taking a nap," Nat retorts, "No, Nat the Cat WAS taking a nap." Background details are kept to a minimum, providing rest for the eye and allowing the images to support textual meaning. Meanwhile, subtle font and wording changes combined with slight adjustments to character expressions and placement result in text that reinforces decoding skills through repetition and making the simple, funny narrative accessible to emerging readers. Humor increases when Pat the Rat shows up--not as prey for Nat to chase but as another sleepy character who wants to take a nap, too--and by book's end, both characters get some needed shut-eye.

Don't sleep on this laugh-out-loud title for the newest readers. (Early reader. 5-7)

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"Lerner, Jarrett: NAT THE CAT TAKES A NAP." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738705375/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5835c5a7. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

Lerner, Jarrett A WORK IN PROGRESS Aladdin (Children's None) $17.99 5, 2 ISBN: 9781665905152

Will Chambers wrestles with fat stigma, self-loathing, disordered eating, and the ultimate desire to be accepted.

Lerner's illustrated verse novel opens on Will's fourth grade year. It's the first time the word fat is hurled at him as an insult, the first time he understands that the rest of the world sees something wrong with his body. Three years later, shame-filled Will is eating less and less. It's Markus, his kind, cool skateboarder friend, who helps Will when he eventually breaks and who is there as he works on piecing himself back together. Lerner uses the format to great effect, as the staccato lines of broken verse are well matched to Will's honest, disjointed inner thoughts. The setup makes for an effective portrayal of Will's painful mental battles. The black-and-white illustrations mostly depict Markus; Will's crush, Jules, a skinny girl; and a prickly, monsterlike version of how Will sees himself. Peppered throughout are balls of black scribbles representing Will's anxiety, fears, and the anger he directs at himself. The diary feel adds to readers' understanding of Will. Lerner writes very affecting scenes that will resonate with some readers and provide insight for others, shedding powerful light on boys' body image struggles. All characters appear White.

A successful marriage of art and poetry. (Verse fiction. 8-12)

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"Lerner, Jarrett: A WORK IN PROGRESS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738705313/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8b44bb97. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

A Work in Progress

Jarrett Lerner. Aladdin, $17.99 (368p) ISBN 978-1-6659-0515-2

Using succinct and personal-feeling verse, Lerner (rhe Nat the Cat series) crafts an empathetic illustrated novel about one boy's experience with body dysmorphia, disotdered eating, and stigma. Ever since an incident three years ago in which a bully maliciously called him fat in a crowded hallway ("That word.// He spat it at me/ like it was the worst one/ he knew"), middle schooler Will Chambers has felt self-conscious in his body, wearing baggy clothes and isolating himself from his friends. He pretends everything is fine, even as he begins eating less. But when new friend Markus questions Will about why he never brings anything for lunch, and Will overhears hurtful gossip about his crush on a skinny classmate, Will moves further into a cycle of bingeing and restricting food. Lerner's sketch-like illustrations, presented as Will's own diary doodles, render grayscale caricatures of Will's classmates, while his own selfportrait, depicted via stark black scribbles, slowly morphs into a monstrous version of himself that fills the page. Employing frenetic pacing and disjointed verse that conveys Will's growing anxiety and internalized shame, Lerner cultivates a perceptive representation of recovery and self-acceptance. Most characters' skin tones reflect the white of the page. Ages 8-12. (May)

Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2023 PWxyz, LLC
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"A Work in Progress." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 12, 20 Mar. 2023, p. 82. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A745887378/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c297257c. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

"Lerner, Jarrett: SAVED BY THE SMELL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A823102315/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=eb04c661. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025. "Saved by the Smell (My Mad Scientist Mom #1)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 47, 9 Dec. 2024, pp. 123+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A820017361/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=245387a0. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025. "Lerner, Jarrett: FOREST FRIGHTS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Nov. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A815560409/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=6d0eaa39. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025. "Lerner, Jarrett: WELCOME TO SCARE SCHOOL." Kirkus Reviews, 15 May 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A793537137/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8a56d90a. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025. "Welcome to Scare School (Scare School Diaries #1)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 17, 29 Apr. 2024, p. 58. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A799108995/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=2a5f3e6b. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025. "Lerner, Jarrett: NAT THE CAT TAKES A NAP." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738705375/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=5835c5a7. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025. "Lerner, Jarrett: A WORK IN PROGRESS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Mar. 2023. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A738705313/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8b44bb97. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025. "A Work in Progress." Publishers Weekly, vol. 270, no. 12, 20 Mar. 2023, p. 82. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A745887378/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=c297257c. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.

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