LENNY AMONG GHOSTS

A human boy attends a ghostly boarding school.

In this translated German import, the parents of Leonard Hohenklaue (named after his grandfather’s beloved dachshund) are leaving for a research expedition in the Amazon. Consequently, Lenny will attend Shadowsnout Castle Academy in the German village of Great Wandelstein. Once at the school, however, Lenny quickly notices oddities, including floating lessons, invisible food and drink, and a distinctly nocturnal schedule. When Lenny meets Polly, another human pupil, she tells him the story of the castle’s past and explains that its future is endangered by a pushy developer. As Lenny tries to navigate both the human and spirit worlds, can he help save the castle before it’s too late? Reifenberg woos readers with hijinks and high spirits, but the thin plot relies heavily upon poop and fart references and pratfalls that some may tire of. Humorous grayscale illustrations depicting light-skinned humans are interspersed throughout the short chapters, helping with comedic timing and contributing sight gags. Conceptually, this work has the potential to be a silly Goosebumps-esque page-turner, but it misses its mark. The ending employs a trope that may satisfy and surprise some less-experienced genre readers but could leave others howling louder than an angry poltergeist.

A fun, accessibly written concept marred by contrivance.