It was kind of weird. it was about a 'haunting'. Jack and jill took over people's bodies and gave the school a bad reputation. ( )

Very disappointing.
After reading and loving Tangerine, I wanted to see how Bloor would tackle standardized testing.
The way he did it was to do a bunch of political stumping about everything from how awful old presidents were to require them, and how wonderful new presidents are. We had to hear about how books were totally censored out because no book was allowed that had anything to do with witches or ghosts, however for some weird reason there are demons that have taken over a copy of nursery rhymes.
Little of this made sense to me and since it was written for a more juvenile audience, I have a feeling a good portion of it would go right over their heads also. The lady who spoke in nursery rhymes is especially confusing.
While there are some valid points about about the idea that if you dont' pass these tests you are going to be a failure in society, this is not a book that I would recommend. ( )

This struck me as what would happen if Lemony Snicket wrote a book with a more realistic setting and plot. And, um, with demons. And standardized testing. And superweapons. So I guess it's maybe not so realistic at all. But it still had a certain Lemony Snicket-esque vibe in the wordplay and the sarcasm.

Ah, hell. I can't be articulate. I liked it. It was good. ( )

I thought this was a great satire of the public education system in America, today. The story was full of intelligent humor, mocking many of the mandates of our educational system. I especially liked the incorporation of the ghost story...subtly hinting at how spooky the "demons" of the library and free-thought can be. Loved it! This story has much to offer to the reader who likes to dig into the deeper thoughts revealed in a good satire. ( )

Not at all realistic (of course, it is satire), but still fairly enjoyable.
Full review: http://persyandarty.blogspot.com/2010/10/persy-story-time-by-edward-bloor.html ( )