Don't Eat the Mystery Meat

The Graveyard School series gets off to a feeble start with this inane story. On the first day of school, the principal introduces the new lunchroom superintendent, Ms. Stoker, who promises the students that she will take their ``tastebuds where they have never been before.'' Soon the cafeteria is dishing out such entrees as Meatloaf Surprise, Cannibal Stew and Mystery Casserole. The sixth graders are duly disgusted with the inedible slop-except for one boy, nicknamed Jaws, who eats it happily. The key ingredients of Ms. Stoker's meals become painfully obvious to the reader when a variety of pets begin disappearing from the neighborhood. The characters eventually catch on-and two of them confirm their suspicions when they make a visit (one night, during a thunderstorm) to Stoker's house, where she has locked Jaws in the basement. Neither funny nor scary, Stone's dopey tale misses its mark. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)