March of the Vanderpants: A Branches Book (The Notebook of Doom #12) – WISE Score & Parent Review | Screenwise

March of the Vanderpants: A Branches Book (The Notebook of Doom #12)

Name: Screenwise
Author: Screenwise

book2017

88%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

Monster-hunting kids, a principal with a bucket of spaghetti, and a secret notebook—it’s Goosebumps for the 'I still need pictures' crowd.

March of the Vanderpants: A Branches Book (The Notebook of Doom #12)

book

2017

88%

WISE Score

4.8

Amazon

Monster-hunting kids, a principal with a bucket of spaghetti, and a secret notebook—it’s Goosebumps for the 'I still need pictures' crowd.

4.8

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4.8

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Screenwise Verdict

Look, it’s not Hemingway, but if you’re trying to get a 7-year-old to put down the iPad and pick up a book, this is your secret weapon.

It’s part of the Scholastic Branches line, which means it’s engineered by experts to be high-interest and low-frustration. The monsters are goofy, the kids are relatable, and the 'mystery' of the principal is just enough to keep them turning pages. It’s safe, it’s silly, and it actually builds the reading muscles they’ll need for the harder stuff later. Total win for the early elementary years.

Age Fit

Perfect for 6 to 8-year-olds (1st through 3rd grade). It's specifically built for that 'newly independent' reader who is just starting to fly solo with chapter books.

WISE Breakdown

Wholesome

It's pure, goofy fun centered on a trio of friends (the S.S.M.P.) who actually like each other and work together. The humor is age-appropriate silliness—spaghetti buckets and suspicious principals—without being mean-spirited.

Imaginative

The 'Notebook of Doom' concept is a great hook for kids, and the monster designs (like balloon goons or bubble wrap warriors) are genuinely creative. By book 12, the formula is a bit predictable, but the 13th-floor mystery keeps the spark alive.

Safe

This is a Scholastic Branches book, which is the gold standard for safe, vetted early reader content. The 'horror' elements are purely for laughs and won't cause nightmares for even the most sensitive 6-year-olds.

Enriching

Its primary job is building reading stamina in kids who might otherwise find books 'boring.' It uses fast pacing and heavy illustrations to trick reluctant readers into finishing a 90-page chapter book, which is a major win for literacy.

Parent Info

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Why It Might Be Great

The 'Branches' format is a godsend for kids who are intimidated by big blocks of text but too old for picture books.
It makes monsters funny instead of terrifying, which is a great entry point into the mystery/horror genre.
The fast-paced plot and cliffhanger chapters actually make kids want to keep reading.
The illustrations are on every page, keeping visually-oriented kids engaged with the story.

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What to Watch For

By book 12, the 'monster of the week' formula can feel repetitive to adults, but kids usually don't mind.
The 'suspense' is very low-stakes; if your kid is already reading Goosebumps, this will feel like a baby book.

Conversation Starters

"If you found a secret notebook that told you about monsters in our town, would you tell anyone or keep it a secret?"
"Why do you think Principal Vanderpants is carrying a bucket of spaghetti? What's the weirdest thing you've seen a teacher do?"
"Which of the monsters in the notebook would be the hardest to catch?"

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