Hyde and Shriek Books in Order

Hyde and Shriek takes a classic split-personality idea and shrinks it down to middle grade size without losing the fun of the original setup. The book begins at Washington Irving Elementary, where popular teacher Ms. Clevis accidentally mixes the wrong ingredients into her breakfast smoothie. That mistake kicks off a transformation that is equal parts spooky, silly, and deeply inconvenient for everyone around her.

Especially Jackie.

Instead of giving readers a gloomy gothic version of Jekyll and Hyde, Lubar turns the idea into a quick, school-centered monster comedy. Ms. Clevis starts switching back and forth between the nasty Ms. Hyde and a sweet sixth grade girl named Jackie. From there, the tension comes from figuring out what is happening, how to stop it, and what it means when good and bad versions of a person keep fighting for control.

The school setting does a lot of work. Lubar is very good at stories where supernatural problems crash into everyday routines, and this book makes the most of that contrast. A transformation story is already fun. A transformation story that unfolds in classrooms and hallways, with kids trying to understand the rules while adults behave more strangely than usual, is even better. It keeps the stakes readable for younger audiences while letting the premise stay wild.

The tone is more comic than frightening, but there is still real tension. Identity, behavior, and choice all matter here. Who are you when your worst side takes over? Can you fix a mistake once it has started spreading? Those questions are tucked inside a fast, accessible plot, so readers get the thrill of the monster story without feeling like they have been assigned a lesson.

Because the book is short and punchy, it also works well as an entry point into Lubar's wider monster stories. It has the same fondness for odd transformations, school chaos, and one bad decision leading to a much bigger mess. Readers who like this one usually know pretty quickly whether Lubar's mix of horror and humor is for them.

So while Hyde and Shriek can be read as a compact standalone adventure, it also shows off the larger appeal of this part of Lubar's writing. Strange premise. Real kid energy. Fast consequences. Plenty of fun. That is a solid recipe, even when the smoothie definitely is not.