The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids (or, simply, The Bailey School Kids) is a best-selling children's book chapter book series. The books in the series are co-authored by Marcia T. Jones and Debbie Dadey. John Steven Gurney is the original illustrator of the series (covers and interior illustrations) and he originated the appearance of the characters. During the early 2000s some of the books were reissued with cover illustrations by Nathan Hale.
In each story, the Bailey School kids encounter a relatively innocuous character (such as a school teacher, custodian, etc.) who may or may not be a mythical being (e.g. a vampire, werewolf, dragon, etc.). The reader is left guessing whether the innocuous character is said mythical being or not.
There are more than 80 books in the series, including Super Specials, Holiday Special Editions, the new BSK "Jr" chapter books series, and the spin-off Bailey City Monsters series for grades 2-4. The first novel, Vampires Don't Wear Polka Dots, was published in 1990.[1]
A friend to Liza, Melody, and Eddie, he is very logical and intelligent. His dad works for FATS (Federal Aeronautics Technology Station).
Melody
A close friend of Liza, and in most situations, is the bravest of the group. She is also very competitive with Eddie.
Liza
Liza is very scared and sensitive, usually not wanting to resort to methods that will result in others being hurt, even if they are a monster. She always believes in fairy tales, and she cannot swim.
Eddie
Eddie is the tough person of the group. He is always making fun of his friends when they believe they see monsters and continuously attempts to prove them wrong.
Mrs. Jeepers is the group's teacher, and some of them think she is a vampiress. Other teachers before her quit because of their class, but Mrs. Jeepers is the only one who can keep them under control, due to their fear of her. Her family is from Transylvania and she has a coffin-like box in her basement. Despite her bizarre family and unusual behavior, it is never known if she really is a vampiress. She appears in all the Super Special editions.
Mr. Jenkins
Mr. Jenkins is the camp counselor of Camp Lone Wolf, and some think he is a werewolf. He comes off as a mean, tough man, but is sometimes shown to have a soft side, especially towards nature. He has two known cousins, one that dances hula, and one who ran for president. Like Mrs. Jeepers, it is never known if he really is a werewolf. He is a tall and hairy man who wears torn clothes and a dog collar, has pointy ears, and often demonstrates his characteristic howl.
Dr. Victor
A brilliant scientist residing in Bailey City. Some people think he is, or may be related to, the original Dr. Victor Frankenstein, leading them to believe his companion, Frank, is really Frankenstein's monster. After his first appearance, he argues with Frank, prompting the two of them to separate, but they make up later on. It is believed that he was directly responsible for the creation of "Frankenstein's Bride".
Carey
Carey is the popular, rich girl at Bailey Elementary. Although she comes off as a spoiled brat, she does tend to care about what is going on around her, especially when it comes to Mrs. Jeepers being a "vampiress". Eddie likes to scare Carey by pulling pranks on her.
