Undead Ahead

Gr 5—7—In this continuing saga of six middle school kids versus the living dead, the action starts right where The Zombie Chasers (HarperCollins, 2010) left off. It's been only a day since virus-tainted fast food transformed the major portion of the U.S. population into flesh-eating monsters. Zack; his geeky best buddy, Rice; and their crew are on the run. The guys have discovered a possible antidote to the zombie virus-junior high "Queen Bee" Madison, whose vegan penchant for ginkgo biloba health drinks makes her immune to the burger-based plague. She has already succeeded in dezombifying Zack's sister and her pet puppy, but the epidemic is spreading fast. A desperate government figures that Madison may be the country's last hope and hauls her off to a Washington, DC, research lab. Meanwhile, Zack and the others escape in a stolen tank and head for home, hoping to find their parents alive and unzombied. Unfortunately, they discover their whole school infested with vicious undead teachers, coaches, and even lunch ladies—all slavering for fresh brains. The episodic plot is secondary to the often-grisly humor, and adults with nervous stomachs may cringe at the high gross-out quotient, especially in the graphic descriptions of the zombie hordes. Amusing but rather macabre black-and-white cartoon illustrations, heavy on drooping eyeballs and dripping slime, add to the atmosphere. The cliff-hanger conclusion augurs further adventures to come. Written with tongue firmly in cheek—and other body parts all over the landscape—this book will appeal to reluctant readers, particularly middle school boys.—Elaine E. Knight, Lincoln Elementary Schools, IL