Help! My Brother’s a Zombie by Annie Graves-ADVISABLE

Graves, Annie, ill. By Glenn McElhinney. Help! My Brother’s a Zombie. Pgs. 38. $6.99. Language: G, Mature Content: PG, Violence: PG

Welcome to Annie Graves’ sleepover where only the scariest tales survive. In this sleepover participant’s tale, he swears his brother is a zombie. It started after his brother hit puberty. One day, his brother disappeared. His parents say that his brother got sent to boarding school, but then why is the attic door padlocked? Did his brother really get shipped off to boarding school? What’s in the attic and why are moaning sounds coming from behind it?  Why are the neighbors’ pets mysteriously disappearing?

The illustrations in the book are detailed and reminiscent of Alvin Schwartz’ Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. The suspense built throughout the book is engaging and draws the reader easily into the story. Told through first-person, the reader is pulled into the role of the storyteller with ease. Reluctant and avid readers who like horror will have a hard time putting this series down.

EL. ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.