Zombie Apocalypse Running Club by Carrie Mac - OPTIONAL

Zombie Apocalypse Running Club by Carrie Mac, 296 pages. Crown (Random), 2024. $20.

Language: R (40+ swears,  15 “f”); Mature Content: PG-13 (naked mentioned, implied sex, top surgery mentioned); Violence: PG-13 (zombie induced deaths and killing)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

APPEALS TO: SOME

While 17yo Eira doesn’t love being under her prepper Dad’s thumb - especially since he is intolerant of her and her twin brother Soren’s LGBT lives, she loves playing the Giantess in the festival they attend to make the money they need to keep their homestead thriving. WHen the zombie apocalypse arrives, however, they are stuck hiding on said homestead, comfortably tucked away. When circumstances force them to flee, the twins don;t count on their younger sister also following them - and then leaving them.  Now they are on a dangerous race to find and reclaim her, meeting along the way other misfits (perhaps love interests) and plenty of danger from zombies or not.

I’d buy this in paperback - I like a good zombie action book.  Mac has been writing for years - mostly for Orca.  I enjoyed the inclusion of LGBT characters, too. 

I don’t remember anything about the ethnicities of the characters.

Cindy, Middle School Librarian, MLS

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley - OPTIONAL

Dead Things Are Closer Than They Appear by Robin Wasley, 400 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2024. $20. 

Language: R (64 swears 11 'f'); Mature Content: PG (References to weed, scary situations) Violence: PG-13 (Bloody beatings with some significant injuries, zombies attacking people, battle scenes with weapons resulting in injuries and deaths) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS, ADULT - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO: SEVERAL 

17yo Sid Spencer grew up feeling self-conscious as one of the only Asians in town, but also feeling rather ordinary and inconsequential, especially in a town that is extraordinary. Tourists from all over come to her town of Wellsie for the magic that seeps out of the old faultline that runs through town. The magic has been sealed underground for generations, protected by the Guardians who have both magical abilities and a key that can unlock a section of the faultline. Sid’s life has been consumed by normal high school girl issues until one night a huge earthquake hits town and the magic bursts out, along with an army of the undead. Only one thing could have caused it, a rupture of the faultline. Now Sid and a rag-tag group of allies must find the stolen key and reseal the faultline before their town and everyone they love is destroyed. As the search continues, Sid discovers how extraordinary she actually is. 

I actually really liked this book. Sid is a well-written character who is funny and full of teen angst and awkwardness that is endearing instead of annoying. It’s well-paced and exciting with a few interesting twists. It also has a sweetness and a warmth that makes it more than just an adventure story. I will say, the magic took me a while to figure out and the villain is a little underdeveloped. At its heart, this is a love story, but explores all kinds of love, not just romantic love. The characters are all motivated by the bonds of love and friendship and in the end, that’s what helps them win. Sid and her non-blood related brother Matty were adopted from Korea by a white family, Shandy is Japanese and LGBTQ, Daisy and Hyacinth are black, and Angel is Mexican and LGBTQ 

Andrea R reviewer 

Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer - OPTIONAL

Hearts Still Beating by Brooke Archer, 336 pages. Penguin, 2024. $15 

Language: R (75 swears 7 'f'); Mature Content: PG (kissing, mention of underage drinking); Violence: R (repeated bloody violence and deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY:  HS - OPTIONAL 

APPEALS TO SEVERAL 

Apocalyptic USA! The Tick is rampant and turning people into zombies but there’s a new medicine that turns the effects around, as long as it’s taken consistently. 17 yo Mara has turned and then been given the medicine so she’s now considered one of the Altered. The Altered are coherent and human acting while taking the medicine consistently but if they miss a few doses, they can turn and become dangerous. Mara is brought back to her godparents since her parents are dead. The community doesn’t trust the Altered but circumstances change quickly when a human makes decisions that are deceptive and dangerous. 

Archer has created an interesting world. The dystopian premise and zombies will intrigue young adult readers. I enjoyed the suspense that came along with the mystery of the killings. The ethnicity falls to white with a brown skinned side character. 

LynnDell Watson, DHS Librarian

Piggy: Permanent Detention by Vannotes - HIGH

Piggy: Permanent Detention by Vannotes, 128 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL graphix Scholastic, 2023. $13 

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G 

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - OPTIONAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH 

The world is in disarray after an outbreak of a zombie-like disease. Willow and her team, the Silver Paw, do what they can to survive, which is not easy when there are the Infected and their leader PIGGY, who seems bent on taking them out. Willow and teammate Cami, are separated from the others and have to make their way through an abandoned school filled with a barbarian clan of kindergartners, a gladiator pit in the cafeteria, and an infected-filled gym. 

This seems like "The Walking Dead" for elementary students. The art is bright and colorful and will most likely entice readers. However, there wasn't a lot of plot besides getting away from the mysterious infected PIGGY via an old school building, and anyone who can't get past kindergartners probably deserves to let Darwinism take over. There is no clear culture or race since the characters seem to be a mashup of weird animal creatures. Think not-so-adorable stuffed animals come to life. 

Michelle in the Middle

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion - ADULTS

Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion, 256 pages. Simon and Schuster, 2011. $16

Language: R (50+ swears, 30+ ‘f’); Mature Content: R (Contemplates sex, repeated drinking, underage sex, mentions the girl when quite young sleeping with an older man for money); Violence: R (Multiple zombie and human mutilations, "killing schools" for both zombies and humans, detailed descriptions of gore)

BUYING ADVISORY: ADULTS -ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

R is not your average zombie. He may be a white male, although his skin is more gray than anything at this point in his decomposition, however, he seems to be having somewhat of a crisis. This crisis's name is Julie. After eating the brains of Julie's ex-boyfriend and experiencing his memories, R finds himself falling in love with this vibrant, eccentric girl who simply radiates life (something R seems to be lacking). In this post-apocalyptic world, R, the philosophical zombie with eloquent, poetic thoughts and a craving for life, will have to fight for the type of existence he wants and will face changes both mentally and physically along the way.

This is the most beautiful book I have ever read. Between the language, characters, world building, and both world and character development I have found myself reading and re-reading this novel many times over. It is a remarkably enjoyable post-apocalyptical retelling of Romeo and Juliet, although one must be aware of the mature themes, violence, and strong language very prevalent throughout this book. Regarding the mature themes, there are conversations about sex, multiple scenes with drinking, and one character that contemplates suicidal thoughts. Strong language is found all throughout the book including a great many f-words, and there are many gory descriptions of the zombie's physical descriptions as well as activities.

Sierra Finlinson 

Clementine: Book One by Tillie Walden - HIGH

Clementine: Book One by Tillie Walden, 256 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL. Skybound Comet. 2022. $15

Language: R (31 swears, 6 “F”); Mature Content PG; Violence: PG-13 (murder, maiming)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

17yo Clementine is a teenager looking to put her traumatic past behind her. All she really knows is that she wants to journey North, though her crutches and amputated leg make it difficult. Clementine meets a naive Amish boy named Amos, who she reluctantly travels with to Vermont. There they meet up with other teens who are trying to build a walker-free settlement in the frozen snow.

Clementine is a downer of a book, though perhaps knowing this is a post-apocalyptic zombie read, you wouldn’t be expecting sunshine and flowers. Clementine is carrying a lot of baggage and none of the characters are particularly likeable. The world she inhabits is gloomy and depressing. The ending is a bummer and the black and white drawings make it a little tricky to follow the storyline. However, fans of The Walking Dead will most likely eat it up like zombies on brains.

Clementine seems to be white; the other characters have a variety of skin tones, but that has little to do with the action.

Michelle in the Middle 

Deathless Divide by Justina Ireland - HIGH

Deathless Divide (Dread Nation #2) by Justina Ireland, 560 pages. Balzer + Bray (Harper), 2020. $19

Language: R (95 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG; Violence: R (zombies and fighting, murder)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Jane and Katherine escaped the fall of Summerland ahead of the zombie horde with Jackson, his young sister, and a few girls from the whorehouse.  After much arguing they head towards Nicodemus, a free Black community where they might hope for some quiet, but life being what it is, more fighting is will be in store.

If you loved #1, you will also love #2.  I could tell you so much more, because this offering is like an opera with two major acts (maybe three).  But I must keep my silence in order to allow you to enjoy it on your own.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones- ESSENTIAL

The Bone Houses by Emily Lloyd-Jones, 353 pgs. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2019. $18.

Language: PG (6 swears, no ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (zombie attacks)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS, HS – ESSENTIAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Ryn lives in a small village at the foot of a mountain range that long ago was home to the fae. The fae are gone, and the mountains that once meant prosperity for her people, now only represent danger. After the death of her parents, Ryn carries on the family grave digging business. Together with her siblings, she is attempting to survive in increasingly dangerous times as those their family is tasked with laying to rest refuse to stay buried and emerge from the ground as bone houses, or the walking dead. When Ellis, an apprentice map maker, arrives in town, it seems that he may be there for more than map making and could hold the key to stopping the menace that is threatening Ryn, her family, and the village.

Mixing fantasy and horror, fans of both genres will be pleased with a tale that provides excellent character development and original storytelling. A stand-alone book that could easily be turned into a series, a strong female character with a less conventional profession who battles zombies is intriguing and enjoyable. The relationship between Ryn and Ellis is authentic in its innocence and awkwardness and provides some lightness to a scary story about the vengeful walking dead. The fae aspect of the story could have used more development, but this does not detract from the appreciation of the book.

Reviewer: AEB

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland - HIGH

Dread Nation by Justina Ireland, 480 pages. Balzer + Bray (Harper), 480 pages. $10 (paperback)

Language: R (71 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: R (many descriptive deaths)

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Jane, 17yo, is close to graduating from Miss Preston’s School of Combat.  As a negro in Post Civil War America, this is one of the few options available for black girls. Her combat training will give her a chance for a job as an Attendent – her job protecting a white girl from the zombies that have overrun their world. But Jane has a lot of suspicions about the leaders of her town, about the origin of the zombies and when she sneaks around to find answers, she is captured, handcuffed and sent off to Summerland – a white enclave meant to be a haven, guarded by more and more black lives.

Who would have thought that a historically set zombie book would be such a treat! You will have to handsell this or place it prominently in a zombie display, because the cover gives only the smallest hint at it’s zombie deliciousness. 

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

A Small Zombie Problem by K. G. Campbell - OPTIONAL

A Small Zombie Problem by K. G. Campbell, 229 pages. Alfred A. Knopf (Random House), 2019. $17. 

Language: G Mature Content: G Violence: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

August DuPont lives with his Aunt Hydrangea in a dilapidated house in a Louisiana swamp. His aunt's phobias have kept him inside his whole life. He's never spoken a word to anyone other than his aunt. This all changes the day he receives a letter from his Aunt Orchid requesting a visit. Traveling to her house, he ventures into a graveyard where a tremendous racket erupts from one of the tombs. He hightails it to his aunt’s house where she recounts the story of a missing family heirloom with unusual powers. She wants his help finding it. Walking home, past the graveyard, he encounters the aftermath of the earlier ruckus. He has unknowingly created a small zombie problem.

Campbell is a definite talent. August DuPont is like no other character out there. I love how strange and unusual this story is. The illustrations are worth mentioning too. So delightful. The overall "feel" of the story is similar to The Inventor's at No. 8 and The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place. The characters represent the ultimate in quirkiness. Consider this book for avid readers who go for the unusual.

Reviewer: Valerie McEnroe, MLIS

The Fang of Bonfire Crossing by McLelland and Sylvester - OPTIONAL

The Fang of Bonfire Crossing (Legends of the Lost Causes #2) by Brad McLelland and Louis Sylvester, 370 pages.  $17.

Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: PG (magical realism with zombies); Violence: PG (lots of fighting zombies)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: LOW

The Lost Causes are still on the run and the road for justice for their families.  Even though they defeated Bad Whiskey Nelson, their ultimate foe, Reverend Rose, has plenty of other minions to thwart their mission to find Bonfire Crossing, the Char Stone, and the Fang. They meet Edgar Doyle, who is helpful, but seems to have ulterior motives.

Westerns are not a big seller at my school.  There used to be an audience for Louis L-Amour, but even that has dried up.  You might find a few kids who will like the dangers and the zombies, but you will have to hand sell this patron by patron.

Cindy, Library Teacher, MLS

The Mortification of Fovea Munson by Mary Winn Heider - ADVISABLE

The Mortification of Fovea Munson by Mary Winn Heider, 328 pages, Hyperion, 2018, $17.

Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G; Violence G

BUYING ADVISORY: MS - ADVISABLE

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

Fovea Hippocrates Munson is an only child named after eyeballs and the father of modern medicine. Her parents own a cadaver lab and her schoolmates call her Igor.  She has just finished seventh grade and her parents, who have a warped sense of dead body humor, have enlisted her to help out at the lab for the summer.  Fovea is not a happy camper.  Especially since she had to give up camp to work.  Things go from bad to worse when three disembodied heads in the lab start to thaw and begin talking to her because they need a favor. Cue wild adventure.

Okay, this is such a different premise, where to start?  Fovea is one funny character.  Her crazy adventures with the dead heads is delightful.  It’s completely implausible but such fun you’ll have to finish. Heider brings in other great characters and there are great themes of friendship and family and redemption all wrapped up in bad body part jokes.  Totally loved this one!  It makes it even more fun that Heider actually worked in a cadaver lab.  Give Fovea a hand!  Or better, yet, three! 

Michelle in the Middle, Teacher

Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis - ESSENTIAL

Give the Dark My Love by Beth Revis, 464 pages.  Penguin, September 2018.  $18

Language: PG (19 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (bloody zombie attacks)

BUYING ADVISORY: MS – OPTIONAL, HS – ESSENTIAL

KID APPEAL: HIGH

Nedra, her twin sister Ernesta, and their parents live a quiet life in a small village, but Nedra dreams of more.  A strange sickness, the Wasting Death, has started to spread and she wants to study to become a medicinal alchemist and return home and save those she loves. She has been admitted to the Yugen Academy on Lunar Island, but her arrival as a scholarship student is not warm. Her mentor, Professor Ostrum, however, is brilliant, and he is just as interested as tin the Wasting Sickness as she is.  She also catches the eye of Grey, who should be her rival, but is fascinated by her instead.  As Nedra and Ostrum study the disease, they realize that may actually be a curse – a necromancer’s curse.  As the disease starts to spread, and as a rebellion against the Empire starts to gain traction, Nedra may be the only one with the fire and the power to combat the disease and the hidden enemy.

Wow!  Even with the teaser at the prologue of the book, I had no idea it was going to ramp up to where it did.  There is so much more I could have told in the summary, but I want you to discover it for yourselves.  I probably should have rated it and R for the zombie action, but I was so caught up in my reading that I didn’t track it with the detail I could have. This reminds me more of Garth Nix’s finessed necromancy books rather than, say, Charlie Higson’s slasher zombie books.  PLEASE tell me there will be a sequel!

Cindy, Middle School Librarian

Legends of the Lost Causes by McLelland and Sylvester - OPTIONAL

Legends of the Lost Causes by Brad McLelland and Louis Sylvester, 325 pages.  Henry Holt (Macmillan), 2018.  $17.  

Language: G; Mature Content: G; Violence: PG-13 (bloody zombie fighting)

MS – OPTIONAL

Keech has a nice life in the Home for Lost Causes, but when Pa Abner sends him to down with an important message, he has a bad feeling.  Not only is the town attacked, but Keech and Sam don’t return in time to save their family from being destroyed from a mob of the undead.  Now Keech is on the run from Bad Whiskey and his gang of undead thralls.  He falls in with a small group of kids who are also on the run – towards Bad Whiskey for their own vendettas.  But Keech has information that Bad Whiskey wants – maybe if he can find the answers first then they can stop the evil from taking over.

A zombie western book is definitely a first for me!    Zombies still have some popularity, but westerns are a bit harder sell.  You will have to handsel this to students, but once they read, they will enjoy the action and danger.  

Cindy, Middle School Librarian 

The Rains by Gregg Hurwitz - ADVISABLE

Hurwitz, Gregg The Rains, 352 pages.  Scholastic Inc. 2016. $9 Language: PG (16 swears, 0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG; Violence: R. (zombies, graphic violence)

Only a week ago Creek’s Cause was one of the most quiet, peaceful towns on the East coast. After Chance Rain and his brother Patrick’s parents died in a drunk driving car accident nothing was the same it was the biggest struggle of their lives… or so they thought. When a raging meteor shower hits the town and strange things take over the adults they trusted and knew nobody is safe. Well that is if you are younger than 18. Chance will do anything to save his town, and his brother who turns 18 only about a week after the massacre. Determined, Chance leaves the safety of the school where the survivors have stayed hidden and goes on a tough quest to save his brother’s girlfriend Alex and possibly the world from what seems like a not so human being.      
I like this book a lot because it has a high impulse level and a lot of action. Although at first it was a bit confusing few chapters in I fully understood. This book is a mildly scary book and made for a really exciting feeling while reading.  

HS - ADVISABLE  7th grade student reviewer AH
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Night of the Living Zombie Bugs (A Speed Bump and Slingshot Misadventure) by Dave Coverly -ADVISABLE

Coverly, Dave Night of the Living Zombie Bugs (A Speed Bump and Slingshot Misadventure), 138 pages. Ottaviano(Henry Holt), 2017.  $14.  Language: G (o swears); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

This is the story of Speed Bump and Slingshot as they get carried away with the possibility of zombies.  They imagine what would happen to different types of creatures if they became zombies –and think they have found one. Then they meet with the mysterious Old Rook and find out that not only are zombies real but that they come back once every 17 years and tonights the night for it. Will Speed Bump and Slingshot survive?

This series is wildly popular at my library. This book is funny, easy to read, heavily illustrated and perfect for an advanced K reader up through even a 3^rd grader who is struggling with reading. The covers have a ton of appeal as well. Despite all the fun nonsense in this book, the characters are believable and the reader ends up learning something!

EL (K-3) – ADVISABLE Stephanie, Elementary School Librarian & Author

My Zombie Hamster by Havelock McCreely –ADVISABLE

McCreely, Havelack My Zombie Hamster 200 pgs. Egmont, 2014. $15.99 

Content: Language: G (0 swears); Mature Content: G Violence: G

Matt never gets what he wants for Christmas and this year is no exception. This year he got a hamster, which proceeded to escape, then show up dead, then show up as a zombie. Matt’s pretty used to Zombies, after all his city has been dealing with them for a long time, kept safe by walls and anti-zombie squads. But a zombie hamster is something new and this one appears to be dangerous. Matt and his friends try to catch it, but in the meantime they have to go on a camping trip/anti-zombie training, his mom became his new teacher at school, and his best friend is acting strangely.

Given the cover, I thought this would be a book for reluctant 3^rd grade readers, but its better suited for upper elementary. The setting is well developed, making it easy to buy into the world that has to cope with zombie’s. There are many characters but the author does a great job of fleshing them out and letting you get to know all of them. The plot is interesting though it has some weak points, I found myself enjoying this read and I think zombies are still popular enough that 4-6 graders will enjoy this read as well.  

EL –ADVISABLE 

Reviewer: Stephanie Elementary School Librarian & Author.

The Last Kids On Earth And The Zombie Parade - ADVISABLE

Brallier, Max The Last Kids On Earth And The Zombie Parade, 291 pages.  Viking (Penguin), 2016. $14.  Language: G (0 swears, 0 “f”); Mature Content: G; Violence: PG (fantasy style, zombies and monsters).

Jack and his friends Quint,June, and Dirk are just ordinary kids. The only difference from normal kids is they live in a town overrun by monsters. They do things called quests. While they’re out questing at the mall they find a monster called the wormungulous and a human-like monster named thrull saves them from it.

I personally love this book, and that is because my favorite genre is fantasy. It makes the book more exciting when there’s something that’s not normal. This is the second book of the series but the third one hasn’t released yet. I have read this book twice; That goes the same for the first book, too. I would and already have recommended these books to my friends. It is a great series and easy to get into if you love fantasy books.

EL, MS - ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: KGW, 7th Grade

Monster land by Michael Cash - ADVISABLE

Cash, Michael Phillip Monsterland, 223 pgs. Michael Phillip Cash, 2015. $9.99.  Language: PG-13 (35 swears, 2 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG; Violence PG-13.

Cross monsters with Jurassic Park, and you have Monsterland!  A horrifying plague has broken out, turning people into zombie like creatures that feed off any kind of flesh as they slowly deteriorate.  World leaders have had to put these citizens into confinement camps to protect the rest of the population.  Enter Vincent Conrad, scientist and problem solver.  He has come up with the brilliant idea of putting zombies into a theme park so that they can be studied so a cure can be found and they can also be humanely taken care of.  This also goes for random groups of werewolves and vampires.  Wyatt, Melvin and Howard, nerdy high school friends, and Wyatt’s younger brother, Josh get primo passes to the grand opening.  The president, celebrities, and world leaders are going to attend.  The park’s grand opening is anything but dull and the park’s dark secrets could prove deadly.  

The book is a fun and quick read though a bit predictable.  There is no sex, but the monsters can be a bit violent.

MS, HS - ADVISABLE.  Michelle in the Middle