Zombie Winter

August 1, 2011
Grades 5-8 Typically, the genesis of a zombie plague is but a pesky preliminary to the main-event brain munching. Here, though, it's the book's primary pleasure. Middle-schooler Kane's allergy to chocolate makes him the only student who turns down the free hot cocoa being offered in their lunch room. Yes, that's right: this is the hot cocoa of evil Soon, the student body has been transformed into glassy-eyed zombies with chins slathered in brown cocoa rather than the ubiquitous blood or slime. There's not much to the story, but the details make it enjoyable: the aforementioned demonic cocoa, the weirdo hermit who helps Kane save the day, the wintry setting, and the old standby of the nefarious lunch lady. Parks' illustration of the sneering, hairnetted lunch lady is especially creepy, but all of the pencil sketches have a certain spooky, if rudimentary, charm. Part of a series, this concludes with a detective's case summary, a note from the author, a glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)