Happy Hallow Reads

Last week, I book talked five books with some Halloweenie connection.

The scariest book was the first one, Coraline,  by Neil Gaiman.

I admitted to the kids that I had never read the book or seen the movie. I told them that Iknew enough about Gaiman and the book to know that it twists reality in a way that seems eerily possible and that seemed to intrigue a few students.

Next up was Raina Telgemeier’s Ghosts, a graphics novel to steer us into safer territory, since I don’t really read scary books.

Many students had read Telgemeier’s other books and that was enough of a recommendation.

On Wednesday, I told them about My Zombie Hamster, by Havelock McCreely. Zombies and humor seem a perfect combination for sixth graders.

Thursday, I told them about a new one in our classroom library, The Accidental Afterlife of Thomas Marsden by Emma Trevayne. This book gave me a chance to explain a little of the history of grave robbers.

The last book I told them about was one of this year’s OBOB books: Zombie Baseball Beatdown  by Paolo Bacigalupi.

I’m not yet sure what I will book talk today. I think I will decide once I am in my classroom. I will take a few minutes to leaf through the book bins and choose the 5 books of the week.

 

 

Zombies aren’t for everyone

Here’s a book I almost didn’t read. I don’t really enjoy zombie books, but I can think of several boys who would find My Zombie Hamster  by Havelock McCreely, just perfect.

The story is set in a world where zombies are a given. People wear chips to monitor their life signs and when they die, the monitor lets officials know they are dead. If the monitor says you are dead and you are still walking……

Our protagonist, Matt, gets a hamster for Christmas instead of the game component he wanted. He doesn’t really pay Snuffles much attention until he dies and becomes a zombie hamster, renamed Anti-Snuffles.  When Anti-Snuffles escape and starts turning neighbors’ pets and woodland creatures into an animal zombie army, Matt and his pals try to catch him and save the world.

The humor in the book is just what an upper elementary, early middle schooler will love. As with many middle grade books, the adults don’t come off as very smart or competent,  but they seem that way to a lot of middle graders away.

The book is a quick read: only 200 pages with a largish font.

I bet you know someone who might enjoy reading it.