The Last Dragonslayer

The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. Published by Harcourt 2012.

Have you grown up on Harry Potter and wondered what happened to witches and wizards once they enter the working world? Perhaps you're ready for another wizard apprentice book but you want something a bit more cheeky full of strange monsters that eat tuna cans whole for breakfast. Maybe you've always wondered what happened to dragons and what you would do if you came across the last dragon in the world and you were placed in the position to slay it based on a prophecy. If all this is true, then you should be reading The Last Dragonslayer. Perhaps it's been prophesied that this is the exact book you are meant to read and you are meant to start it today.

This book follows Jennifer Strange as she runs one of the failing wizard businesses left in a world of dwindling magic. Her current tasks would be hard enough but she soon finds out that she is the last dragonslayer and she is meant to kill Maltcassion, the last dragon, on Sunday at noon. While the position brings fame and money, she is wrought with worry over whether her prophesy is meant to be followed or if she should trust her instincts and leave a dragon in this world.

Interest level: Grades 5-8
Genre: fantasy, humor
First in a series

Question to Readers: How would you feel if you were placed in Jennifer's shoes? Who would you or wouldn't you have helped? Why? What form do you think Big Magic will take in the world once it's released.

Read-alike: The Girl who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of her Own Making, Harry Potter, Bartimaeus Trilogy

Bad Unicorn

Bad Unicorn by Platte F. Clark. Published 2013 by Aladdin.

Unicorns are not all sparkles and kindness. They do not prance and they do not grant magical wishes. If this book is to be believed, unicorns are ferocious magical beings with an appetite for human flesh who wish destruction upon all the world. They enjoy a good frobbit meal here and there as well.

Max is your regular underdog at school with one friend who he enjoys playing fantasy-based games with, until he discovers that the book he's been reading from has magical powers and only he can control it. Max and his friends find themselves whisked away to the future where machines control the world and not a single human is left thanks to one bad unicorn.

Wow! How can all this fit into one novel? Time travel, magic, unicorns, machines, reality television, did I mention unicorns? But if you're looking for a clever twist on a magical tale, something with a little humor as well as action, give Bad Unicorn a try. The book has a natural ending but also sets itself up for a series.

Interest level: Grades 3-6
Genre: fantasy, humor

Question to the Readers: What choice would you have made if you were in Max's shoes: try to make it back to the past or face Robo-Princess? What do you think will happen in the next book? Did Robo-Princess deserve her fate? Why or why not?

Read-alikes: Cold Cereal and The True Meaning of Smek Day both by Adam Rex

Cold Cereal

Cold Cereal by Adam Rex. Balzer and Bray. Published 2012.

With the sequel of Cold Cereal having been released recently, I decided it was finally time to read the first one. I loved The True Meaning of Smek Day and have always appreciated Rex's illustrations- a balance between Saturday morning cartoon and realism, so I was looking forward to this title. The book did not disappoint. While I liked Smek Day better, the satire mixed with adventure and mystery in this book hit all the right spots a reader of this genre would enjoy.

With a man-sized bunny, evil cereal corporations, magical power reserves and leprechauns, what genre is this book? It is a mystery, a fantasy, a funny story, an adventure and a story about families. It's also a series like many books for children are these days.

Scott and his family move to a new town completely owned and controlled by the Good Cereal company. He starts having what he thinks are strange hallucinations that he doesn't want to investigate until he's pulled into a mystery by two genius twins that he befriends. I don't want to reveal more, but if you like books with geniuses and a strange puzzle to unravel, give this one a try.

Interest level: Grades 3-6
Genre: Mystery, fantasy, humor, adventure

Questions to the Readers: What actions would you take if you started to see strange, magical creatures? Would you rather be yourself or have the ability to drink the smart juice? Where do you think the line of scientific experimentation should be drawn?

Read-alikes: The Mysterious Benedict Society, Genius Files, Chasing Vermeer and other Blue Balliett mysteries

Ruby Lu, Brave and True

Ruby Lu, Brave and True by Lenore Look. Atheneum. Published 2004.

This chapter book has the same humor and warmth as Look's Alvin Ho series but with a precocious female character. She loves to do magic, she's protective of her baby brother and she loves her family even when they force her to go to Saturday Chinese school. This book feels more like a series of events, or vignettes, tied together rather than one solid arch of a story line. Young readers will appreciate completing these smaller story lines within the larger whole. Plus Ruby's antics will keep them intrigued.

Interest level: Grades 1-3
Genre: Realistic Fiction, Humor

Questions to the Readers: Why did Ruby finally accept her brother as her assistant? How would you feel if a foreign cousin came to live with you and share your room?

Read-alikes: Alvin Ho series also by Lenore Look, Clementine series, Judy Moody series

An Abundance of Katherines

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green. Published 2006b by Speak.

I've already sung my praises for John Green and I'm sticking to it, but at a certain point with so much expectation, not everything can live up to such a high standard. That is a horrible way to start this review, as this book had nothing wrong with it and kept to the Green oeuvre, yet had I read it first or second I may have enjoyed it more than I did reading it third. The characters are quirky and realistic. They are flawed yet grow in just the right way over the course of the novel--not so much to be absurd. There is humor and footnotes of interesting information. All this and more, yet something didn't speak to me the way Fault in Our Stars and Paper Towns did. Maybe it was the way the main character is slightly detached from reality, living in his own prodigy brain or maybe I just needed a break from this sort of teen, finding yourself novel, but it took me longer than usual to get through this one.

For plot summary: Colin Singleton is dumped by his 19th Katherine when his best friend Hassan convinces him that a road trip is the only thing that will cure him. They don't make it far when they decide to pull over and see Arch Duke Ferdinand's suppose burial place outside Gutshot, Tennessee. After meeting Lindsay, who doesn't match up with first impressions, they are asked to stay and work for her mother for $500 a week. The boys stay and Colin uses his extra time to come up with a theorem to predict future relationships based on the beginning and end of each relationship with a Katherine. If he succeeds, he will prove that he was not just a prodigy, but in fact, a genius.

Intended reading level: YA (HS)

Questions to the readers: Would you rather be the dumper or the dumpee? Why or why not? What does it mean to truly be yourself? Do you ever feel your in a situation where you are not acting like your genuine self? How do you know the difference?

Read-alikes: See other John Green titles. Perks of Being a Wallflower.

Princess Knight: Part 2

Princess Knight: Part 2 by Osamu Tezuka. Published 2011 by Vertical, Inc. Published originally in

Japan in 1953.

I was interested in finishing this short manga series by the Godfather of Manga because of it's gender bending. I wanted to see if he was ahead of his time with more than just art and manga, but unfortunately the ideals seem to still hold two hearts. While on some points its forward thinking--women get the right to vote and be equals as decreed by Prince Plastic once he is given a male heart, but on the other hand--Sapphire is not fully a person until she accepts her female-ness, allowing her to wed Prince Charming. There's a disgraceful scene where she almost marries a female character and both the other female knight and pastor freak out when they find out she is a woman and say that this cannot be done. In moments like this, it's worthwhile to remind yourself that this title was originally written in Japan in the 1950s.

The first volume was so ambiguous about whether or not it was detrimental for Sapphire to have both a male and female heart that I was really hoping there would be some sort of finale that concluded with her keeping both and the characters accepting this as normal. But I suppose that would be my 21st century re-write for this title.

As for the story as Tezuka intended it, there is still a lot of cliffhanging action, slapstick comedy, Disney-influenced character and plot points and a "happy" ending. Worth finishing off the series as its only two volumes.

Intended reading level: Grades 3-5
Second in series

Questions to Readers: 
Would you change anything about the ending? Who Sapphire ends up with? What heart she has? If so, what would you change and why? If not, why do you think Tezuka chose this ending?

Read-alikes:
Tezuka's Buddha series, Donald Duck comics or other Disney titles

Dorko the Magnificent

Dorko the Magnificent by Andrea Beaty. ARC. Published April 2013 by Amulet.

Robbie Darko opens the book by talking directly to his audience as if he's a showman on stage. He warns us that there will be no explosions or car chases like in the movies but if we happen to make his book into a movie, feel free to add them where we see fit. Robbie explains to the reader that he is a magician, whether or not his fellow students appreciate him for it. Beaty does a good job of showing us Robbie's blunders without him seeing them as blunders as he tells us about them. The story truly takes off when Grandma Melvyn is introduced and becomes part of the family. She becomes Robbie's mentor in all things illusion whether he wants her to be or not. The story also has a believable and timely subplot dealing with money woes and parent's struggling to keep the family afloat during the economic downturn.

Overall, a good read for grades 4 and 5 with two cheeky main characters and a whole lot of Trixies.

Intended reading level: Grades 3-5

Questions for the Readers:
Why do you think Grandma Melvyn calls everyone Trixie? How would you feel if Robbie was your magician brother and took your stuff to use for magic tricks? How does the ending make you feel?

Read-alikes:
The One and Only Ivan, Secrets of the Cicada Summer

Starring Jules: As Herself

Starring Jules: As Herself by Beth Ain. ARC. Published March 2013. Scholastic.

This beginning chapter book is for the readers who love quirky, fun characters. Jules lives in New York City with her artist mom and chef dad and little brother, Big Henry. The book opens with her being discovered at a diner by a casting agent when she writes and sings her own jingle. She is told she has pizzazz, her new favorite word. And that's just what Jules has. She's full of pep and humor but she also has real kid worries, like losing her best friend and wanting to find a new one, or being scared she'll throw up at her audition. The family feels very real and the relationships between the kids is fun and full of real changes and evolutions that happen as children age.

Intended reading level: Grades 1-3
First in series.

Questions for Readers:
Why do you think Jules doesn't want to be friends with Charlotte anymore? Do you think they will fix their friendship in the future? How would you have reacted if you were Elinor visiting Jules' house? Would you want to audition for a commercial? How do you think you would feel in front of the casting agents?

Read-alikes: Clementine, Judy Moody

The Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons

The Notebook of Doom: Rise of the Balloon Goons written and illustrated by Troy Cummings. ARC.

Release date July 2013.

I will definitely get this book for my kids. Who doesn't love a story about strange monsters especially when those monsters are Dancing Balloons? That makes me chuckle alone. It helps that the rest of the book is pretty funny too. For instance, one of the monsters in the Notebook of Doom is a Forkupine, which is a "small, metal rodent with a coat of tiny, sharp forks," with a warning that says, "Never pet a forkupine! Instead lure it near a plate of spaghetti." A fun fact is included that reads, "The forkupine is a distant cousin to the sporkupine, a creature which is less dangerous but also --let's face it-- less practical. "

Alexander is new to town and discovers a Notebook of Doom documenting different monsters when he accidentally goes to the school campus that is getting torn down. He starts spotting Dancing Balloons all over town while simultaneously discovering that the air is being let out of anything inflatable. Since his birthday is on Leap Year, his dad has decided to throw a birthday party for him. The guests are not what he expected...

Intended reading level: Grades 1-3
First in new series with 4 proposed titles.

Questions to the readers:
What monster would you add to the Notebook of Doom if you could make one up? What would its habitat be? What would it look like? What warnings would you give about it?

Read-alikes: Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, Zombiekins, Pencil of Doom

Looniverse: Stranger Things

Looniverse: Stranger Things by David Lubar and illustrated by Matt Loveridge. ARC. Release date May 2013.

This is a beginning chapter book about a boy named Ed who finds a strange coin that somehow creates strange occurrences around him. If he doesn't want the universe to lose all its strangeness he has to find the Stranger that the coin belongs too. There are silly antics like a little brother being used as a floating tube in a pool by drinking excess amounts of soda. The print is large and easy to read and the pictures are just kooky enough to compliment the text well.

I liked the premise even though I was a little confused as to how the coin depleted strangeness when things got stranger around it. Seems like things should have become boring and mundane around the coin until all strangeness was gone but perhaps that would have been too difficult of a concept.

My students who like The Weird School books might really enjoy this series.

Intended reading level: Grades 1-3
First in series of four proposed titles.

Questions to readers:
What do you think would happen if all the strangeness left the planet? Is being strange good or bad, why? Would you want to have Ed's coin? What would you do with it if you did have it?

Read-alikes:
Weird School series, Pencil of Doom

The Neddiad

The Neddiad: How Neddie took the train, went to Hollywood, and saved civilization by Daniel Pinkwater. Published 2007.

I loved, loved, loved this book. I was drawn in by the strange name and long title and I was intrigued by all the fantastic blurbs on the back and the strange plot description, but from the first page I was hooked. I love whimsical books with fun narrators and a plot doesn't always have to make sense for me. I've been reading this to my fourth graders and they seem to really enjoy it. One student had read it previously and gets so excited about what's coming up next that he often has to stop himself from blurting out. While it's a fun book, it is a long read aloud and has some slow moments that are much quicker when read alone. Its suppose to be a take on the Iliad, but if anything its just a fun romp with a fun boy and his strange family. And really I can't describe the book any better than the back of the book describes it so I won't even try:

Neddie Wentworthstein is the guy with the turtle. Sandor Eucalyptus is the guy with the jellybean. Sholmos Bunyip wants the turtle...and he'll stop at nothing to get it. This is the story of how Neddie, three good friends, a shaman, a ghost, and a little maneuver known as the French substitution determine the fate of the world.

 I look forward to reading the Yggysey next.

Interest level: Grades 5-8 Reading level: Grade 5
Genre: Humor

Comparable titles: The humor and writing sytle somewhat reminds me of Lenore Look's work, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and other Scary Things

Book Connections: Old Hollywood, La Brea Tarpits, Grand Canyon, Route 66, turtles

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and other Scary Things

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and other Scary Things by Lenore Look. Published 2008.

This cover always attracted me and the intrigue from the long title added to my excitement about this read. I had heard good reviews but I had never gotten around to reading it. Well, I'm happy to report that on all accounts it did not fail. The illustrations are adorable and match the character and family so well. The story is cute and fun and full of the trials of family and school life in all the ways you want it to be.

Alvin Ho is allergic to school, or so he thinks, and has never spoken in class. He can talk at home and on the bus, but not at school. This stops him from having very many friends but with his PDK and lessons from his dad and brother, he will try his best to meet people and survive anything that is thrown at him. Over the course of the book, we get to know Alvin and his family more, but we also watch as he makes a big mistake with his dad's favorite toy, and see how his father handles it in a mature way that is both believable and refreshing. We also watch as Alvin comes out of his shell, if only just a little bit, enough to make it so that this series continues on in many more books.

I've been reading it to my second graders and we're all enjoying it. It gets lots of laughs and Alvin's mishaps keep them riveted.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading Level: Grade 3
Genre: Humor, realistic fiction
First in series

Comparable Titles: Big Nate, Joey Pigza Swallowed a Key

Book Connections: Making survival kits, allergies/hypochondria, discussion of ethical dilemas, playing piano

The Adventures of Captain Underpants

The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. Published 1997.

First, I'm amazed how long these books have been around in the same way I found out that Magic Tree House has been around since I was little. To me it seems like they've only been on the scene the last five years, but maybe that's because I've only started paying attention to children's books in the last five years. I've obviously known about these books and glanced through them but I hadn't read one from front to back yet so I decided to spend 10 minutes on the first one.

I can see why kids love them. While it is potty humor, its not necessarily disgusting. The illustrations are fun and the little animation bit towards the end is interactive and intriguing. I can see all the kids making their own flip book animations after reading this. The plot's obviously not extensive but the kids are fun and I love the idea of the mean principal being hypnotized into the crime fighting Captain Underpants. It makes it that much funnier when he's streaking across the campus. While, I've known some teachers and parents who are against their kids reading these books, I say, if they're excited about reading then let them read this one. It will only get them reading more books in the future.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 3 (titlewave says 4.8, sometimes I don't understand where they get these numbers from...but then again, looking at the book there are words like "miserable, behavior, hypnotize" that I suppose could be difficult for some students. Personally, I find as young as first grade is an appropriate reading level for these titles.)
Genre: Humor

Comparable Titles: The Adventures of Super Baby, Babymouse, Super Amoeba

Book Connections: making your own comic books, creating super heroes, making flip books

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett J. Krosoczka. Published 2009.

This is one of those beginning reader books to be put in the same category with Captain Underpants and Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Its formulaic and uses strange kid humor but the concept is fun and there are more pictures than words, so its a good transitional book for a struggling reader. There's a whole series of these that don't necessarily have to go in order and their bright yellow on black and white makes them pop on a shelf.

In this one, the Lunch Lady must battle the evil league of librarians as they plan to dominate the world through their magical book monsters. Being a librarian, I was a little sad that they didn't help the Lunch Lady in her spy endeavors, but I understand that the concept of these books is the Lunch Lady taking on the ills of the school world, so I'll go along with it. That's pretty much the book in a nutshell.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 2
Genre: Humor, graphic novel
Series

Comparable titles: Captain Underpants, Big Nate

Book Connections: Roles and Jobs in a school, Book Monster Attacks

Big Nate Strikes Again

Big Nate Strikes Again by Lincoln Peirce. Published 2010.

Nate reminded me of a mixture of Greg from Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Calvin from Calvin and Hobbes. I think it was the style of drawing in the comic strip like sections of the book that really had the comparison for Calvin but he also has that "I'm the Best and Am Going to Take on the World" characteristic about him.

In this book, Nate has decided its finally his year to win the Spoffy Award for Fleeceball as he is finally the Team Captain, if only Gina weren't perpetually in his way. His most loathed classmate is also picked as his partner for the research project in class. Little do Gina and Nate know that both of their hidden skills will help each other fulfill their goals in the end. But it doesn't mean they will have to start liking each other.

Very cute and creative book. No big plot problems and the cartoons are actually creative and funny. Another good win for reluctant readers who like their comics.

Interest level: Grades 3-6 Reading level: Grade 3
Genre: Diary-style, Humor
Second in series.

Comparable titles: Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Dork Diaries, Calvin and Hobbes

Book Connections: Fleeceball, Benjamin Franklin, Comic creation

Harriet the Spy

Harriet the Spy by Louse Fitzhugh. Published 1964.

The other day, I read that Harriet the Spy broke ground on the way children's literature was written. There had never been a character quite like Harriet before who spoke the way she spoke (basically...not so nicely) and who didn't really grow or change by the end of the novel. This gave me a new perspective when I read the book this time around. I remember my mom giving me this book to read when I was younger and it was one of my favorites because I, too, kept a notebook full of secrets. I remembered her tomato sandwiches and how her friends discovered her notebook, but nothing else. What I found interesting from an adult perspective was, in fact, the way she did not learn a lesson by the end but rather embraced her gossipy nature. Very interesting.

Harriet lives in Manhattan and spends her time spying on her neighbors, her friends and enemies and anyone else who crosses her path. After her long-time nurse leaves to get married and after her friends discover her observations, she heads on a downward spiral of tantrums and depression. But Harriet stays the same and finds she cannot stop herself from her prodigious note taking. Eventually, her friends will come around.

Interest level: Grades 5-8 Reading level: Grade 4
Genre: realistic fiction, humor

Comparable titles: The Great Gilly Hopkins, Judy Moody, Because of Winn Dixie

Book Connections: a play made of food characters, Observation Journals, School Newspaper, tomato sandwiches with cake and milk in the afternoon

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater. Published 1938. Newbery Honor.

I was intrigued by this book because it is a classic and a Newbery Honor book, yet I hadn't heard about it until I saw a poster for the Jim Carrey movie. I thought it was cute and a good read for all those kids out there interested in penguins. It's like the novel version of 365 Penguins by Jean-Luc Fromenthal.

Mr. Popper has always wanted to travel, but never has. He's especially interested in Antartica and the explorations of Admiral Drake. Because of his fan mail, Admiral Drake sends Mr. Popper his very own penguin from the South Pole. After finding his penguin depressed, they get a lady penguin and soon they have 10 baby penguins to care for as well. Finding that they are easy to train, the Popper family soon hits the road with their traveling act, Popper's Performing Penguins. It is a sensation but traveling with penguins also has its drawbacks such as ruining other performers' acts and ending up in jail. With a visit from Admiral Drake, Mr. Popper's dream is fulfilled and the penguins won't stay in the entertainment business forever.

This book is obviously dated with things like the radio being the main form of entertainment in the home, the traveling act is a vaudeville-esque production and the language will be hard for younger readers because certain phrases or terms aren't used anymore. But it's also a light-hearted fun book and at the heart of it are the penguins getting in to trouble which any kid can understand.

Interest level: Grade 3-6 Reading level: Grade 5

Comparable title: 365 Penguins, 21 Balloons

Book Connections: study of penguins from around the world, how they eat and live, what's true or not true about their behavior from the book, Antartica, Explorers, Early performers in America

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. Published 1964.

I launched a One School, One Book campaign at my school this last month and I chose this title for the kick-off campaign, knowing it was a classic and appropriate for most age groups. I wanted to re-read it since I hadn't read it since I was little.

Of course, Dahl never disappoints. What actually shocked me in re-reading it was how close the second movie adaptation was to the original. I think the first movie becomes so ingrained in our brains that we don't think to question it. In fact, I kept expecting Charlie to do something wrong because in the first movie he drinks the floating soda. It actually made me much happier that he doesn't because the fact that Charlie does something wrong, muddles the whole story line that an obedient, good child gets the factory. In fact, my favorite line from the Johnny Depp version is actually straight out of the book. I was so happy to discover this.

Anyway, this is the story of Charlie Bucket who gets a golden ticket to be one of five children to go inside Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory. After a slew of horrible mishaps, the four other miserable children are slowly removed from the factory by no one's fault but their own. Full of humor and candy and strange magical constructions, fifty years later, this book is a classic for a reason.

Interest level: Grade 3-6 Reading level: Grade 5 (I can't say I trust these ratings as I think this is easier to read, language-wise, than Dagger Quick but it has 5.9 while that had 4.2...interesting.)

Comparable titles: The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull, The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

Book connections: squirrels, gum, chocolate, factories, writing songs

Archvillain

Archvillain by Barry Lyga. Published 2010.

I feel like I am the villain of this review, but this is the first book I've read that I can definitely say I did not like. I ended up skimming the last few chapters and skipping to the end even because I didn't want to waste any more of my time reading it. Usually, I can find something redemptive for why the kids would like it even if I don't (which could still be the case) but I can't even find that silver lining right now. I'm sad that I purchased this for my library even.

It's basically Megamind as a book only the main character doesn't really become a good guy in the end. We're set up with the premise that Kyle is popular and his popularity is based on the fact that he plays pranks on people to show them how foolish they are. Then he gets super powers when an alien appears. This alien is basically Superman as a kid. We are told that he just wants the world to see their foolishness, that they are "worshipping" an alien, but of course his "pranks" to show them this make him out to be the bad guy. The narrator is supposed to have that anti-protagonist style of Diary of a Wimpy kid, but I just can't help but really not like him. There is no humor or life lesson to be learned from his villainy. I thought the end would have him come around to being a good guy, but I guess he only saved some people by picking up a statue, but refused to join Mighty Mike in his do-gooding. I get that the book tells us that his things are backfiring and he's stopping the bumbling Mike from making stupid mistakes that make him look like he's evil but he's not, but I shouldn't have to be perpetually told these things. The book should just show it and all I really see is a kid that thinks he's so smart but yet hasn't done one smart thing. They've even set it up for a sequel so that he can be more of an archvillain. I'm all for the bad guy having a good side and vice versa and showing that there are multiple layers to each character, but this didn't work for me. It didn't have the kapow of Artemis Fowl or the different perspectives to bring us out of the villain's mind to make it work like Fowl did. Sad face.

Intended reading level: Grades 3-6 Interest level: Grade 5
Genre: humor, action

Comparable title: Artemis Fowl, Sidekicks

Zombiekins

Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger and illustrated by Aaron Blecha. Published 2010.

Lets begin with the fact that Zombies are in--from tv, movies and even reviving the corpses of classics and turning them into pulp fictions, so why shouldn't kids fiction benefit from this surge. With zombies as a subject and fun illustrations coupled with potty humor, the kids will eat it up. That being said, wasn't my favorite. Like Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, it took the idea of the zombie movies and made it kid friendly, but somehow the other title still had some substance and the ending wasn't predictable. Don't think you'll be free of a zombie filled playground though. There is no saccharine substitute to the fact that a bite of a zombie will turn you into one, just these un-dead may not stay un-dead for long.

Intended reading level: Grade 3-6 Interest level: Grade 5 (I ammend this to grade 3)
Genre: humor, fiction

Comparable titles: Attack of the Fluffy Bunnies, Captain Underpants

Book connections: taffy candy, stuffed animals