Night of the Zombie Zookeeper

Desmond and his friend, Andres, have great plans for their class field trip to the zoo. Desmond has mapped out the best places to go and when they should be there. Their plans are derailed, though, when they discover a zookeeper that is a zombie. How do they know that he’s a zombie? His greenish skin is a big clue. But, as they follow him (and not their planned route), they see him in the seal tank cleaning the windows without an air tank! Then, he goes into the lion enclosure and feeds the lions by hand. There’s more evidence, but it’s clear already that they have a zombie on their hands. And, why do they care? Desmond and Andres are the Ghost Patrol and they need answers.

They locate a more normal looking zookeeper and tell her about her zombie co-worker. She seems unusually unconcerned about it and sends them away to the picnic area with their class. But, the Ghost Patrol is undeterred. They have a few more crazy encounters with the zombie. He saves Andres from a nasty peacock and his friends, the buffalo and then accidentally tosses slimy animal food all over Andres before saving him from the hungry animals that want to lick all their food off him. Finally, Peggy (the normal zookeeper they spoke with earlier) explains that she knows that “Zoombie” the zookeeper is a zombie. Apparently, zombies make the best zookeepers, because they can clean underwater without air and aren’t grossed out by the nasty food or animal waste they have to clean up. And, the animals love them!

So, Desmond and Andres solve the mystery of the zombie zookeeper and make a new friend in the process. Now, whenever they go to the zoo, they look up Zoombie and he makes sure they have a great time with the animals.

This fun, slightly creepy book will be a hit with the younger crowd. Black and white illustrations add to the mood and the text is accessible. The characters are diverse and likable and the first person narrative (Andre) makes the reader feel as if he is a pal wandering around and chasing zombies with the Ghost Patrol. Recommended.

The Spirit of Cattail County

Sparrow has experienced the greatest loss of her life when her mother dies and leaves her in the care of her aunt, a seemingly hard-hearted woman intent on taking Sparrow away from everything she knows and loves. Sparrow is has never had friends…well, human friends…in her small southern town. Her best friend is Boy, a ghost that has always been with her. Sparrow can see spirits and she hopes that Boy can help her mama’s spirit come back, so that Sparrow will always have her nearby.

Sparrow had an unusual upbringing. She and her mama lived in the Dalton family home on the edge of the swamp. She never knew her father and she was really somewhat of a loner. Townspeople felt that there was something strange about this girl who looked nothing like the Daltons of generations past. So, most of her time was spent at home near the swamp, with her loving mama and Boy, along with the wispy spirits that only Sparrow could see.

In her quest to vanquish some of the abject sorrow and grief over her loss, Sparrow enlists the help of some of the other outcast kids in town, two Cast siblings from a family that has never been quite good enough for the rest of the townsfolk. Together with the Casto kids and a new friend from New York, Elena the Medium, Sparrow hopes to help the Boy with whatever problem is holding him back here in Beulah, Florida so that he can help her mama come back as a spirit. Along the way, she and her new friends hope to discover if the Casto kids’ uncle is Sparrow’s father and stop Sparrow’s aunt from selling the beloved Dalton family home.

Fans of mysteries, stories of loss, or slightly scary stories will enjoy this middle-grade novel. The characters are engaging and the setting is rich in detail (one almost feels the damp heat of the Florida swamp while reading!). The ending has a nice twist and the love and acceptance will warm the heart. Recommended

The Witching Hour (Midnight)

The Witching Hour is part of the Midnight) series of scary stories, which are similar in length to the Goosebumps series, but intended for teen readers. The Witching Hour focuses on Rosie, a teenage girl who moves to the town of Middleton shortly after Mackie, a star played on the high school football team, has died in an accident. There is speculation that Mackie’s best friend Omar may have been at fault in the death. Rosie befriends Omar and tries to help him overcome his grief, which isn’t an easy task, as many in the town believe that it was Omar’s fault.

How does Rosie deal with all the unexplainable things that keep happening? How does she and Omar cope with  Mackie’s ghost?  What can they do to stop the haunting?

This short, easy to read book will appeal to teens who like ghost stories.