Crawling with Zombies

Gr 5—7—This mix of the Hardy Boys with zombies is not, in fact, a sign of the apocalypse, but rather a fast-paced story that should entice reluctant readers. Frank and Joe race motorcycles, communicate with ATAC (American Teens Against Crime), and try to solve the mystery of why teenagers who've been participating in flash mob stunts called "zombie crawls" (because they dress and act like zombies) have started losing control of themselves in a decidedly zombielike way. The book is a simple page-turner, with a level of suspense on par with a "Goosebumps" book or an episode of Scooby-Doo. Henrique's artwork is colorful, shiny, and bright, a pleasing mix of traditional American cartoon and Japanese manga styles (yet another plus for attracting reluctant readers). While this book will probably attract Hardy Boys fans, it is not necessary to have read the earlier books in order to understand and appreciate this one.—Andrea Lipinski, New York Public Library