Night of the Zombie Chickens

Gr 4–7—Seventh-grader Kate Walden is pursuing her aspirations of becoming a filmmaker. Things are going mostly well, despite the fact that her mother's prized organic hens are behaving nothing like the zombies she has cast them as in her first feature-length film. Problems arise when her friend Alyssa, who is also the star of her movie, abandons the project as well as the friendship. When Alyssa starts hanging out with the most popular girl in the school, Kate finds herself the butt of class jokes. She feels lonely, isolated, and not the least bit like a movie director. However, she manages to solve both her friendship and movie-making problems by befriending two of her school's outcasts. In the process, she realizes that popularity does not necessarily equal happiness. The tale comes to a climax as Kate devises a plot to exact revenge against her former friend. Readers will be on the edge of their seats as Kate makes the ultimate decision of whether or not to ruin Alyssa's reputation. Zombie Chickens is an original take on friendship between girls and middle-school angst. Fans of Wendy Mass, Sharon Draper, and Rebecca Stead will appreciate this clever and quirky piece of realistic fiction.—Lauren M. Sinacore, George M. Davis Elementary School, New Rochelle , NY