Book Review: Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger

All is well in Dementedyville, U.S.A. That angry mob wielding pitchforks and torches? Why, they’re just going over to the yard sale at the spooky house owned by Widow Imavitch! That’s just where fourth-grader Stanley is headed, too, and he leaves with Zombiekins—a Frankensteinian stuffed animal that is part bear, part bunny, part lizard . . . and ALL EVIL! At school the next day, Zombiekins’ bite turns the class tattletale into an undead monster. (“In some ways it’s an improvement,” admits Stanley.) When the plush terror escapes, no realm is safe—not music class, the playground, or the teachers’ lounge. Even the little kids have been transformed into “kinderzombies.” Humorous zombie books for middle-grade readers are piling up faster than severed limbs these days, and though Bolger’s entry doesn’t add much that’s new to the canon, it’s a fast and funny read helped along by Blecha’s art, which provides some G-rated goo and gore. This will have readers shouting such zombie catchphrases as hrnrgrghnrr and yaarghhh. Well, maybe not, but they’ll have fun anyway. Grades 4-6. –Daniel Kra
My Thoughts:
I really liked this book. I think there is enough here in this book to really grab the interest of readers, especially ones who may have a hard time finding something to read. The age group is 4-6. I typically do not like books for this level because there is just not enough grit to grab me, but this is one that did grab me, bite me, and turn me into a zombie fan. I have been working hard to find books that appeal to the sixth grade level as not every student in sixth grade is ready for the heavy topics of the YA genre. The author has done a nice job with his writing. I was impressed in his style of writing where the wordplay caused me to smile or laugh. There was enough stuff between the words to really get me thinking while not sending this book to a higher grade level. The whole time I was reading this I could not help but think about back when I was a kid and then infamous Gremlins movies. Please check out this book about an possessed bunny/teddy bear stuffed animal that goes crazy with moonlight. It will be a pleasure for you to read. 
With that being said, I cannot wait to begin to share these stories with my kids when they are older and able to read more than their names. Additionally, there looks like an excellent website is in the making which I will have bookmarked on my computer as soon as I get it back up and running. Here is a link
I could not find a book trailer, but on the site you can click through a story synopsis which is pretty cool(go the link above and click the BOOK option)

The illustrator also has an amazing website of his work as well. Be sure to check it out.

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