Zoom In On Zombies, written by Kari-Lynn Winters and Catherine Rondina. Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2024. $26.95 ages 9 and up

"A gecko will arch its back when another 
gecko comes close in order to show
dominance. This sign means "BACK OFF!"

A cat will curve its back when it stretches, 
but also when it is afraid."

The two examples above are mentioned on a page named The Zombie Shuffle Dance. Four other examples are mentioned. The suggestion is then made to 'mix and match the different zombie-like 
movements to create your own dance'. Fun times! 

A table of contents invites readers to take a look at 9 chapters: Zombies Among Us, Lame Brains and Other Zombie-Like Traits, Feeding Frenzy, Zombified, Dirty Rotters, Brain Dead, Zombie Moves, Survival of the Fittest, and Zombie Allies. This leaves keen readers to choose what they are most interested in as they open the book. They are likely to be surprised at what they learn! 

We have missed World Zombie Day this year; it happened on October 8. Having this book to read over the months to come should make for enough time to really be able to celebrate when the date rolls around once again. Zombophiles may not have much to learn, but who knows? 

This book is new to a series that includes Buzz About Bees, Lowdown on Earthworms, and Bite Into Bloodsuckers. It won't take long it to find fans in many middle years classrooms. Teachers will know the kids who are likely to pore over its pages. As they read, they will learn about some of the natural zombies in our world. One page lists, from A to Z, zombies in nature that are smelly, carnivorous, or parasitic ... similar to the zombies imagined or presented as entertainment. 

There are quizzes, questionnaires, jokes, food webs, a babysitter job posting, games, sidebars, experiments and so much more to keep readers active and engaged in the learning. Once a reader has finished reading the book, they are declared a ZOMBIE SURVIVOR. Back matter includes an index, an extensive glossary, and a list of YouTube videos, books and magazines.  

It may be too late for this year's Halloween, but having it in your collection will certainly up the learning before the zombies appear at this time next year.