A Zombie Ate My Homework

April 8, 2019
This spry series launch introduces Norbus Clacknozzle, a product of the U.S. government’s Project Z, founded to create zombies and release them to terrify residents, thereby uniting a divided nation against a common adversary. But before the program is rolled out, a confused juvenile zombie escapes from the government experiment facility and is taken in by a kind couple who disguise his identity (his new name, “Arnold Z. Ombee,” hints at his provenance; contact lenses cover the red stripes across his eyes) and enroll him in school. Greenwald (the Crimebusters series) weaves a relatable and unexpectedly credible story as Arnold—with his small frame, aversion to sunlight, formal vocabulary, and diet limited to jelly beans—endures the ridicule of his fellow fifth graders. As Arnold adjusts to human life and makes his first-ever friends, his angst is increasingly tempered by humor: invited to a slumber party, he thinks, “I couldn’t possibly go to a sleepover. I don’t sleep, remember?” After tightening the tension with clues that Arnold’s cover will be blown (the government issues a classified notice of a possible escapee sighting), Greenwald neatly wraps up this amusing story about identity, tolerance, family, and friendship. Ages 8–12.

March 15, 2019
A kid zombie escapes from a lab--and it's not brains he's after, just freedom. United States government documents from 2024 tell of a top-secret human reanimation program known as Project Z. Three years later, a juvenile zombie named Norbus Clacknozzle is the first (and only) one to escape. He's rescued by a friendly human couple--aptly named the Kinders--who bring him to their home. Under their direction, Norbus begins masquerading as a human fifth-grader. But even jeans and a T-shirt can't hide Norbus' pale skin, strict jelly bean diet, or ridiculously advanced vocabulary. And the pseudonym Arnold Z. Ombee is a dead giveaway. Can the Kinder family keep the secret, or will the government catch on? Greenwald breathes new life into the zombie story with a few twists and Norbus' fresh, funny narration. Bardin's cartoon spot illustrations add a cinematic quality that matches well with the short chapters and quick pace. Overarching messages about embracing difference are reflected by a diverse cast to complement the white Kinders and deathly white Norbus: Kiki has dark skin, Evan uses a prosthetic leg, and Sarah Anne is nonverbal. However, Sarah Anne's participation in the conclusion tiptoes dangerously close to "pitiful disability"-trope territory. Jelly-bean-flavored snack reading. (Science fiction. 8-12)

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

April 1, 2019
Grades 4-6 The government has a top-secret project where they keep . . . preteen zombies! Norbus Clacknozzle is not a typical 11-year-old. In fact, he found his family when they almost ran him over?when he was escaping a government military base. Jen and Bill Kinder, who are determined to keep him safe, rename him Arnold Z. Ombee. But Arnold?who only eats jelly beans, is terrible at running, and does not have a pulse?is a zombie just trying to make it in a human's world. And now that world includes the fifth grade. School has its ups and downs: Arnold encounters bullies on the bus and gets picked last for teams. But through it all, he discovers what friends are for, what's underneath the bullying, and that not all humans mean to hurt you. Arnold's fish-out-of-water story focuses on human interactions and the classroom dynamic. This new series from the author of the Crimebiters books is full of humor and gross high jinks and is a fun pick for middle-schoolers interested in an alternative zombie tale.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)