A Zombie, an Alligator, and an Odd Family Secret in Fun Read for the Ya Audience

K. G. Campbell's A Small Zombie Problem is a fun read for this time of year with Halloween coming soon. Young readers will be engaged with this adventure and will find it to be a page-turner to discover how August DuPont solves his problems.

August DuPont has always lived with his strange aunt in a run-down house. He has been lonely for a long time. He receives a surprise invitation from an aunt that he never knew existed. August is invited to come to live with this aunt and meet some cousins that he also did not know existed. This is a dream come true. He won't be lonely anymore. The aunt also wants him to go to school! Going to school would help in finding more friends. The problem is that the aunt who sent the invitation is the sister of the aunt with whom August has been living and one of the cousins stole a valuable family recipe for hot sauce. August arrives at his aunt's house and the adventures with a tiny zombie begin. Young readers will find this to be a page-turner to see if August finds the secret recipe and learns about his deceased family members.

K. G. Campbell writes with humor and the black and white illustrations add humor to the text. Young readers will be engaged with the details of the black and white illustrations. A Small Zombie Problem was published by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Penguin/Random House and is recommended for ages 8-12. It has an ISBN of 9780553539578. This makes a great gift for Halloween reading.

K. G. Campbell's A Small Zombie Problem offers teachers who teach creative writing to young students a wealth of ideas for activites. The hilarious characters also offer ideas for creative writing activities. Chapter books are a great choice for shared reading experiences.

*Read a few chapters each day aloud with students. Students might like to practice their reading skills in reading aloud with this shared reading experience.

*Call attention to the dramatic behavior of Aunt Hydrangea. Engage the students in a discussion of the humor of her behavior. Assign a creative writing activity for students to portray a relative whom they find funny in their family.

*Engage the students in a discussion of the use of butterflies in the story. Brainstorm ideas about why the author chose to use butterflies in the story.

*What was the significance of the Zombie Stone? Assign a creative writing activity for students to write about the purpose of the Zombie Stone . What would they use a Zombie Stone for if they had one?

*Call attention to the secret family recipe that was stolen. Assign a creative writing activity for students to create a recipe that they would have in their family.

*Assign a creative ariting assignment for students to create a story in which they meet a tiny zombie. What adventures could they have with their tiny zombie? Why was the tiny zombie following August around? How would the students handle this problem if they had a tiny zombie following them around?

*Offer an art center in the classroom with black and white pencils, markers, and crayons for students to create their own drawings in black and white for their stories.

*Make a list of all of the hilarious characters from the book. Assign a creative writing activity for students to choose their favorite character and write a new version of the character's activities. Why is their character their favorite? What are some of the good characteristics of their favorite character? What are some of the funny characteristics of their favorite character?