Zombies

April 1, 2011

Gr 8 Up-Well written and well researched, each title describes the characteristics of a monster: its origins in literature or lore, its physical appearance, instances in which people believe they interacted with it, and hoaxes. Occasional "Did You Know?" sidebars offer compelling factoids such as, "The ancient Chinese traded a substance said to be dragon saliva to use in making perfume" (Dragons). The authors consistently use the words "myth," "literature," and "folklore" to drive home the idea that the creatures in question are not real. As in the "Unexplained Phenomena" series, the title on demons is a poor fit for a series aimed at young readers, even teens, since few people actually believe in the existence of aliens, dragons, and the like, but some religions teach that demons are real. Also, while the other volumes describe a goblin's appearance in J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy and how Greeks imagined a Cyclops looked, Demons deals with possessions, exorcisms (one of which resulted in a 2005 crucifixion), Ouija boards, and spirit communications in the modern-day world.

Copyright 2011 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2011
Grades 7-10 Its easy to view zombies as a relatively recent pop phenomenon. But in this volume from the Monsters and Mythical Creatures series, Woog makes a strong case that the pervasiveness of this macabre concept stretches way backall the way to The Epic of Gilgamesh. In a first section that is as fascinating and haunting as it is weakly sourced (all too often the source is an unnamed researcher), Woog takes us through what might be evidence of zombies in ancient Egypt and Rome and inserts the shambling flesh-eaters into every historical mystery under the sunthe vanishing of the Mayans, the disappearance at Roanoke, etc. Later chapters delve into the drug-induced zombies of Haiti (where there are 1,000 new reports of zombification a year), lingering over important writers who have covered that culture, like Zora Neale Hurston and Wade Davis. Woog finishes with a survey of cinema, literature, video games, and more. Did You Know? boxes are even more problematic in their mix of fact and fiction, but at least abundant horror-film stills keep the layout nice and ghoulish.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)

July 1, 2011
These books provide detailed looks at the title creatures in history, legend, and popular culture. Color photographs and illustrations enhance the texts and include images from movies and television. Blurring the lines between fact and fiction, the authors present information from a variety of sources, including websites, and offer serious looks at fantastical creatures. Reading list, websites. Ind.

(Copyright 2011 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)