My Zombie Hamster

The zombie apocalypse has arrived, and now towns are protected by Undead Neutralization Units, which are essentially bug zappers for zombies (aka “deadbeats”), and Zombie Squads, who patrol for the undead inside town walls. Despite this, life is otherwise pretty normal for video game–obsessed Matt and his three best friends in this entertaining, journal-style adventure that takes off after Matt’s birthday hamster, Snuffles, turns into a zombie and escapes. Other pets soon disappear, and Matt and his friends form a group to track them down, as well as the newly dubbed “Anti-Snuffles.” McCreely creates a world where zombies are just another part of life—to Matt, they’re less annoying than his mother taking a job as a substitute teacher for his class. The deadbeat encounters can be frightening, but humor is at the forefront (“Were we about to be attacked by a horde of deadbeat squirrels? What an embarrassing way to go”), and McCreely lays groundwork for a possible evolution of the human-deadbeat relationship. Think Shaun of the Dead for a middle-school crowd. Ages 8–12. (July)