REVIEW: Zombie Dog by Clare Hutton

Title: Zombie Dog
Author: Clare Hutton
Series: A Rotten Apple Book #2
Pages: 192
Publisher:  Scholastic, Inc. 
Date Published:  August 1, 2012
Format:  Paperback
Source:  Bought

Goodreads ~ Amazon

Rotten Apple Books: Unexpected. Unforgettable. Undead. Get bitten!

Becky's family has moved right next door to the creepy, abandoned McNally house. Rumors fly around school about the ghosts and monsters that live there, and Becky isn't sure what to believe. Even her mischievous dog, Bear, stays away from it.

When Becky starts hearing mysterious howls coming from next door, paired with an awful smell, she starts to wonder if the rumors might be true. Snarls and glowing eyes confirm it--something is over there, and it's not happy. Worse, Becky's parents are blaming Bear for all the unexplained damage around their property. Can Becky stop this creature before it's too late?

The house beside Becky has rumors about monsters and ghosts.  Weird things start happening and then there is a rotten smell from next door.  Zombie Dog was a scary book.  I liked when they discovered the zombie next door.  Nate and Becky were trying to put it to rest.  They tried Bear's ball because Becky had thrown away the zombie's ball and the zombie was mad about it.  When they found the zombie dog I got nervous.  I think this book was really good and very scary.  I think anybody that hears about this book should read it.  They will probably get freaked out! 

Jessica - Age 8


Mom's Thoughts
Jessica loves Monster High, but the books are geared more towards middle/high school grades.  We picked this book up (along with book #1, Mean Ghouls) at the book fair thinking that it would be similar.  In reality, these books are more like Goosebumps or Fear Street books.  This isn't necessarily a bad thing, just an FYI.  I don't think Jessica would have chosen them had she known how spooky they would be, but she really enjoyed Zombie Dog!  I thought the story was great, too.  Jessica and I are looking forward to reading Mean Ghouls next.  I recommend these books to anyone that enjoys spooky stories.  I think they are aimed more towards girls, but I see no reason why boys wouldn't enjoy them, too.

Book Review: Graveyard Scavenger Hunt (NightScares#1) by Brian Barnett

Title: Graveyard Scavenger Hunt
Series:NightScares book 1
Author: Brian Barnett
Format: ebook, novella 96 pages
Source: received from author for honest review
Publisher: Twenty or Less Press
Date of Publication: Nov. 16, 2012

Book Synopsis:
Pete is stuck with his weird grandparents for a whole week. To make matters worse, they live next door to a creepy old graveyard. After going in the graveyard alone one night, Pete finds himself face-to-face with a living skeleton, Benny “Bones” Barton.
The only way for Pete to leave the graveyard is to win Benny’s game, a scavenger hunt. Worse yet, if Benny wins, the dead get to come back to the living world. And Benny is a trickster and a cheater.

Mom's Thoughts:

This was a really fun story to read and I think it was the perfect start to a very interesting series!  It has that creepy feel with the graveyard being right next to Pete's grandparents' house, as well as Pete's grandparents coming off as very mysterious indeed.
Of course, we all know when you tell a kid not to do something-that is the first thing they will do, so it was no surprise when Pete jumps into the graveyard, even after Grandpa tells him not to.  It's what happens after the fact that takes us on a thrill ride.
Besides our main character Pete, we meet a lot of different characters that bring a lot of different elements to the story.  Even Benny Bones.  He is a mess indeed.  Let's just say he definitely is the bad guy and he does a splendid job of it too!
Some of the other guys in the story are wonderfully imaginative and I enjoyed learning a little about them.  Plus, the scavenger hunt idea is so fun to read along with it made me want to get a list and go save the world too!
I think kids from 9 years old and up would enjoy this story.  It held my attention and I especially enjoyed the bonding time with the grandparents.  That made the story much more enjoyable; having some really cool grandparents in it.
I gave it five stars!

Get your copy here:  Amazon
Connect with Brian Barnett:  Goodreads | Website |