Zombies

 I will never, ever, EVER, EVER, eat feedlot beef again - ever.  Zombie Baseball Beatdown  by  National Book Award Finalist Paolo Bacigalupi is the story of three boys, their baseball team and the feedlots and meat packing plant that dominate their town.  This book is not for the weak of stomach - but, actually, I got through it.  I even, sort of, enjoyed reading it - except for the I-hate-zombies-more-than-anything part.

The story - a very very short synopsis:
Three best friends, Rabi, Miguel and Joe, discover frightening meat processing practices at a local plant after their baseball coach turns into a brain-sucking zombie.  All I can add to that is - I am glad the boys had their baseball bats with them.  Nuff said.

I'd suggest this read for readers in fifth grade and up and anyone who enjoys vampire/zombie/warlock/demon/sci-fi video games and comic books.  There is not enough detail in here to get most people upset but young readers who are easily frightened should read something else.  And stay away from the burgers.  I'm done.

I

Zombies!!!

 
The zombie won!!  The Undead, brought back by overwhelming acclaim, snatched this year's Battle of the Books prize away from Between Shades of Gray and Life: an Exploded Diagram. 

 Which book was this year zombie? The WINNAH!!!  Okay for Now by Gary Schmidt.

Am I happy?  Yes.  How could I not be?  Even though I had trouble reading Life: an Exploded Diagram, had that book won, I would have been happy!  Any event that causes the excitement, discussion, ardor, - even factions - about books that Battle of the Kids Book does, makes me very happy.

What a Battle!!!  It's a good thing Summer Reading Club is just a couple of months away, because I can barely wait for next March.  SRC will give me something to take my mind off wondering what books the BoB group will choose for 2013.

Battle of the Kids Books needs a theme song, I think - oh, and t-shirts and mugs!  Yeah!