Zombie Winter

Title: Zombie Winter

Author: Jonathon Strange

Publication Date: January 2011

ISBN 13: 978-1434230959

It is the depths of winter and Kane feels like the cold is sucking the life right out of him.  At first, he blames the cold for the odd behavior of his classmates and teachers, but it soon becomes evident that something powerful and evil has overtaken his school, his town, even his mom.   Hordes of zombies are out to eat his brains.  If Kane is going to survive, or save the people he loves, he must follow the directions of a spooky old hermit and destroy the hordes' ancient maker, the Zombie Queen.  A short and quick read, this book manages to evoke true fear and a tangible cold in 64 pages!

Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-weiner

Title: Dragonbreath: Curse of the Were-Weiner
Author: Ursula Vernon
Publication Date: September 2010
ISBN 13: 978-0803734692

Danny Dragonbreath wakes up one morning with fearful forebodings that something is wrong.  When his best friend Wendel gets bitten by his hotdog, a were-weiner from Transylvania, Danny's inarticulate fears come to pass.  It isn't long before other kids at school begin to exhibit the same symptons as Wendel.  Danny knows it's up to him to kill the were-wiener.  Can he face his fears and save his friends? 

Vernon's illustrations are great if the conversation is, at times, a little lacking.  She is liberal in her use of neologisms and does a fair job of capturing coloquial speech.  Both funny, and a little frightening, this book might be recommended to fans of Babymouse or Captain Underpants.