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Rotten Apple #2: Zombie Dog (2012)

by Clare Hutton(Favorite Author)

4.21 of 5 Votes: 2

languge

English

genre

Horror

publisher

Scholastic Paperbacks

series

Rotten Apple

review 1: Zombie Dog has all the elements of great storytelling for a middle reader book. It is a horror story wrapped in a mystery with some sci-fi elements. Becky must solve this mystery as Bear, her dog, is being blamed for zombie destruction and is in danger of being sent away. What I liked was that even the worst things (the zombie dog and the way he became that way) are portrayed in ways that allow for sympathy. Another great thing was that the things Becky has to go through with her friends and family also reflect life's complexities -- things that don't go away even when there is a zombie dog. With her friends, Becky adjusts to the changing demands of friendship as her best friend finds other interests. With her family, she deals with dismissive parents who are set in t... moreheir beliefs and don't hear what she is trying to tell them. Through it all, Becky finds her own path and solutions that lie within her value system.
review 2: **Some spoilers.**Becky isn't happy that she moved away from her friend Charlotte and now lives on Tulip Street next to the super creepy McNally house. The upside is that she has room for her much beloved dog, Bear. She had wanted a dog for years and was allowed to get Bear only because she promised to take care of him, but something in the McNally house is making the dog afraid. There's also a horrible stench emitting from the house. There's also a creepy chihuahua with glowing green eyes menacing both her and Bear! When she has to have a partner for a school project, Becky ends up with Nate, a boy who also lives on her street. They do some research, and even visit Mrs. McNally in the nursing home, where they find out that Mrs. McNally had two dogs. One, Chichi, she had stuffed and lives with her at the home, but they other dog was the subject of her husband's experiments and was turned into a zombie. Eager to put her pet back to rest, Mrs. McNally gives the children Chichi's toy, since Mimi's toy being dug up is what precipitated the Rise of Mimi. Strengths: This series belongs to the Goosebumps School O' Creepy-- somewhat frightening, but nothing that will ever really happen. This and the Poison Apple series are hugely popular at my school.Weaknesses: It's going to be hard to tell a student that this is about a zombie chihuahua without snickering. Now, zombie dachshunds-- that would be scary! (Sorry. Some days Middle Grade Lit is "too much with me" and I feel like I should read something like War and Peace. Then I get a good night's sleep, see the error of my ways and read another book involving farting or football. Preferably both.) less

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