Zombie Baseball Beatdown

July 22, 2013
Printz-winner Bacigalupi (Ship Breaker) defies the expectations of the comedy-horror genre, turning this zombie novel into an effective bit of social commentary while staying true to the story’s grisly and goofy roots. In a small town dominated by Milrow Meat Solutions, Rabi Chatterjee-Jones is a normal kid, mostly concerned with not making a fool of himself playing baseball, and spending time with his friends Miguel and Joe. Shortly after Miguel’s family—illegal immigrants, like many who work in the meatpacking industry—is deported, the boys run into a zombie and start to suspect that there’s more than meets the eye at the plant. There are some familiar zombie-tale elements (yes, the zombies shout for “brains,” and, no, the police don’t believe the boys), but their biggest nemeses are corporate lawyers and plant managers. Bacigalupi rails against factory farming, the abuse of illegal immigrants, and ag-gag laws, but never lets the humorous elements fall by the wayside. Casual readers will have a blast, and those who look deeper will learn something, too. Ages 8–12. Agent: Martha Millard, Martha Millard Literary Agency.

July 15, 2013
Upton Sinclair's The Jungle meets Left for Dead/The Walking Dead/Shaun of the Dead in a high-energy, high-humor look at the zombie apocalypse, complete with baseball (rather than cricket) bats. The wholesome-seeming Iowa cornfields are a perfect setting for the emergence of ghastly anomalies: flesh-eating cows and baseball-coach zombies. The narrator hero, Rabi (for Rabindranath), and his youth baseball teammates and friends, Miguel and Joe, discover by chance that all is not well with their small town's principal industry: the Milrow corporation's giant feedlot and meat-production and -packing facility. The ponds of cow poo and crammed quarters for the animals are described in gaggingly smelly detail, and the bone-breaking, bloody, flesh-smashing encounters with the zombies have a high gross-out factor. The zombie cows and zombie humans who emerge from the muck are apparently a product of the food supply gone cuckoo in service of big-money profits with little concern for the end result. It's up to Rabi and his pals to try to prove what's going on--and to survive the corporation's efforts to silence them. Much as Bacigalupi's Ship Breaker (2010) was a clarion call to action against climate change, here's a signal alert to young teens to think about what they eat, while the considerable appeal of the characters and plot defies any preachiness. Not for the faint of heart or stomach (or maybe of any parts) but sure to be appreciated by middle school zombie cognoscenti. (Fiction. 11-14)

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August 1, 2013

Gr 5-9-Don't be misled by this novel's horror B-movie title and cover art: thought-provoking, topical issues and wry wit elevate it above the expected gross-out zombie tale. Middle school friends Rabi, Miguel, and Joe literally smell trouble wafting from their small town's meatpacking plant, where they find cows living in filthy conditions and behaving oddly. Then the boys' baseball coach turns up moaning "Brainsssss!" and tries to bite Rabi. When the children discover that meat from the sick cows is being packaged and sent to local supermarkets, they are on their own to prevent a zombie cow apocalypse because no one believes their story. Miguel's revelation that he's in the country illegally introduces biting commentary on racism and immigration. Bacigalupi also zings big business, the meatpacking industry, and the USDA, culminating in an epilogue that's both cautionary and empowering. Rabi, Miguel, and Joe are realistic, complete characters. It's a testament to the author's skill that they express values of courage, friendship, and integrity as naturally as they toss off hilarious observations: "Talk about ankle biters," Rabi comments when he sees two little zombie girls chewing on a man's leg. References to current video games and cyberpunk comics add appeal to this fast-paced home run.-Marybeth Kozikowski, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2013
Grades 4-7 Printz-winning Bacigalupi writing a middle-grade zombie novel? Yes, it really happened, and yes, it's pretty darn good. Milrow Meats, the meat-packing plant in Delbe, Iowa, is up to something. Pals Rabi, Miguel, and Joe can tell from the ungodly stink, the anxious behavior of the Mexicans who work there, andoh yeahtheir zombified Little League coach, who tries to nosh their brains. Further sleuthing reveals that SuperGrow growth supplement is being fed to the cows, creating undead bovines that, in turn, create zombie burgers. And what happens when folks start snarfing those burgers? Though the plot synopsis recalls such gleeful splatter fests as John Kloepfer's Zombie Chasers series, in Bacigalupi's hands it feels closer to Walter Dean Myers' Cruisers series, with much of the story delving into issues often overlooked in youth fiction: the capricious treatment of immigrant workers, the absence of options for the poor, and the questionable record of the USDA. Simultaneously smart, funny, and icky, this book asks a tough question: Is it worth looking the other way in order to save yourself? HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The sheer improbability of a big-name author delivering a project like this should generate a strong Venn diagram of commercial and critical interest.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2013, American Library Association.)

January 27, 2014
When his friend Miguel’s family is deported, young Rabi Chatterjee-Jones uncovers a conspiracy at Milrow Meat Solutions, the small town’s local meatpacking plant, that has him and his friends dodging zombies and clashing with corporate lawyers in an effort to save the world. While it may seem like a stretch, there’s an antifactory farming slant to this hilarious story from Bacigalupi, which is adroitly narrated by Malhotra. Throughout, the reader’s pacing is superb and his comic timing perfect. Malhotra’s characterization are rich and complex—despite the fact that this may seem a silly comedy-horror mash-up—and his spirited delivery of Bacigalupi’s prose brings more to the table than the book’s title may imply, including some commentary about the meatpacking industry. Ages 8–12. A Little, Brown hardcover.

January 1, 2014
After a rotting smell disrupts baseball practice, Rabi, Miguel, and Joe investigate strange occurrences near a meatpacking plant. Infected cows, tainted meat, and deplorable working conditions lead to a full-blown zombie uprising in the small town of Milrow. Bacigalupi's scathing commentary on food safety and corrupt big business elevates this comedic novel without forcing the issues. Readers will cheer for the underdogs.

(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)