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.

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.