January 1, 2015
When a lightning strike near the dead maple tree seems to produce a ball of lightning, Fiona and her twin are certain something extraordinary is at hand.Sensible narrator Fiona North is nearly 13. At the urging of the less-cautious Fenton, she captures the ball of light in a canning jar. When the twins notice new growth on the tree, Fenton's interest at first is in fame and fortune, experimenting with various small dead creatures to determine the ability of the ball of light to restore some kind of life. The tree, impressively abundant, turns itself into a hybrid maple/apple. A beetle's missing leg temporarily regrows, yet other results are mixed. The dog is next, followed by Grandpa, whose reappearance they hope will enliven his depressed widow. Scruffy the dog and the grandfather remain partially decomposed, incomplete. Still, each thing brought back to life is changed, and not only from dead to undead. Fiona's explanation: Free will to choose the deepest self is available both in life and death. Though the family finds itself on the run after the accidental shooting death (and subsequent reanimation) of the father's fiancee, Fiona's analysis of their predicament remains optimistic. Kuhlman's voice for Fiona is both wry and earnest, the gravity of her philosophical musings balanced by un-self-conscious humor. Eerie and hopeful: family tragedy and reconciliation wrapped in a zombie encounter. (Fantasy. 10-14)
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December 1, 2014
Gr 4-6-What if you had the power to bring plants, animals, even humans back to life? Thirteen-year-old Fiona North and her twin brother Fenton are forced to confront this question when they discover a great ball of light during a storm. The pulsing, glowing light is extraordinary not just because it's unique, but because it can bring things back to life or at least to "undeath." The twins start with small experiments-dead insects and mice-but soon they can't resist bringing back their dog and then their Grandpa Wade. But what do you do with an undead dog and grandpa? And what happens if the powerful ball of light ends up in the wrong hands? This science fiction story is set in rural Montana and begins with an attention-grabbing prologue, "A Handy Guide to Bringing Back the Dead (Take 1)." Fiona is a thoughtful narrator, although at times the story is held back by her slightly moralistic ramblings. Thankfully, the amusing characters, action, and humor keep the narrative engaging. Holmes's sketchy black-and-white illustrations are dotted throughout, as though they were drawn by Fiona and taped into a journal. The dramatic ending may leave readers brimming with unanswered questions about the effects of the ball and the future of the North family. The descriptions of the undead are gross and humorous, rather than scary, making this a fun book for the younger zombie-loving set. Recommended for general purchase.-Amy Seto Musser, Denver Public Library
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
February 15, 2015
Grades 4-7 What would you do if you discovered a ball of light able to resurrect the dead? For Fiona and Fenton North, the answer is scientific experiments. First the 12-year-old twins resurrect insects and a worm, then a favorite dog, and finally their grandfather, a drunk who made their father's life miserable but who is sorely missed by his wife, their grandmother, who has withdrawn from the world. Setting his story realistically in the present day on a farm in southern Montana and making the family's fractured connections believable, Kuhlman also asks readers to accept a wide range of undeadness. A maple tree returns as part apple. The worm grows legs. The resurrected dog is mostly skeleton, lacking nearly all the affectionate and playful qualities he once had. Grandpa, at least, is better preserved. This faintly macabre story has plenty of humorous moments and will surely leave readers wondering about life and death and the stages in between.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)