For children not quite old enough for the gore and horror of The Walking Dead but still wanting their zombie apocalypses, The Last Kids on Earth by Max Brallier is a riot of fun.
It’s vividly and brilliantly illustrated by Douglas Holgate, and packed with jokes, wisecracking characters, and awesome monsters. Written in first person from the perspective of a boy who survived the outbreak of some crazy zombie disease, the story has the feel of a comic in novel form. The main character’s cool, has a great bunch of friends and even gets his own pet monster.
I loved it for many reasons. It’s got flashy design and has an exceedingly eye-catching cover. It’s fairly unusual, in that it’s a novel at the top end of primary school/early teen (with quite graphic – if comic – violence,) yet still fully illustrated. For the artwork alone it should be celebrated. And then, of course, it’s funny.
So, if you know a kid who’s not quite out of primary school, who’s hard to pull away from videogames, this is the perfect read. If you like this then try Hamish and the Worldstoppers, or if you’re a little older, the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
Published by Egmont, RRP £6.99.
