By Jan Pease
Have you noticed a progression in paranormal movies,
books and television shows from witches and ghosts to vampires and vampire
slayers, werewolves, shape shifters, demonic creatures and finally,
zombies? Is this a logical
progression? No matter, Darren Shan has
started a new series, “Zom-B Underground.”
He introduces Becky Smith, a tomboy who is nicknamed “B,” who is trying
to survive after being “revitalized.”
More than 25 million copies of his novels have been sold. He is famous
for his series, “Cirque du Freak,” “ Demonata,” and “The Saga of Larten
Crepsley.” .” Mr. Shan’s novels are
available all over the world, in 31 languages.
More than 25 million copies of his novels have been sold, and he is
described as a bestselling master of horror.
So, if Mr. Shan decides it’s time for a young adult novel about zombies,
he must be right. 
Gordon Korman is known for suspenseful books like
“Island,” “Everest,” “Dive,” “Kidnapped,” and “Titanic,” all trilogies. He has also written a series of juvenile
books about Griffin Bing and his friends, “Swindle,” Zoobreak,” “Framed,” and
“Showoff.” The fifth book is “Hideout,”
in which the friends try to hide a huge Doberman Pincher that weighs about 150
pounds. As the flap on the book cover says, “Six kids.
Three hideouts. One extremely large
dog. What could possibly go wrong?”
Barbara O’Connor, who wrote the book, “How to Steal a
Dog,” has written another novel about young people working together to save an
animal. This time, it’s a one-legged homing pigeon named Sherman, belonging to Mr. Mineo, which is on the lam. His eight
days of freedom bring together several residents of the little town of Meadville.
The book is titled, “On the Road to Mr.
Mineo’s.” 
“T is for Twin Cities” is Nancy Carlson’s newest
book. This is an alphabet book about
Minneapolis/St. Paul. Her co-writer,
Helen L. Wilbur is a former librarian. I
suspect that many of the interesting historical tidbits come out of her vast
experience. By the way, “Z” is for zero
degrees. Nancy and Helen say “It’s cold
outside but we don’t care, in warm boots and hats and long underwear!” 
All of the coughing, sneezing and drippy noses this winter
make Neil Gaiman’s new book, “Chu’s Day,” especially timely. This is a picture book about a baby giant
panda who sneezes. Mr. Gaiman’s website,
www.mousecircus.com, features a
trailer about this, his newest book. He talks about the experience of visiting
China and holding a baby giant panda in his lap while it ate bamboo. He says that at this time he’s perhaps
proudest of this, his shortest book. I
absolutely love “Chu’s Day” and there’s
nothing to add to that. 
Sadly, beloved children’s author Margaret Mahy passed
away in 2012, at the age of 76. One of
her last books, published posthumously, is “Mister Whistler.” Ms. Mahy lived in New Zealand, but was
famous throughout the world. “Mister
Whistler” tells the story of an eccentric gentleman who always has a song in
his head and whose feet just have to dance.
I hope you have a song in your head, joy in your heart and that you
dance a little bit every day. See you at
the library!
