Halloween Guide: YA zombie books to dig your claws into

Zombies/AP Photo

With seventeen days left until Halloween, it’s time to jump on that haunted hayride, choose the creepiest pumpkin for carving, purchase that spiffy new pair of running shoes and sharpen your machete. In the event you happen upon a member of the undead, remember these two tips…decapitate and run.
Zombies have taken over. From hacked traffic signs to Hollywood blockbusters, zombies continue to disintegrate, give chase and horrify. In keeping with our Halloween theme this month, we had to create a list of zombie inspired books to make your blood run cold.

Zombie Queen of Newbury High by Amanda Ashby (Penguin Group, USA Speak)

Quiet, unpopular Mia cannot believe her good fortune when she begins dating football star Rob. That is until Samantha, cheerleading goddess and popularity queen makes a move for him. With a little help from a friend, Mia concocts a love spell that goes horribly wrong, turning the entire class into zombies. She teams up with a stuck-up zombie hunter named Chase to straighten things out before prom or before the zombies realize how tasty she is.

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (Random House Children's Books)

In Mary's world, there are simple truths.
The Sisterhood always knows best.
The Guardians will protect and serve.
The Unconsecrated will never relent.
And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village. The fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But slowly, Mary's truths are failing her. She's learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power. And, when the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future. Could there be life outside a world surrounded by so much death?

Generation Dead by Daniel Waters (Hyperion Books for Children)

Phoebe is just your typical goth girl with a crush. He's strong, silent and dead. All over the country, a strange phenomenon is happening. Some teenagers who die aren't staying dead. They are coming back to life, but they are no longer the same-they stutter, and their reactions to everything are slower. Termed "living impaired" or "differently biotic," they are doing their best to fit into a society that doesn't want them. With her pale skin and Goth wardrobe, Phoebe has never run with the popular crowd. But no one can believe it when she falls for Tommy Williams, the leader of the dead.

You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay (Penguin Group USA Inc. Razorbill)

Fifteen-year-old Megan Berry is a Zombie Settler by birth, therapist to the local undead. Megan wants to attend homecoming, but it’s difficult to get a date when you are trailed by a pulse-deficient horde. To make matters worse, there is some serious black magic at work turning your average zombies into brain-eating maniacs. Megan is the key to stopping the zombie apocalypse. Her life—and more importantly, homecoming—depend on it.

Never Slow Dance with a Zombie by E. Van Lowe (Tor Teen)

Principal Taft's 3 Simple Rules for Surviving a Zombie Uprising:

Rule #1: While in the halls, walk slowly and wear a vacant expression on your face. Zombies won't attack other zombies.

Rule #2: Never travel alone. Move in packs. Follow the crowd. Zombies detest blatant displays of individuality.

Rule #3: If a zombie should attack, do not run. Instead, throw raw steak at to him. Zombies love raw meat. This display of kindness will go a long way.

On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing! Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....

For more info:

Sequel to The Forest of Hands and Teeth: The Dead-Tossed Waves will be coming out in Spring 2010 and the third will be out Spring 2011.