Dylan is back, and this time he is making a movie, The Rise of the Zombie Scarecrows, with his best friend, Cory, and his girlfriend, Monica.
The film is for school credit, and their plan is to film on Halloween. Everything is falling into place until Dylan and Monica encounter a zombie scarecrow that causes Mr. Dalton, a friend of Dylan’s grandmother, to have a heart attack. Dylan and Monica learn that a couple of zombie scarecrows are pranking a local neighborhood. The police shut down Dylan’s project until the pranksters are caught. But Dylan is determined to see his film through to completion, no matter what the cost.
This short novel is a high-interest, low-reading level book for middle-grade readers who are building reading skills, want a quick read or say they don’t like to read!
Deb Loughead is a regular contributor to the Orca Currents series. Two of her other titles, The Snowball Effect and Caught in the Act, also feature Dylan and his pals.
"This slim volume is nonstop plot...[and] the mystery is solidly executed...Will interest reluctant readers with a bent towards crime solving."
"The characters and the teen drama they face are very relatable. Loughead’s writing is easy to follow, containing simple dialogue, and the conflict introduced in the form of the vandal works well to add tension to the boys going behind Nicole’s back...An enjoyable story."
"Readers will find this book to be a perky Halloween prank–filled mystery...Snappy dialogue, a fun premise, and a not-too-obvious ending keep this tale moving briskly."
"The extracts from Dylan’s screenplay are well done—short, carefully woven into the narrative, and interesting, especially to would-be movie makers. There is much to admire in this brief novel—engaging characters, and a plot with suspense and mystery."