• Age: 9 to 12
• Grade: 4 to 7
• Reading age: 9 to 12

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 the author of more than twenty-five books for children and young adults. She completed an English degree at the University of Toronto before working as a copy editor. She turned to creative writing after deciding to stay home to raise her three sons. Deb's books have been translated into seven languages, and her award-winning poetry and adult fiction have appeared in a variety of Canadian publications. In addition to having extensive experience with educational writing, Deb has conducted workshops and held readings at schools, festivals and conferences across the country. She has written and directed children’s plays and taught creative writing classes for adults in Toronto. Deb likes to spend her non-writing time reading, knitting or hanging around horses as a therapeutic riding volunteer. Deb lives with her family in Toronto, Ontario. For more information, visit www.debloughead.ca.

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"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."

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"This slim volume is nonstop plot...[and] the mystery is solidly executed...Will interest reluctant readers with a bent towards crime solving."

Booklist

"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."

Publishers Weekly

"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."

CM: Canadian Review of Materials