Fifteen-year-old Charlie Harker is pretty disappointed to learn he'll be spending his summer vacation helping his mom renovate an old family inn in the "hick town" of Rolling Hills. He much preferred his plan of lounging on a beach in Hawaii. And now he has to deal with his annoying neighbor Miles Van Helsing, who's been trying to convince him there's paranormal activity going on in town. Charlie knows this can't be true. Miles is just nuts, right? Although he has to admit, it is getting harder and harder to explain all the odd situations he keeps finding himself in, particularly once the sun goes down. And it does seem like an awful lot of people are getting sick ... Author James Leck hits all the right notes in this young-adult novel: adventure, suspense, funny dialogue and, best of all, zombie-vampires! This fast-moving page-turner will be a favorite read for pre-teens. Leck has created an appealing character in Charlie: the lovable slacker and consummate prankster at Choke Academy boarding school who's always quick with a clever or sarcastic comment. But Charlie proves in the end that he can step up to a challenge and show leadership and courage when he needs to. With characteristics of several different genres, this book makes a great choice for a language arts discussion of literary genres. Despite the zombie-vampires, Leck deftly avoids the carnage, so the story never reaches the level of horror. AGES: 10-14 AUTHOR: James Leck has worked as a high school teacher in Canada, Japan and Kuwait, and has had the good fortune to travel extensively. Some of his favorite stories from his travels include the time he accidentally ordered an entire chicken (and only a chicken) for his dinner in Korea; the time all his clothes, backpack and towel were dragged out to sea by a rogue wave in Guam; and the time he accidentally paid $40 for a bottle of apple juice in Oman. His travels have taught him to expect the unexpected and to roll with the waves life sends you.
