How are zombies and electricity related you ask? They aren’t in physical science, but the psychology behind putting them together surely works.  What intermediate or middle school student doesn’t want to see zombies! ? Author- Mark Weakland  has teamed up with illustrator- Jok,  and editor- Anthony Wacholtz (from Mummies and Sound) to make electricity memorable to students by pairing electricity with zombies in a graphic format. A reader may remember a wind turbine as a renewable resource after hours of study, but I bet it will be easier to remember once the reader has seen the hilarious picture of a zombie hanging onto the whirling blade of a wind turbine. What fun!

Chapter 2- Charge! describes the basic atom before stating, ” When electrons make the jump between atoms through certain materials, such as air or metal, electricity is created.” (page 9)

Chapter 3 -Zombies and Current Events gives the basics of terms: current, static electricity, circuit, conductor, and ground.  Each is accompanied with illustrations of zombies. “Consider a zombie dressed in a wool shirt lurching against a bunch of balloons. When the zombie brushes the balloons, negatively charged electrons move from the wool shirt to the balloons.” (page 13)

Chapter 4 -Push, Pull, and Power Plants gives the basics of terms: electromagnet, turbine, voltage, and generator.  And Chapter 5 -Safe From Zapping, Safe From Zombies gives the basics of electricity safety using brainless zombies in dangerous situations compared with humans demonstrating safe practices.