cmstein's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nicolelynnreads's review
4.0
This was a really fun graphic novel. Not only did it have ZOMBIES!! It also touches on sister/sibling relationships & teamwork. Lots of humor & a fun adventure with a nice message underlying the story. Fun read overall!
mohawkm's review
4.0
A variety of oddball elements but a good story about sibling rivalry at heart. Carries with it the sense of non-stop commentary you might expect from a group of sweet but hyper 11 year olds.
ssione55's review
3.0
A great story of baseball, sisters, witchcraft, and zombies. What more could you want?
m0rganh's review against another edition
3.0
The Sandlot meets Goosebumps in this sharp, funny, and quick middle-grade graphic novel.
kateteaching7and8's review
5.0
@KidLitExchange #partner
Thank you to the @KidLitExchange network and the publisher for the advance copy of Dugout: The Zombie Steals Home by Scott Morse which is set to be released June 25, 2019.
This is novel about sisters, rivalry, baseball, zombies, and witches. Stacy and Gina are twins who play on opposing baseball teams; Stacy plays for the Rooks while Gina plays for the Knights. They also happen to be the granddaughters of a witch and will inherit their powers and be taught the ways of a witch when they turn sixteen. Gina is a natural athlete and her team excels while Stacy's team has lost every game this season. They're so bad, most of the players believe they're cursed. Following a fight, Gina borrows Stacy's mitt and coats it in one of her grandmother's magical ingredients: corpse breath. By doing this, she unknowingly releases an actual curse on Stacy's team. When Stacy drops her mitt, a zombie breaks through the ground where it landed. In order to break the curse and set everything right, the two sisters will have to set aside their differences.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel and found it to be an engaging and quick read. Normally when one thinks of baseball or zombies, one assumes the main character will be male, so I was excited to discover that this book had two strong female main characters. This book is full of humor with puns and witty quips. The sibling rivalry is real and something that many readers can relate to. I also liked that this wasn't the traditional zombie story in that the zombie wasn't out to eat their brains and it wasn't full of violence. This was a very cool and interesting concept and I think my students will really enjoy this novel.
Thank you to the @KidLitExchange network and the publisher for the advance copy of Dugout: The Zombie Steals Home by Scott Morse which is set to be released June 25, 2019.
This is novel about sisters, rivalry, baseball, zombies, and witches. Stacy and Gina are twins who play on opposing baseball teams; Stacy plays for the Rooks while Gina plays for the Knights. They also happen to be the granddaughters of a witch and will inherit their powers and be taught the ways of a witch when they turn sixteen. Gina is a natural athlete and her team excels while Stacy's team has lost every game this season. They're so bad, most of the players believe they're cursed. Following a fight, Gina borrows Stacy's mitt and coats it in one of her grandmother's magical ingredients: corpse breath. By doing this, she unknowingly releases an actual curse on Stacy's team. When Stacy drops her mitt, a zombie breaks through the ground where it landed. In order to break the curse and set everything right, the two sisters will have to set aside their differences.
I really enjoyed this graphic novel and found it to be an engaging and quick read. Normally when one thinks of baseball or zombies, one assumes the main character will be male, so I was excited to discover that this book had two strong female main characters. This book is full of humor with puns and witty quips. The sibling rivalry is real and something that many readers can relate to. I also liked that this wasn't the traditional zombie story in that the zombie wasn't out to eat their brains and it wasn't full of violence. This was a very cool and interesting concept and I think my students will really enjoy this novel.
wingedpotato's review
4.0
A fun but ultimately light story by one of my favorite comic creators. Morse's strength in conveying motion is in full force here, and the kids feel real in a Sandlot sort of way.
allicatbooks's review
3.0
I can see the appeal for sports fan or zombie fans but I am neither so this was not for me.
lbandoch's review against another edition
3.0
There are some things here that warrant a lower rating. I think that the plot takes awhile to get into. The first part of the book is a play by play at a baseball game, and that may turn some readers off. The font used here was a bit difficult to read, and the way the book uses a different bubble for (what feels like) every sentence made it difficult for me to follow along. There is also a large cast of characters, which means that almost every character feels like a caricature rather than a fleshed out person.
However, there were some good things here as well. Once you get into the zombie part, the plot really picks up and there becomes more plot elements which will appeal to a wider reader. The witch subplot was very well done (who doesn't love two girls finding out they're actually witches?). The ensemble cast caused some hilarious dialog (which made me laugh out loud TWICE to the chagrin of my husband.
However, there were some good things here as well. Once you get into the zombie part, the plot really picks up and there becomes more plot elements which will appeal to a wider reader. The witch subplot was very well done (who doesn't love two girls finding out they're actually witches?). The ensemble cast caused some hilarious dialog (which made me laugh out loud TWICE to the chagrin of my husband.
cjcrannie's review against another edition
3.0
A great story of baseball, sisters, witchcraft, and zombies. What more could you want?
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