Zombie Elementary (21 page)

Hey, um, yeah. No. Anyway I want to mention Jermaine for all the stuff he knows, and Francine for being really kick—[end deleted]—can I say that? Plus Chainsaw Chucky and Grandma for believing us about the zombies ’cause nobody else did. Also Mr. O’Hara, but maybe we shouldn’t mention him at all. So, forget that bit. And Kyle, for writing this stuff down. Can I get a sandwich?

—Larry

I’d like to thank Tundra Books for being brave enough to publish this true account of what happened at Acorn Falls. I just hope copies of the book are not stopped at the border by the US authorities. I think it’s possible.

—Kyle

I’d like to thank my friends in the Rockland Writers’ Group and the Westchester Children’s Writers for their willingness to listen to all kinds of nonsense as I wrote and revised this book. I’ll also mention all the young people who’ve been in my ‘Lern to Rite Gud’ classes, especially Susan, Peter and Karen Zollinger. I’ve added a lot of my friends (and their own kids) into the book, mostly as names—Alex Bates is a 6’6” bar bouncer in Alaska, not a ten year old zombie. In particular, federal agent Walt O’Hara stars as himself, although his actual job doesn’t involve fighting zombies; of course, he couldn’t say if it did.

I want to thank Tara Walker at Tundra for taking on this book after another publisher said that zombies were a passing fad (“The Walking Dead” appeared on TV shortly after this comment) and Samantha Swenson, for wrangling my manuscript into something that ten year olds would still enjoy without
their parents being horrified at all the blood, gore, decapitations (etc). Last of all, I thank my wife Lori (Pastor Linda—you’ll meet her in the book) for putting up with me for more than thirty years now.

HJW