Summary
An empowering story about how friendship and imagination can help overcome bullying.
When a classmate hurts his feelings by calling him a fairy, Brandon turns to his imagination and his two best friends, who rally to his side. Brandon informs his pals that he is now a zombie who will destroy his enemies with his tears. They respond by turning into a ghost and a vampire, ready to protect him from the mean words being thrown at him during recess.
What starts as a bullying moment ends in a creative and empathetic exchange between the boys. Brandon is able to smile again -- especially when the friends come to a decision on his new nickname: the Zombie Prince.
Luc Melanson's graphic illustrations bring humor to this sensitive story about kindness and imagination healing the hurt left by unkind words.
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.4
Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.1.6
Identify who is telling the story at various points in a text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.2.7
Use information gained from the illustrations and words in a print or digital text to demonstrate understanding of its characters, setting, or plot.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.3.7
Explain how specific aspects of a text's illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting)
MATT BEAM is a writer, photographer and teacher. His young adult novels include Can You Spell Revolution?, Earth to Nathan Blue and Last December. He created two photographic picture books, City Alphabet and City Numbers, with words by Joanne Schwartz. He lives in Toronto.
LUC MELANSON won a Governor General's Literary Award for illustrating The Grand Journey of Mr. Man by Gilles Tibo. He has illustrated many books, including Rosario's Fig Tree by Charis Wahl. Book of Big Brothers by Cary Fagan and Pink by Nan Gregory were both finalists for the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Illustrator's Award. Luc lives in Laval, Quebec, with his family.