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Zombie Makers

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Cover image for Zombie makers : true stories of nature's undead

Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature's Undead 
by Rebecca L. Johnson
Millbrook Press, 2012
Nonfiction, 48p.

Be warned: this book is high on the gross-out scale. A clever and fascinating collection of scientific anecdotes about parasites that take over the bodies of other insects or animals, keeping them alive long enough to ensure the survival of their own offspring. Examples include a fungus that can take over an ant's brain, a protozoan that can turn off a rat’s fear of cats, and a worm that can force crickets to throw themselves into the water and drown. The text is a nice mix of dramatic storytelling and well-researched scientific fact, and the close-up photographs are great. A good bet for school-age readers interested in nonfiction, zombies, or deliciously icky topics.
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