A Good Night for Shooting Zombies: with glow-in-the-dark cover

by Jaco Jacobs, Kobus Geldenhuys (Translator)

Overview

Sometimes the end is just the beginning of a new adventure.

Martin’s life changes the day his dad is killed in a car accident.

No one talks about it. His mum refuses to leave the house. His sister is only interested in her boyfriend. And Martin? He spends his afternoons alone with the family chickens – that’s why they call him ‘Clucky’ – and at night, he solves difficult maths problems in his head to help him fall asleep.

But one day Martin meets a boy called Vusi, who dreams of making a zombie movie. The two are plunged head first into a wild adventure, pulling everyone they know along with them.

Shortlisted for the Found in Translation award, it has also since been made into a popular film in Afrikaans.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781786074508
Publisher:	Oneworld Publications
Publication date:	03/12/2019
Pages:	176
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.80(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Jaco Jacobs is the most popular and prolific children's book author in Afrikaans. He has published more than 140 books and over a million copies have been sold. Jaco is also a well-known columnist, blogger, freelance journalist and translator. He lives in Bloemfontein, South Africa.

Kobus Geldenhuys is an award-winning translator of children and young adult literature. He has translated many Harry Potter titles into Afrikaans, as well the third book in Cressida Cowell's popular series How To Train Your Dragon.

What People are Saying About This

author of Time Travelling with a Hamster Ross Welford

"A Good Night For Shooting Zombies is a wonderful and exciting story with true emotional depth...a compact and briskly told adventure."

author of Time Travelling with a Hamster —Ross Welford

"A Good Night For Shooting Zombies is a wonderful and exciting story with true emotional depth...a compact and briskly told adventure."

Editorial Reviews

'A Good Night For Shooting Zombies is a wonderful and exciting story with true emotional depth...a compact and briskly told adventure.'

author of Time Travelling with a Hamster Ross Welford

'Cancer and death aren't exactly fun subjects. But even though you expect the book to be depressing, it's exactly the opposite.'

Ingrid Hydenrych in JIP

'English readers of Mark Haddon will certainly delight in this quirky and emotionally resonant short chapter book.'

Booklist

'For the first time in a long while we see the publication of a new Afrikaans book for teens which strikes the perfect balance between excellent language use, a good story and a philosophical flavour that will captivate younger and older readers.'

Rapport

'Jaco Jacobs undoubtedly has the gift of writing entertaining stories. His characters are believable, and ever so often there's a hint of humour to make the reading experience even more pleasurable.'

Lona Gericke IBBY South Africa Newsletter

‘Never too sentimental or depressing, A Good Night for Shooting Zombies strikes a perfect balance of humour and heartbreak and helps to define what friendship really means.’

Foreword starred review

'This story touched my heart more than any other story has ever done.'

the scriptwriter who adapted the book into a movie Lizé Vosloo

Praise for A Good Day for Climbing Trees:

'Quirky, charming and very funny, but with a real emotional punch. It is the perfect place to start for someone looking to move on from The Wimpy Kid books.' Anthony McGowan, author of The Donut Diaries

From the Publisher

‘The ending of this story is so good. There is a logical conclusion that involves everyone in the story and brings things full circle. It was heart warming and leaves a happy feeling with the reader. I think this book is worth the read and I'm giving it 4 stars!’

The Write Path blog

‘Jaco Jacobs’ writing keeps pages turning; the end of the story will stick with you long after you close the book. I became a Jaco fan after reading last year’s A Good Day for Climbing Trees. A Good Night for Shooting Zombies just sealed it. I can’t wait to read more.’

Mom Read It blog

'This story touched my heart more than any other story has ever done.'

the scriptwriter who adapted the book into a movie Lizé Vosloo

'This story touched my heart more than any other story has ever done.'

the scriptwriter who adapted the book into a movie Lizé Vosloo

In Jaco Jacobs’s A Good Night for Shooting Zombies, Martin’s life is shattered the day his father is killed in a car accident. Two years later, his normally gregarious ex-actress mother is housebound, his sister is always out with her gangster boyfriend, and Martin himself is relatively friendless, with an almost unhealthy obsession with numbers.
When he goes next door to confront the boy whose dog has just killed his prize chicken, he doesn’t realize that meeting Vusi will completely change his life.
Vusi is battling cancer. His only goal in life is to make the best zombie movie the world has ever seen. Martin finds himself being sucked into Vusi’s dream, too. The boys develop a strong friendship that is a light in Martin’s otherwise dark life. As the two go against all odds to make their movie dreams a reality, Martin realizes that life is about much more than just numbers.
A Good Night for Shooting Zombies is set in South Africa and is an excellent introduction to translated works for middle grade readers. It features accessible situations, easy-to-like characters, and plenty of action. Martin is the perfect antihero with his strange mannerisms and crushing loneliness, while Vusi makes the ideal underdog. The boys’ relationship is heartfelt and believable and develops smoothly and humorously throughout their zombie project.
Though Martin and Vusi are on an outlandish and often hilarious quest, Vusi’s illness hangs over the book like a thick fog. While other characters make brief appearances, adding to the plot and atmosphere of the book, it’s really all about Martin and Vusi’s friendship. Never too sentimental or depressing, A Good Night for Shooting Zombies strikes a perfect balance of humor and heartbreak and helps to define what friendship really means

Foreword Reviews

'English readers of Mark Haddon will certainly delight in this quirky and emotionally resonant short chapter book.'

Booklist