Dear Reader,
I've been a big fan of zombies for years, and one day an idea struck me. What if zombies have been misunderstood? What if a gentle but non-beating heart was beneath the decaying flesh and desire for human brains? Maybe zombies just wanted to get along, until people started shooting them in the head, ruining any chance at zombie-appreciation picnics. The result of those thoughts was Dead Jed: 
Adventures of a Middle School Zombie, in which a typical 13-year-old who happens to be undead wants to fit in. I hope you will be inspired by Jed's efforts to overcome challenges, learning to use his perceived disadvantages (loss of limbs and such) to his advantage.
Keep reading,
Scott Craven
Book reviews:
"Dead Jed was fun, hilarious, charming, evocative and impossible to put down. It might be aimed at middle grade readers, but I will highly and happily recommend it to readers aged 9 to 99!"
-Angie Edwards, Books4Tomorrow
"Dead Jed delivers the Sandbox meets Warm Bodies with flare, sensitivity, yet hilarity that gets you right where it counts. The voice is fantastic! Totally age appropriate and funny. Dead Jed rocks!"
-Author Sherie Larsen
Discussion questions:
1. Have you ever had to play with, hang out with or be around someone you felt was really different than you or your friends? How did it make you feel?
2. If there's a new kid in school who's different than most of the other kids, what can you do to make the new kid feel welcome?
3. Have you ever thought you know all there was to know about someone and then found out something about them that made you see them differently?
4. Make a new friend. Look for one person at school whom you don't know or feel you have nothing in common with and strike up a conversation. You might be more similar than you think!
AUTHOR CALL-IN INFO: Scott loves visiting with students whether in the classroom or via Skype. To set up an author visit with Scott, please email his publisher.
