Dead Boy

by Laurel Gale

Overview

Fans of Neil Gaiman’s The Graveyard Book will embrace this darkly funny novel!

Crow isn't like the other kids. He stinks. He’s got maggots. His body parts fall off at inopportune moments. (His mom always sews them back on, though.) And he hasn’t been able to sleep in years. Not since waking up from death.
 
But worse than the maggots is how lonely Crow feels. When Melody Plympton moves in next door, Crow can’t resist the chance to finally make a friend. With Melody around he may even have a shot at getting his life back from the mysterious wish-granting creature living in the park. But first there are tests to pass. And it will mean risking the only friend he’s had in years.
 
Debut author Laurel Gale’s story about friendship fulfilled may be the most moving—and most macabre—yet.
 
Praise for Dead Boy
“A stinky, creepy tale for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider.” —Kirkus Reviews
 
“Gale takes readers on a dark and surprisingly funny journey. . . . A great recommendation to middle grade fans of dark humor.” —School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780553510089
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	09/29/2015
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	8.20(w) x 5.70(h) x 1.00(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Dead Boy is Laurel Gale’s first novel. Gale says, “I wondered what it would be like for a ‘live’ dead boy to try to make friends. I had no idea what would happen next, so I kept writing to find out.” Like Crow, Gale resides in the Nevada desert. She lives with her husband and a band of furry monsters that might actually be ferrets. You can visit Laurel online at laurelgale.com.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One
(Continues…)

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Excerpted from "Dead Boy"
by .
Copyright © 2016 Laurel Gale.
Excerpted by permission of Random House Children's Books.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Editorial Reviews

07/01/2015
Gr 4–7—Crow Darlingson died in the fourth grade, but thanks to a special wish, he is able to live on, albeit in a rather unconventional way. Though his mind and spirit are willing, his flesh is weak and decomposing. Gale takes readers on a dark and surprisingly funny journey. Learning about Crow's loneliness at being homeschooled while maggots crawl out of his ears and nose is actually touching, and the gross-out details of his decaying body will only invite middle grade readers to pull this book off the shelf. Crow faces many challenges, besides body parts suddenly falling off, that will resonate with readers, such as dealing with his parent's divorce and trying to make friends. When he sneaks out at night to befriend the girl next door, Crow finds himself investigating a mystery that could turn deadly for him and his newfound friend. VERDICT A great recommendation to middle grade fans of dark humor.—April Sanders, Spring Hill College, Mobile, AL

School Library Journal

2015-06-16
Crow can't sleep and won't eat. But he's not dead-tired, he's dead—and his taste buds rotted off a long time ago. Eleven-year-old Crow Darlingson doesn't remember dying and certainly doesn't know how or why he was resurrected. What he does remember is what it was like to have friends, a joy amputated from his life by his zealously overprotective single mother. When outgoing new neighbor Melody moves in, Crow breaks all the rules of house arrest and strikes up a sneak-out-at-night friendship with her. His secret and stench of decay don't bother Melody—they thrill and comfort her. To Melody, Crow is magic, and the existence of magic means there's a more palatable reason for her mother's disappearance than just abandonment. When Crow realizes there may be a way back to life, he must reckon with the possible cost. This isn't your typical zombie tale, so readers hankering for brain buffets should look elsewhere. This is all about that sticky transition from childhood to adolescence and the realization that adults don't have all the answers. Rotting guts and decaying limbs are pretty icky, but they are really just a vehicle for recognizing how awkward it can be in one's own skin. Tanaka contributes grayscale chapter-head illustrations for extra, maggoty mood-setting. A stinky, creepy tale for anyone who's ever felt like an outsider. (Fiction. 8-11)

Kirkus Reviews

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