Date Published: 09-15-2026
Publisher: Oculus Print
ZOMBIE ZOO is Book 1 in a five-book middle grade adventure series for readers ages 8-13, blending paranormal mystery, zombies, unlikely friendship, and STEAM-powered problem-solving.
To find a cure, Felix must team up with Ninja, a shadow-dwelling orphan who trusts her instincts and never backs down. Intense and razor-sharp, she notices what others overlook and lives up to her name as the island's most mysterious sleuth. With their eccentric mentor Doc Brunne compromised and the town's water supply contaminated by a glowing bioluminescent substance, the two mismatched investigators must combine scientific observation with sharp intuition to stop the outbreak before their island home is devoured.
Featuring diverse protagonists, quirky humor, spooky-but-fun scares, and strong female and male leads. ZOMBIE ZOO is ideal for reluctant readers and fans of Max Brallier's The Last Kids on Earth, B.B. Alston's Amari and the Night Brothers, and Goosebumps. Comprehensive educator resources-including discussion guides, vocabulary lists, STEAM extension activities, and printable maps-support classroom use, library programming, book clubs, and make this title ideal for cross-curricular lessons bridging ELA, STEAM, and SEL.
Describe your latest
book in 4 words.
Zombies. Chocolate. Mystery. Friendship.
How many books have
you written and which is your favorite?
The first draft of Zombie Zoo poured out in about two
weeks—a fast, feverish sprint back in 2017. Then it sat on a shelf for years.
Once I decided to write a total of five books, it underwent significant
structural editing to incorporate clues, red herrings, and setups that would
reveal in future books.
The version readers hold today looks very different from the first draft.
It went through evolutions, edits, rethinks, and quiet revisions as I built out
the larger universe around it. So the honest answer is: two weeks, and also
almost a decade. Both are true.
If you had the chance
to cast your main character from Hollywood today, who would you pick and why?
Honestly, I'd rather see fresh, unknown faces. Felix and Ninja are so
specific in my head—Felix all lanky, curious, and cataloging; Ninja sharp,
quiet, and razor-precise—that I think casting them would be about finding the
right kids, not the right stars. Give me two unknowns with real spark and let
them own it.
But the young boy in the Apple TV show Silo is kind of a dead ringer for Felix. For Doc Brunne, though? A
younger Christopher Plummer. Full stop. Brilliant, slightly unhinged, and comic
timing for days.
How long did it take
to complete your first book?
The first draft of Zombie Zoo poured out in about two
weeks—a fast sprint back in 2017. Then it sat on a shelf. For years. It has
changed a lot from it’s first version once I decided to write a total of 5
books, so there was a fair bit of structural editing done to allow for clues,
red herring and sets up that will reveal in future books.
The version readers hold today looks very different from that first
draft. It went through evolutions, edits, rethinks, and quiet revisions while I
built out the larger universe around it. So the honest answer is: two weeks,
and also almost a decade. Both are true.
Did you have an author
who inspired you to become a writer?
Not one, but several. Charles Dickens, Roald Dahl, Jane Austen, Terry
Pratchett, and Agatha Christie shaped me. They built worlds that outlasted
them, and I've spent a lifetime studying how they did it.
But the real inspiration is the story itself. If you have a story big
enough living inside you, inspiration isn't really the question. Finishing is.
What is your favorite
part of the writing process?
Etymology. Hands down. I could lose entire afternoons chasing a word to
its roots. Every name in my series is built with intention—Tub, Spinachi,
Bloomnesia, Wayward Amok, Noctiluna. None of them are random; they're
linguistic breadcrumbs, and readers who love word origins will find layers
hiding in plain sight.
This raises a question I love asking readers: are you the kind of person
who notices the small stuff—the clues tucked in a name, the callbacks, the
details most people breeze past? If yes, the world of Zombie Zoo has
a lot of that waiting for you. And if you find something, I'd love to hear
about it. Readers can send questions, discoveries, and even artwork through my
newsletter. We're building a spot on the website to share them.
Is There a Message in
Your Novel That You Want Readers to Grasp?
First and foremost, I hope kids just have a lot of fun.
But if something lingers after they close the book, I hope it's this:
your differences are your strengths. Felix and Ninja succeed because they think
differently, not despite it. Courage isn't the absence of fear; it's acting
anyway. And you have a voice, even when adults aren't listening.
Then I hope they go outside, head to a library, and start noticing the
world the way Felix does.
Is there anything you
find particularly challenging in your writing?
Act One is relatively
straightforward, as it sets the hook and grabs the reader's attention. By the
time I reach Act Three, I know the payoff and how the book ends. However, Act
Two is the most complex and demanding. It requires extensive rewriting, cutting,
and rearranging. I approach it by writing forward from Act One and backward
from Act Three, hoping to meet in the middle.
The hardest part is
that it's often the most work. I frequently lose whole chapters and need to
analyze the structure during edits. I often get stuck, feeling confused and
grumpy, but I push through. The bones of my outline help me keep going. I
always outline my books, especially the underlying mystery, which guides the
plotting. The bones ensure I can find my way through, even when it feels
insurmountable.
Another challenging
aspect is dealing with deadlines. What keeps me afloat is my motto: "Done
is better than perfect." Perfectionism can be the death of art, and I'm
not here to be perfect. I'm here to tell a story. Maintaining my sanity lies in
finishing, no matter how imperfect the first draft might be.
Can you share a little
bit about your current work or what is in the future for your writing?
Currently, I am focused on the developmental structure of Book 2. I've
already drafted Books 2 and 3, but now I need to revisit and revise them
significantly. I always start with an outline because of the intricate mystery
elements and the need to ensure that the character arcs align with the story's
progression from book to book. The rest of the series is outlined and ready to
go.
Book 2 begins in the Tub territory of Bloom, specifically in the harbor
town of Bloomnesia. Felix and Ninja are on a mission to investigate mysterious
barrels and a figure known as Manifest Max. You'll meet new characters,
encounter familiar ones, and find yourself drawn into a fast-escalating mystery
that promises a brand-new adventure with a fresh set of puzzles.
The quirky humor, maps, and slow, careful revelations are still a key
part of the narrative. However, there's something most readers won't discover
for a while: Zombie Zoo isn't just a standalone book or even the first in a
five-book series. It's the origin story of an entirely different series I've
been building for years. Think of it like a set of Russian nesting dolls—each
one hiding a smaller one within. I know the entire arc from beginning to end,
including Book 5 and every book in between. The destination has always been the
same.
I have working titles for both Book 2 and Book 3, and they are quite
funny. But for now, I'll keep those titles tucked away.
Beyond the books, I'm expanding the world around them. We have activity
pages, educator guides, and a monthly newsletter that shares extra stories from
the Tub before Felix and Ninja ever showed up. All of this feels fresh and
exciting to write.
Be sure to join our newsletter if you want to get in on Doc Brunne’s
latest adventure.
About the Author
Instagram: @byMelanieAbed
Purchase Links
Posts
0 Comments