Zombie Haiku

The next text I would like to look at is entitled Zombie Haiku, written by Ryan Mecum.

• What is it about?
• This is a novel written in the perspective of those bitten by, and becoming Zombies. It describes the changes that occur to one's body and mind during the change from human to the flesh eating undead.
• Why would this be a good addition to a High School classroom?
• This text is a quick read, which always helps the motivation of students to actually read the assigned material. Also, this text is written entirely in the poetic form of Haiku. For those who are unfamiliar with this style; a Haiku is a poem written in three lines. The first line has three syllables, the second has seven syllables, and the last line has five syllables.   This would be an excellent way to introduce this section of poetry into a classroom, while giving students fun and interesting examples of this form. This is a very creative text, which would give the teacher a wide range of activities that the students could preform that were also creative and edcational.
• Example: "Little old ladies/ speed away in their wheelchairs,/frigtened meals on wheels" (Mecum, pg 47).
• A teacher could give this example, or any other from this novel, and then discuss it with the students. Showing them the five/seven/five format, and then having the students create their own unique Haiku. 
• How does this novel relate to the students?
• During High School students are going through a lot of changes. There are physical changes, emotional changes, the relationship with their parents are beginning to change, the are gaining new friends, and also losing the old friends from middle school. This novel is a connection to the constant changes that are going on in these students lives. This novel shows the concern for change, the overwhelming feeling that change is bad and unnecessary, and how change is inevitable. Students can relate to this book, even though they are not trying to eat the flesh of those who are surrounding them.
• For my next post I will be discussing how Zombie Haiku relates to classical literature, which we know is a very necessary aspect of our future education.