Photo by Ryan Ottney | Daily Times
Horror and fantasy books are more popular than ever. A large selection of these books — from aliens to zombies — is available at the Portsmouth Public Library and its surrounding branches.
Photo by Ryan Ottney | Daily Times
The zombie genre is reanimated lately thanks to books by fantasy authors such as Neil Gaiman (pictured here on a poster in the Portsmouth Library); as well as popular TV shows like “The Walking Dead” and movies like “Zombie Apocalypse.”
![Photo by Ryan Ottney | Daily Times
Flyers promoting the "Zombie Prom" are scattered around the Portsmouth Public Library.](http://matchbin-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/public/sites/504/assets/Zombie_Prom_at_PPL_promises_a_‘Thriller_Night’2_1338078105.jpg "Photo by Ryan Ottney | Daily Times
Flyers promoting the "Zombie Prom" are scattered around the Portsmouth Public Library.")
Photo by Ryan Ottney | Daily Times
A “Zombie Prom” will be hosted at the Portsmouth Public Library on Gallia Street (pictured) on June 7. Proms will also be hosted at the Wheelersburg branch on June 5, and at South Webster on June 12.
Submitted image
The Portsmouth Public Library is hosting a “Zombie Prom” June 5-12 at their Portsmouth, Wheelersburg, and South Webster locations. Tickets are free and are available at all branches.
RYAN SCOTT OTTNEY
PDT Staff Writer
The Portsmouth Public Library is hosting a special “Zombie Prom” June 5, 7, and 12 at participating branches. The prom will be the kick-off of the Portsmouth Library’s summer reading program, titled, “Reading: Dreaming with your Eyes Open.”
“It’s basically just like a normal prom, only the teens will come dressed as zombies here at the library. It will be in the lower-level — in the basement next, to our side entrance,” said reference librarian Kristin Baker.
This isn’t the first themed reading event the Portsmouth Library has hosted.
“A few months ago, in February through March, we did a Battle Royale. Kind of like a March Madness take on reading, with books battling each other. It was exactly how March Madness would work. You start out with 16 books and each of them were paired off in twos. You read the book and whichever one you liked the most advances, down to the top winner,” Baker said. “Everyone had their own list, and I chose the winner based on the number of votes each book had.”
During the prom night, zombie-teens will enjoy contests for the best costume and dancing to music such as Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” A Zombie Prom King and Zombie Prom Queen will be chosen.
It seems like the undead have never been more alive. Books such as “World War Z” by Max Brooks, and comedy-horror movies such as “Dark Shadows,” “Shaun of the Dead,” and “Zombieland,” have herald the coming supernatural trend. Comic book publishers are producing titles such as “The Walking Dead,” which has been adapted into a popular TV series on the American Movie Classics network. Even young adult-friendly book series such as “Harry Potter” and “Twilight” feature witches, vampires and werewolves.
“There are a lot of libraries now having Zombie Proms for their teens. It’s just a way to get their teens involved in the library,” Baker said.
The first Zombie Prom will be June 5 at the Wheelersburg branch, followed by the Portsmouth branch on June 7, and finally the South Webster branch on June 12. To participate in the prom, tickets are free and are available beginning May 28 at all branches of the Portsmouth Public Library.
More information about the Portsmouth Public Library, its county branches, and the Zombie Prom can be found online at www.yourppl.org.
Ryan Scott Ottney can be reached at740-353-3101, ext. 235, or rottney@heartlandpublications.com.
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