STEM Tuesday

STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– Kim Long interview
October 28, 2025 by STEM Tuesday

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math! Today we’re exploring the intersection of science and spooky with Kim Long, author of Catching Cryptids: The Scientific Search for Mysterious Creatures (May 6, 2025) by Running Press Kids, illustrated by Nicole Miles. Catching Cryptids explores various technological advances in a fun way by pairing them with mythical creatures and discussing how modern technology could be used to locate or “catch” these beasts. Let’s learn more about Kim and her cryptids! Want to win a copy of Catching Cryptids? Leave a comment or email Andi Diehn (andi@diehn.net) to be entered into a random drawing! U.S. addresses only, please. Andi Diehn: This seems like a really fun topic to research! How and when did your fascination with cryptids begin? Kim Long: I’ve always been a huge fan of the strange and weird! When I was a kid I devoured books on the Bermuda Triangle,...
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STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– Writing Tips & Resources
October 21, 2025 by STEM Tuesday

Welcome back to STEM Tuesday. I’m Stephanie Jackson, and today’s zombies are in the “otherwise” category—less real, and more “otherwise,” drawing on literary theory and cultural studies. If you’re thinking along the lines of Mary Shelley’s 1818 gothic novel Frankenstein, you’re headed the right direction. So… monster theory… have you heard of it? In the 1990s, Jeffrey Jerome Cohen wrote about monsters as metaphors and how we can decode (or encode) our stories with them. The TLDR of it is that the monsters of any given cultural text—book, film, etc—represent that society’s fears and desires. Through taboos, boundaries, contamination, and other monster lore, writers and readers explore themes of humanity and inhumanity. First, as readers: Monster theory makes the English classroom fun again, allowing students to read the text against itself, to tease out the textual society’s ideals. While maybe this seems a little lofty for middle-grade readers, it can...
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STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– In the Classroom
October 14, 2025 by STEM Tuesday

Monsters, zombies, and other scary creatures star in tales throughout the year, but especially near Halloween! These books explore a wide range of creatures, both real and imagined, to get imaginations flowing. They make a great starting point for classroom discussions and activities! Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead by Rebecca L. Johnson Zombies are real … but so far, the zombie-makers don’t attack humans. Yet. They do take over the brains and bodies of spiders, ants, flies, snails, and even rats. Not only that, some of these zombies are too small to avoid until it’s too late, like the teeny tiny wasps and fungal spores, and the totally invisible viruses. And then there are the brain worms! A must-read for anyone planning to hunt for zombies in their backyard! Classroom Activity – Nature’s Mind Controllers How do parasites, fungi, and viruses “take over” animal behavior?...
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STEM Tuesday– Zombies (Real and Otherwise)– Book List
October 7, 2025 by STEM Tuesday

Zombies, monsters, and mummies – oh my! These are the stuff of nightmares… or of awesome Halloween costumes! But are they real? Let’s use science to find out. Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead by Rebecca L. Johnson Zombies are real … but so far, the zombie-makers don’t attack humans. Yet. They do take over the brains and bodies of spiders and ants, flies and snails, and even rats. Not only that, some of these zombies are too small to avoid, until it’s too late. Like the teeny tiny wasps and fungal spores, and the totally invisible viruses. And then there are the brain worms! A must-read for anyone planning to hunt for zombies in their backyard! Monster Science: Could Monsters Survive (and Thrive!) in the Real World? by Helaine Becker Monsters aren’t real… are they? For the most part, no – although there ARE zombies among us. This...
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