Zombie Outbreak in Bridgehampton

Bridgehampton’s Main Street has become home to a small horde of zombies. They seem mostly to keep to their nest in the Hampton Library’s young adult reading room. That might be because they’re cardboard.

This summer, the library’s young adult section has gotten quite a make over, complete with caution tape, zombie decorations and a color-coded warning poster that indicates today’s yellow Elevated Zombie Threat Level. Apparently only one person, an adult, ran out screaming. According to library director Kelly Harris, “The kids love it.”

The library’s new “Summer of the Unread” initiative to encourage teenagers to read while out of school came from disappointment with the New York State literacy themes for the season, “groundbreaking literature” and “Dig Into Reading,” Harris said. Feeling that these more general themes were a little played out, the library decided to go another direction with the flexible verbs digging and groundbreaking. 

“Zombies are just so hot right now,” Harris said. “Kids are over vampires.” 

It’s hard to ignore that the zombie trend seems to have reached its peak. Though the last of the Twilight films was released this fall and the books ended years ago, the past year has seen AMC’s The Walking Dead stay on top of the television charts as well as the film release Warm Bodies and this summer’s blockbuster starring Brad Pitt World War Z — all of which were based on books (if one counts comics). 

Participating young adults are not required to read zombie-themed books, but most seem to have embraced the theme.

There are two interactive sides to the “Summer of the Unread,” a series of craft days and the reading powered lottery to win zombie themed prizes. For every book the participating child or teenager reads, they are allowed to scratch off part of a ticket that will reveal their prize. A grand prize for one lucky student will be a Kindle Fire. Events include the Wednesday, July 3, event “Zombie Survival Kit” where students make their own mock doomsday preparedness box. From July 20 to 27, there will be a craft day to built paper craft box-head zombies that the kids will decorate themselves, and on Aug. 14 there will be a brain cupcake-making workshop to decorate some gruesome snacks.

On Aug. 24, the “Undead and Well Read” party will close out the zombie themed season with snacks, music and games, as well as a the chance to get zombie-d out with a visit from a make-up specialist.

“We think it’s important to make the library a welcoming place for teens,”  Harris said. “We’re sending a message that we aren’t just here to shush kids or send away large groups of them. ‘We aren’t afraid of zombies and we aren’t afraid of you. Come in, we have a lot to offer.’”