WALKING WITH THE DEAD

A lightning strike and a reanimated corpse make for an unusually lively Halloween in this hilariously headlong caper. When the ancient Greek mummy in his father’s basement museum of oddities gets up and begs for help, Alex and his more-loyal-than-bright sidekick Freddie not only find themselves tackling a brutal local bully, but also taking unexpected trips. First, they go to the Underworld for encounters with Charon, Hades and various monsters; then to Greece, on a mission to change the past by rescuing an infant prince. Stirring a few Dantean details and themes into her mythological tour, Falcone equips Alex with both a working cell phone, so that he can call home for background information, and an active conscience that may sometimes get him into pickles, but also keeps him in dogged pursuit of the Right Thing To Do. With plenty of misadventures along the way, Alex and Freddie surmount numerous challenges to their courage and cleverness, ultimately sending the restless shade on its way to the Elysian Fields, and returning to their own time—and a conveniently chastened bully—as heroes. A delight for Time Warp Trio fans. (Fiction. 10-12)