The professional baseball season might be winding down, but if you’ve got kids who play, Fall Ball is just gearing up. And really, isn’t it always baseball season somewhere? Which means it’s always a good time for books that feature (kids and) baseball in a big way.

And just like that, Dugout: The Zombie Steals Home (by Scott Morse, published by Scholastic/Graphix), steps up to bat.

As you could probably infer from the title and cover, this graphic novel not only features kids and baseball BUT ALSO zombies (and ghosts and witches).

Liner to left field; easy, stand-up double!

Perhaps best known for his graphic novel series Magic Pickle (which makes a small cameo in Dugout), Scott Morse also works in animation and has been a storyboard artist on Ratatouille, Wall-E, Brave, Toy Story 4, and more.

Geek cred finds a hole in the outfield. Runners on first and second.

But OK, baseball and zombies don’t exactly seem like a natural pairing, so what’s Dugout about, and is it more than just a cute gimmick?

The story centers on twin sisters Stacy and Gina. But don’t let that fool you; they’re about as opposite as can be. On the baseball diamond, they’re local pitching rivals. Gina is the all-star on a can’t-lose team, but Stacy is in a slump on a can’t-win team that’s convinced it’s cursed.

Off the field, they do their best to avoid each other while hurling insults from a distance.

Oh, and they’re also witches. Did I mention that part? They live with their grandmother who is known by the entire (small) town to be a witch. And even though Stacy and Gina are the youngest in a long line of witches, neither is a… practicing witch.

Until sisterly frustration boils over and causes each to raid Gramma’s stash of magical ingredients. Which raises a zombie out of the ground. And causes a ghost to appear. And creates townwide mayhem.

But it also helps Stacy’s team find its groove (Right on!), lets a restless soul find closure (Yay?), and brings the sisters closer together (Aww!). In the end, Dugout is a surprisingly touching story about friends learning to work together and siblings learning to love each other again. It’s also filled with memorable characters… beyond the zombie.

A perfectly placed bunt has the pitcher and catcher scrambling! Runners advance; bases loaded!

With Dugout, Morse has crafted a story that’s a blast to read, fun to read aloud, and recalls the childhoods of our youth (i.e., long days spent outdoors, minimal adult supervision, necromancy).

Highly recommended, whether you (or your kids) like baseball or not. Dugout is a charming story with a lot of heart.

The zombie shambles up to the plate, offended about that “a lot of heart” comment. He swings… and it’s outta here! The shambling undead has a grand slam!

OK, that’s enough with the baseball metaphor. Sorry.

(Disclosure: Scholastic provided us with a review copy of this book. All opinions remain our own.)