Teen Cafe: Zombie Prom!

Like many librarians, I spend much of the year trolling blogs and listserves for ideas to steal borrow, and every once in a while one comes up that makes my eyes pop open with an "Ooooh, let's do that!"

Judging from reactions, the Zombie Prom idea was as big a hit with the teens as it was with me. I started hearing last month from girls who already had their dress picked out - just like any other prom, I guess! I had one stashed away in my closet, so I just needed to add a few finishing touches - a snip here, a bloody handprint there:

Drying in the multipurpose room, because I didn't think dripping red paint blood on the new carpet would make me very popular.

Perfect!

Now, every prom needs a them. Under the Sea? A Night Under the Stars? Or...

Totally stolen from another library.

Next, we need a king and queen. When prom-goers arrived, they each received one pink and one blue brain, to bestow upon the gentleman and lady zombie of their choice.

The winners, i.e. the zombies with the most brains, received these lovely crowns:

and the adulation of their peers:

Aren't they lovely? Our queen had some very nice touches, including one broken heel, and this quaint accessory:

Time to touch up the make-up,

And then, of course a promenade! Just a quick trip around the block, chasing (slowly) the yummy munchies who didn't come in costume:

They got too far ahead of us to make it into the picture. We did pass some random citizen, and I had to remind our zombie king rather sharply that we were NOT munching on pedestrians this evening.

Strange thing: I often hear people complain that NM drivers are distracted. Nearly every car that passed us, however, the driver was staring straight ahead, hands gripping the wheel, focused entirely on the road in front of them. 

I see nothink!

The promenade ended with a spontaneous group picture that I think needs to be the new masthead on the city's web site:

All that promenading made us hungry, so back into the room for snacks befitting a zombie horde:

Grey Matter Cupcakes topped with Bloody Chunks of Flesh

With tthe new fiscal year and no purchase order, I had to be creative with what was on hand.

Mmmm, brains!

Of course, everyone who goes to prom wants their picture taken with their friends and/or date - zombies are no exception.

Jakayla's "I'm a zombie too" ruse is discovered when her friends come close for the group shot and discover her flesh is still warm.

The evening does not end well for Jakayla.

Aww, just kidding, we wouldn't really eat you! 

Probably.

Zombie selfie! I love this picture so much, I almost used it as my profile picture on Facebook. I settled on this one, though:

46 'likes' so far, and one comment directed at my husband that perhaps I am in need of a rest.

Now, I know you have probably been wondering, "What do zombies do for fun?" I know it's something I've thought about often. What exactly do these denizens of the undead, these wild, night-stalking flesh-eaters, do when they get together to party?

Do you want to know? 

Are you sure?

Can you handle it?

Cover the children's eyes!

They...

Sew.

Yes, there was music blasting, but relatively little dancing. Most of our zombies sat down to make some little feltie friends:

Aww, it's a baby zombie! His head, anyway. The body did come later, but I didn't get a picture.

Apparently, zombies like glitter glue.

And unicorns. Who knew?

Giggle.

Now, remember boys and girls, keep reading books! Books make your brain grow nice and big, and...

...we're hungry.