The Zack Files Series
By Carrie Kingsley,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Silly stories of 10-year-old Zack's improbable adventures.
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
No amount of craziness is out of the question in the THE ZACK FILES series. Ten-year-old Zack constantly finds himself in strange situations, like when he goes to a séance and his body is occupied by the ghost of Queen Victoria, or when his class leaves him behind at the museum and the Neanderthals come to life. The adults in Zack's world -- especially his single dad -- accept all of this as normal and try to help Zack and his friends solve the problems.
Is It Any Good?
Kids will love reading these stories. They're a zany, fast-paced introduction to chapter books, and the short sentences are written in the casual way that most kids talk to each other. There's just enough suspense to the stories in The Zack Files books to keep things interesting, but nothing so complex that it will frustrate a beginning reader. The vocabulary isn't challenging and the plots are very simple, so slightly more advanced readers will zip through these books but will likely still enjoy them.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the adults in The Zack Files don't hesitate to believe Zack's crazy stories and participate in his odd situations. No one seems bothered by a cat that speaks? Would you believe that?
What other books have you read that put kids in unrealistic but really fun situations? Do you ever wish you could join them? What kind of adventure would you like to go on?
Have your friends ever told you a story you were sure was made up but turned out to be true? What made you think it was true?
Book Details
- Author: Dan Greenburg
- Illustrator: Jack E. Davis
- Genre: For Beginning Readers
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Adventures, Cats, Dogs, and Mice, Friendship
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Grosset & Dunlap
- Publication date: October 21, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 7 - 10
- Number of pages: 59
- Available on: Paperback, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated: July 13, 2017
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Adventure Books
Excellent Adventure Movies for Family Fun
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate