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Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities: A Heartfelt Fantasy About Life, Death, and Supernatural Powers for Kids
Sometimes it’s hard to rest in peace. A young trainee witch, a family power gone haywire, a dearly departed grandma, an undead boy, and an evil witch—that’s a recipe for the perfect summer vacation. Both hilarious and heartfelt, this fast-paced mystery about life and death (and afterlife) is for fans of
Spirit Hunters
and
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl.
Twelve-year-old Kimmy Jones wants to excel at the unique (and secret) aspect of her family’s funeral home business. Under the watchful eye of Grandma Bev, Kimmy learns how to raise the recently deceased, request their last wish, and break the connection to send them on. But when Grandma unexpectedly dies herself, Kimmy can’t reach her spirit, and nothing seems like it’s ever going to be right again.
Then a boy dies under mysterious circumstances on the night of a meteor shower. With no witnesses, Kimmy’s the only one who can get answers about what happened. So she breaks into the hospital morgue, and for the first time in months, her power works. She Wakes the boy up. Except then Kimmy can’t break the connection and so he stays Awake. Even worse, the boy has no memory of what happened to him. As Kimmy works to unravel the mystery, she discovers secrets about her heritage and learns about a witch who has been wreaking havoc for centuries.
Casey Lyall’s supernatural mystery is heartfelt, thrilling, and hilarious. Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities is perfect for fans of Avi’s School of the Dead and Suzanne Young’s What Stays Buried.
Twelve-year-old Kimmy Jones wants to excel at the unique (and secret) aspect of her family’s funeral home business. Under the watchful eye of Grandma Bev, Kimmy learns how to raise the recently deceased, request their last wish, and break the connection to send them on. But when Grandma unexpectedly dies herself, Kimmy can’t reach her spirit, and nothing seems like it’s ever going to be right again.
Then a boy dies under mysterious circumstances on the night of a meteor shower. With no witnesses, Kimmy’s the only one who can get answers about what happened. So she breaks into the hospital morgue, and for the first time in months, her power works. She Wakes the boy up. Except then Kimmy can’t break the connection and so he stays Awake. Even worse, the boy has no memory of what happened to him. As Kimmy works to unravel the mystery, she discovers secrets about her heritage and learns about a witch who has been wreaking havoc for centuries.
Casey Lyall’s supernatural mystery is heartfelt, thrilling, and hilarious. Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities is perfect for fans of Avi’s School of the Dead and Suzanne Young’s What Stays Buried.
288 pages, Hardcover
Published May 28, 2024
6 people are currently reading
2863 people want to read
About the author
Casey Lyall
15 books150 followersCasey Lyall lives in Southwestern Ontario where she also works at her local library. When she’s not writing, Casey loves to bake, doodle, and learn extremely groan-worthy jokes to tell her friends.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
April 25, 2024
The publisher’s summary compares this title by Casey Lyall (Gnome is Where Your Heart Is) to Ellen Oh’s Spirit Hunters but Waking the Dead is not in the least be scary and Spirit Hunters was. Unlike Oh’s main character Harper, who hunts down evil spirits to exorcise them, Lyall’s Kimmy has the ability to wake the dead for a few minutes to discover what task has been left undone, make note of it and then attempt to finish it, thus performing a kindness that leaves the recently departed comforted. But Kimmy’s power has taken a turn towards the more powerful and she awakens Devon, a boy around her own age, and two senior citizens and they stay alive. Turns out, there is a witch messing with the sparks of the living in order to increase her own power and life span and it may be up to Kimmy, her family, the undead trio and new magical friend Tamsin to defeat the witch and return life to its usual routine. So much to enjoy in this one-Kimmy’s supportive family which includes mom, step dad and grandmother, her desire to help each and every dearly departed that comes into her family’s funeral home, and certainly the mystery of what’s happening to Kimmy’s power and the life sparks and how everything will ultimately be resolved. Perfect for those in grades 4-7 who enjoy magic but do not want the usual tropes with schools, dragons, and spell-learning. Text is free of profanity, sexual content and while the witch does kill her victims, there is no gore or graphic depictions of the deaths.
Thanks for the eARC, NetGalley.
Thanks for the eARC, NetGalley.
March 25, 2024
Quick Thoughts and Rating: 5 stars! This is an excellent story about a young girl discovering her power to wake the dead and inadvertently capturing the attention of a serious villain. Honestly, I gobbled up this book in one day! I loved the swift pace of the rising action and the excitement I felt approaching the climax of the story. I refused to stop reading because I can’t resist a suspenseful story about a character with a magical ability or special power. Best of all, this story highlights that the greatest magic and power comes from the love and support of family and friends. I am an elementary school teacher in Canada and I would certainly read this book with my class. I have mostly taught in grades 4-8 and I am confident that any of my students in that range would be as captivated with the story as I was. I would recommend this book to anyone in middle grades and up.
Review: Kimmy is a 12 year old girl learning how to use her magical power to wake the dead. Her paternal side of the family uses their power to briefly wake the dead as a way to discover if the deceased has one final wish before moving on. Kimmy is being trained by her Grandmother because she is Kimmy’s only remaining magical relative. Kimmy’s Father passed away as a result of exploring his untapped powers. Kimmy’s entire family is worried that she will follow in her Father’s footsteps. However, the sudden passing of Kimmy’s Grandmother leaves Kimmy without proper training and curiosity about the extent of her power. With Kimmy’s curiosity and lack of training she quickly runs into trouble while attempting to wake a young boy close to her age. The magical mishaps and that follow are wholly absorbing. Kimmy is tugged into a whirlwind adventure to defeat a villain and she needs to rely on her magical and non-magical family and friends to make things right. This is a very heartwarming story with plenty of light/feel-good and even comedic moments spread throughout. Readers will find that the themes of family and friendship really come through while reading this book.
Review: Kimmy is a 12 year old girl learning how to use her magical power to wake the dead. Her paternal side of the family uses their power to briefly wake the dead as a way to discover if the deceased has one final wish before moving on. Kimmy is being trained by her Grandmother because she is Kimmy’s only remaining magical relative. Kimmy’s Father passed away as a result of exploring his untapped powers. Kimmy’s entire family is worried that she will follow in her Father’s footsteps. However, the sudden passing of Kimmy’s Grandmother leaves Kimmy without proper training and curiosity about the extent of her power. With Kimmy’s curiosity and lack of training she quickly runs into trouble while attempting to wake a young boy close to her age. The magical mishaps and that follow are wholly absorbing. Kimmy is tugged into a whirlwind adventure to defeat a villain and she needs to rely on her magical and non-magical family and friends to make things right. This is a very heartwarming story with plenty of light/feel-good and even comedic moments spread throughout. Readers will find that the themes of family and friendship really come through while reading this book.
February 14, 2024
E ARC provided by Edelweiss Plus
Kimmy is learning from her Grandma Bev how to bring people back from the dead, albeit briefly, so they can fulfill their last wishes. This is a service above and beyond what most funeral homes offer, and Kimmy is doing fairly well. She knows to have low lights and a soft voice, and to do what she can to assure the recently departed that all will be well, even if it means adopting Mrs. Waters' cat. Her mother knows about this, and Kimmy's father was killed by his own powers, so she is worried. When Granny Bev passes away suddenly, Kimmy is devasted at the loss of her beloved grandmother, and also at the loss of training which she still needs. She has her father's journals and some other family books to consult, but it's not the same. When a boy her age, Devon, dies in a local park unders suspicious circumstances, Kimmy gets involved with trying to solve his murder when she brings him back. Something goes wrong, however, and he stays alive. Not only that, but his family has no idea who he is. This is a huge problem, and Kimmy doesn't have the information she needs to solve it. When Mr. Kingsley and Mrs. Manning pass away at nursing homes, she brings them back as well... and they also stay alive! Tamsin, who works at the funeral parlor, has some insight into why this is happening, which has to do with families putting caps on magic, and Kimmy blowing right through those with her powers. Not only that, but there is an evil witch trying to take the three recently departed people! Kimmy at least knows she is over her head and seeks the help of her mother and stepdad Alex. Will Kimmy be able to break the connection with the people she has raised from the dead before it works to her detriment? And will she find out why she hasn't seen a spark from her grandmother?
Strengths: I loved the beginning, when Kimmy was learning from her grandmother, and I really wished we had been able to spend more time with the two of them. For purposes of the plot, however, it was important to move on. Tamsin worried me at first, but ended up being a good ally. Even Devon, Mr. Kingsley and Mrs. Manning were surprisingly okay with having died and been resurrected, and prove helpful in many ways. There is a good back story for the family powers, and a satisfying mystery with them. This moved along quickly.
Weaknesses: The publisher's blurn describes Kimmy as a witch, but her powers didn't seem very witch like. I'm not sure what labeled I would have used, but since she was battling an evil witch, I would have picked something different.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Ursu's Almost There and Almost Yi, Susie. A Sky of Paper Stars, or Jones' Six Feel Below Zero (but with a bit more paranormal twists).
Kimmy is learning from her Grandma Bev how to bring people back from the dead, albeit briefly, so they can fulfill their last wishes. This is a service above and beyond what most funeral homes offer, and Kimmy is doing fairly well. She knows to have low lights and a soft voice, and to do what she can to assure the recently departed that all will be well, even if it means adopting Mrs. Waters' cat. Her mother knows about this, and Kimmy's father was killed by his own powers, so she is worried. When Granny Bev passes away suddenly, Kimmy is devasted at the loss of her beloved grandmother, and also at the loss of training which she still needs. She has her father's journals and some other family books to consult, but it's not the same. When a boy her age, Devon, dies in a local park unders suspicious circumstances, Kimmy gets involved with trying to solve his murder when she brings him back. Something goes wrong, however, and he stays alive. Not only that, but his family has no idea who he is. This is a huge problem, and Kimmy doesn't have the information she needs to solve it. When Mr. Kingsley and Mrs. Manning pass away at nursing homes, she brings them back as well... and they also stay alive! Tamsin, who works at the funeral parlor, has some insight into why this is happening, which has to do with families putting caps on magic, and Kimmy blowing right through those with her powers. Not only that, but there is an evil witch trying to take the three recently departed people! Kimmy at least knows she is over her head and seeks the help of her mother and stepdad Alex. Will Kimmy be able to break the connection with the people she has raised from the dead before it works to her detriment? And will she find out why she hasn't seen a spark from her grandmother?
Strengths: I loved the beginning, when Kimmy was learning from her grandmother, and I really wished we had been able to spend more time with the two of them. For purposes of the plot, however, it was important to move on. Tamsin worried me at first, but ended up being a good ally. Even Devon, Mr. Kingsley and Mrs. Manning were surprisingly okay with having died and been resurrected, and prove helpful in many ways. There is a good back story for the family powers, and a satisfying mystery with them. This moved along quickly.
Weaknesses: The publisher's blurn describes Kimmy as a witch, but her powers didn't seem very witch like. I'm not sure what labeled I would have used, but since she was battling an evil witch, I would have picked something different.
What I really think: This is a good choice for readers who enjoyed Ursu's Almost There and Almost Yi, Susie. A Sky of Paper Stars, or Jones' Six Feel Below Zero (but with a bit more paranormal twists).
June 4, 2024
I was really drawn in by this book’s premise but I ultimately found the execution to be lacking.
First, I do want to highlight what I appreciated about Waking the Dead. The concept of death and loss is not often explored in children’s books so I appreciate the book’s willingness to touch on those topics. I also found Kimmy to be a flawed, but very strong lead character and I enjoyed her growth as she learned to better channel her powers.
Now for some spoilers. I loved that Kimmy had to process the death of her grandmother, twice, but Grandma Bev’s sacrament to save the other three sparks felt like it undercut the theme of coping with loss. It wrapped everything up in too neat a bow for me. The story was written in a way that the characters Kimmy revived would have to die at the end just for the author to find a convenient way to avoid that.
I also found the villain reveal to be abrupt and anticlimactic. The witch was a character we only briefly saw in the narrative up to that point so her reveal was rather weak. On that same note, the finale felt incredibly quick to me with the witch being dealt with in the matter of a chapter. For a character that was built up over the course of the story, I would have enjoyed more time with her.
Overall, Waking the Dead was an enjoyable juvenile fiction book that covers important topics like death and coping with loss, but it fails to realize the full potential of its premise.
First, I do want to highlight what I appreciated about Waking the Dead. The concept of death and loss is not often explored in children’s books so I appreciate the book’s willingness to touch on those topics. I also found Kimmy to be a flawed, but very strong lead character and I enjoyed her growth as she learned to better channel her powers.
Now for some spoilers. I loved that Kimmy had to process the death of her grandmother, twice, but Grandma Bev’s sacrament to save the other three sparks felt like it undercut the theme of coping with loss. It wrapped everything up in too neat a bow for me. The story was written in a way that the characters Kimmy revived would have to die at the end just for the author to find a convenient way to avoid that.
I also found the villain reveal to be abrupt and anticlimactic. The witch was a character we only briefly saw in the narrative up to that point so her reveal was rather weak. On that same note, the finale felt incredibly quick to me with the witch being dealt with in the matter of a chapter. For a character that was built up over the course of the story, I would have enjoyed more time with her.
Overall, Waking the Dead was an enjoyable juvenile fiction book that covers important topics like death and coping with loss, but it fails to realize the full potential of its premise.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2024
Kimmy has turned 12 and that means she can now train to participate in the secret extra service her family's funeral home provides — waking the dead (briefly!) to help fulfill their last wishes. Kimmy jumps into her training, under the guidance of her beloved grandmother and the reluctant, watchful eye of her mother. Before long she's dealing with much more than she'd bargained for: a murder mystery, a powerful witch, a long-kept family secret surrounding her father's death, and magic that has suddenly grown out of control.
This supernatural middle grade mystery has its hair-raising moments, but is light on gore and stops short of being true nightmare material. Slightly scary and surprisingly heart-warming, readers will laugh and cringe as Kimmy works her way through the mess her magic helped create. While some situations feel just a little too contrived, the strength of the story is bolstered by the family and friendships depicted.
Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.
K.M.
School Librarian
This supernatural middle grade mystery has its hair-raising moments, but is light on gore and stops short of being true nightmare material. Slightly scary and surprisingly heart-warming, readers will laugh and cringe as Kimmy works her way through the mess her magic helped create. While some situations feel just a little too contrived, the strength of the story is bolstered by the family and friendships depicted.
Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.
K.M.
School Librarian
September 13, 2024
Kimmy has turned 12 and that means she can now train to participate in the secret extra service her family's funeral home provides — waking the dead (briefly!) to help fulfill their last wishes. Kimmy jumps into her training, under the guidance of her beloved grandmother and the reluctant, watchful eye of her mother. Before long she's dealing with much more than she'd bargained for: a murder mystery, a powerful witch, a long-kept family secret surrounding her father's death, and magic that has suddenly grown out of control. This supernatural middle grade mystery has its hair-raising moments, but is light on gore and stops short of being true nightmare material. Slightly scary and surprisingly heart-warming, readers will laugh and cringe as Kimmy works her way through the mess her magic helped create. While some situations feel just a little too contrived, the strength of the story is bolstered by the family and friendships depicted.
Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.
Recommended for readers in grades 4-7.
June 10, 2024
You know what? I actually liked it.
I actually had a months long hold for another book in Libby, only for Libby to have the WRONG book for that title! The book ended up being this book! So, right title (adult romance, I think) but wrong book (middle school horror?).
I found this to be enjoyable and I even chuckled a few times (that first resurrection, lol!). I would have thought the topic would be a bit heavy for middle school, but I guess middle school isn't that young. Great story about family, friendships, and personal growth. I liked how the parents held her accountable for her actions and she understood and accepted the repercussions.
Narration was great as well.
I actually had a months long hold for another book in Libby, only for Libby to have the WRONG book for that title! The book ended up being this book! So, right title (adult romance, I think) but wrong book (middle school horror?).
I found this to be enjoyable and I even chuckled a few times (that first resurrection, lol!). I would have thought the topic would be a bit heavy for middle school, but I guess middle school isn't that young. Great story about family, friendships, and personal growth. I liked how the parents held her accountable for her actions and she understood and accepted the repercussions.
Narration was great as well.
August 7, 2024
I loved the gentle macabre of this novel. It deals with death in such a gentle and unique fashion with familial connections and gentle last wishes and traditions…
The long plots of familial secrets was long and kept coming and kept getting worse for the MC as it went on. It was so…long. The characters were great and the premise was great but I couldn't help but feel like the plot of the witch stealing sparks was rushed in the face of the amount of world building and characters learning the way their own magic worked.
I enjoyed it but it's not going to be a title I fall back on for the kiddos.
The long plots of familial secrets was long and kept coming and kept getting worse for the MC as it went on. It was so…long. The characters were great and the premise was great but I couldn't help but feel like the plot of the witch stealing sparks was rushed in the face of the amount of world building and characters learning the way their own magic worked.
I enjoyed it but it's not going to be a title I fall back on for the kiddos.
June 30, 2024
I closed the book and said to myself, "Wow. What a good book." I am 66 years old and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I wish I'd had books like this to read when I was in middle school. Kimmy is a totally relatable character and her interactions both with her peers and her elders are true to life (irony unintended) and honest. The subject matter is not too scary or adult for its intended audience, in my opinion. At its heart it is a story of family and loss, and dealing with grief. Beautifully written.
August 4, 2025
4.5 stars, rounded up. This book was so much more than I anticipated. It was quick-paced, had some family secrets to untangle, relatable family/friend relationships. Our main character Kimmy is kind and thoughtful as she processes learning about her power and through the trials of battling the evil witch. Even the discussion and attitude about death is done in a positive way. This was one of those books that the story flowed so effortlessly that I just didn't want to put it down. Will highly recommend to our middle school readers!
October 28, 2024
A fast-paced and hilarious middle grader book by Casey Lyall and made all the more enjoyable by the brilliant narration of Jesse Vilinsky. I thoroughly enjoyed following the mixed-up adventure of Kimmy whose heart was in the right place even if her magic was out of control. Working out what is going on tends to bog down the story a bit, but there are a number of characters to keep the one-liners coming and the readers laughing.
July 29, 2024
This was a fun and strange novel. I love that Kimmy's family owns and works in a funeral home granting last wishes to the newly departed. I loved how Kimmy wanted to go above and beyond to make the last wishes happen and that her family was worried she would take things to far. I loved the supernatural mystery, no spoilers, and how the family dealt with it.
July 30, 2024
This was a funny story about a magical family who fun a funeral parlor. It is there job to take down the last wishes of the deceased. Unfortunately they also discover that they have a magical enemy. There is a delicious sounding cookie recipe at the back of the book.
March 24, 2025
This is a charming book, full of humour, suspense, and heart. I loved the magical world Kimmy has access to, and all of the characters are fully realized (and often very funny!). I loved this back — as I love all of Casey’s books, but this book made me smile the whole way through! A must read!
March 24, 2025
Overall I enjoyed it, but I'm not sure I ever really understood the point of Waking people. Seems kind of horrifying to be awoken and learn you are dead, just to say one simple wish. And the ending was a bit unsatisfying cause the witch was killed so quickly but still overall a fun read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2024
I loved this book! I kept forgetting that it was a kid's book.
August 3, 2024
Gently humorous and not too scary.
August 24, 2024
A fantasy story for children with an unusual setting, a funeral home. The story is original and full of twists and turns but lacking the humor I so enjoyed in Casey's Lyall's earlier work.
November 1, 2024
Fun, but a little rushed in some parts. Good addition to the school library.
November 2, 2024
Fun read. Would recommend to my grandkids.
November 2, 2024
Life (and death) in a small-town funeral home where magical services range from granting posthumous wishes to full, if inadvertent, resurrections.
November 6, 2024
This middle-grade book deals with the concepts of death, magic, family connection, and solving a murder mystery!
February 11, 2025
4.5 what a fun read hope there a sequel!!!
March 17, 2025
This book was inventive. The plot was extremely well put together and you genuinely cared about the characters. The resolution was a little bit rushed, but the resolution was strong.
May 27, 2025
Loved it!! The paranormal vibes were👌
June 20, 2025
This is a fun, creative MG paranormal novel that probably deserves a better rating. I'm not the target audience.
Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities is a 2026 MYRCA Sundogs nominee.
Waking the Dead and Other Fun Activities is a 2026 MYRCA Sundogs nominee.
October 30, 2025
One of the finalist for the Arlene Barlin Award for Science Fiction and Fantasy. This was just fun and a perfect “scary” story with humour for middle grade readers.
August 21, 2025
I like it so far, I guess, but… who names their protagonist KIMMY? I'm sorry, I just keep picturing the most basic white girl raising the dead, and it just doesn't feel right. Also, the magic that the characters use is so SAD. You can only wake the dead for 5 minutes, but only if they have unfinished business and only if you are touching them. Okay, I get the safety issue, but the cap is just so lame! WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD ruin MAGIC LIKE THAT????????
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews