8th Grade Bites
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod

by Heather Brewer

Life is not easy for any thirteen-year-old, but when your mother was a human and your father was a vampire, and they were both killed in a fire, it's especially hard. The school bullies harass Vladimir Tod, the principal seems to have it in for him, and the girl he likes and wants to ask to the dance seems to prefer his friend, Henry.

Vlad's mother's best friend is raising him, and "Aunt" Nelly understands his problems and helps him to hide the fact that he is a vampire and must have fresh blood to survive. Vlad's best friend, Henry, is the only other person who knows his secret, and Vlad did bite Henry once when they were eight years old.

Vlamimir has real rapport with one teacher, but that teacher has disappeared and no one knows where he is. Vlad and Henry are determined to find out what happened to him. The substitute teacher begins to question Vlad too closely...and there is just something strange about Mr. Otis Otis. Vlad worries that Otis might suspect the truth. Then when Otis assigns Vampires as Vlad's research project, and the teacher scribbles "I know your secret" across the bottom of his essay, he is really frightened. Vlad discovers his father's journal and is learning about the reality of being a vampire and the powers that he may possess. He also becomes convinced that there is a Vampire killer in town, and that he is searching for Vlad. Things go from bad to worse when Aunt Nelly invites Otis to dinner and he confronts Vlad with what he knows

This is a well plotted, exciting, supernatural adventure that kept me reading, and the gripping confrontation with the vampire horde is electrifying, but be prepared for some gross-out vampire stuff...how about chocolate chip cookies dipped in blood?