A Halloween themed town and an adorable vampire? This book just sung to my heart!
Let’s take a look at five reasons I loved it!
First, check out how awesome the book is!
Author: Christine Virnig
Genre: Middle Grade
Format/Source: Physical
From Goodreads: A boy moves to a Halloween-themed town only to realize there may be more to the tourist trap than meets the eye in this fast-paced romp of a middle grade novel perfect for fans of The Last Kids on Earth and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library !
When Caleb’s mom decides they are moving to her childhood home in Wisconsin, Caleb is not thrilled. Moving schools, states, and time zones would be bad enough, but Mom’s hometown is Samhain, a small and ridiculously kitschy place where every day is Halloween.
Caleb is not a fan of Halloween when it only happens once a year, so Halloween-obsessed Samhain is really not the place for him. How is he supposed to cope with kids wearing costumes to school every single day ? And how about the fact that the mayor is so committed to the bit that City Hall is only open from sundown to sunup to accommodate his so-called vampirism? Sure enough, Caleb becomes an outcast at school for refusing to play along with the spooky tradition like the other sixth graders. Luckily, he manages to find a friend in fellow misfit Tai, and just in time, because things are getting weird in Samhain…or make that weird er .
But there’s no way the mayor is an actual vampire, and their teacher absolutely cannot really be a werewolf—right? Caleb discovers Samhain is so much stranger than he ever could have imagined. As one of the only people who realizes what’s happening, can he save a town that doesn’t want saving?
….Halloween Themed Town…
It this not every spooky girl’s dream? To live in a town full of Halloween delight 24/7? I mean, if I could move there now, I would! Be still my CHARMED heart.
….Adorable Vampire…
And not the ‘sparkles in the sun’ kind! This vampire was so cinnamon roll adorable, I just couldn’t.
….Coming Of Age..
This novel is very much a coming of age for middle schoolers. It reminded me of how fantasy shows use monsters to help us understand our personal demons. Virnig did this so well, it really helped the story fly.
….The Monsters…
Speaking of Adorable Vampires (TM), the monsters that lurk in this book are both page turning and innocently scary. I really enjoyed reading this out to my students!
….Mystery…
As always, a good middle grade mystery/investigation novel is always an immediate yes. If you love amateur who dunnits, this one is for you!
This book does not disappoint and if you have any love for the racing world, I recommend you grab it NOW!
Grab the book!
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Barnes & Noble
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About the Author:
Christine Virnig is a former physician who now spends her time writing gross-but-educational middle grade nonfiction, spooky-but-funny middle
grade novels, and picture books that feature inanimate objects as the main characters. Her three books to date include: A Bite Above the Rest, Dung for Dinner, and Waist-Deep in Dung.
Find her at:
