Vampire Island
Middle school vampire read all angst and no bite.
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that this book deals with middle schoolers who happen to be vampires. The book is pretty tame even though one kid tries to poison her neighbors. There are good messages about the environment.
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What's the Story?
Lexie, Maddy, and Hudson Livingstone -- hybrids of vampires and fruit-bats (and vegetarians) -- have more to worry about than just keeping their thin vampire skin hydrated and preventing themselves from being photographed -- they're in middle school, too. Lexie has a huge crush on Dylan, and her friendship with Pete is also changing. Maddy is suspicious of her neighbors and sets out to expose them -- could they be pure-blood vampires and thus sworn enemies? Hudson becomes interested in protecting the environment, but his high-minded and heavy-handed strategy has alienated him from just about everyone in school.
Is It Any Good?
VAMPIRE ISLAND is cute fun, yet readers will be left with the feeling that there is or should be more to the story. There are times where the story conveys a sense of darkness and foreboding that begs to be explored, but instead the author switches back to more fruit eating and middle school angst.
Parents may like that it isn't as dark as other middle school vampire books like Eighth Grade Bites or geared to teens, like Stephenie Meyer's romance-heavy Twilight Saga. With its sequel perhaps readers will get a story with a little more bite.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about being environmentally responsible. What ideas did Hudson have that kids can use to help protect the environment? How does global warming affect the planet? What steps can families take together to lessen their carbon footprints?
Book Details
- Author: Adele Griffin
- Genre: Fantasy
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons
- Publication date: August 16, 2007
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
- Number of pages: 128
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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