The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Bk. 1:
Eighth Grade Bites
by Heather Brewer

    EIGHTH GRADE BITES by Heather Brewer
    Category:  Paranormal
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  8/16/07
    Publisher:  Dutton
    Reviewed by:  Grandma Bev
    Rating:  4 Stars


    Thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod is being raised by "Aunt" Nelly, his mother's best friend.  His human mother and
    vampire father were both killed in a fire, leaving their young vampire son an orphan. Life is not easy for Vlad...the
    school bullies harass him, the principal seems to have it in for him, and the girl he likes best and wants to ask to the
    dance seems to prefer his friend, Henry.   

    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, although Vlad did bite Henry
    once when they were eight years old.

    The one teacher that Vlad had real rapport with 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 (yep...first name and last name are the same.)  Vlad worries that
    Otis might suspect the truth, and 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 in the attic and is learning about the reality of being a vampire and the powers that
    he may possess. Vlad also becomes convinced that there is a vampire killer in town, and that he is next on the
    killer's list. Things go from bad to worse when Aunt Nelly invites Otis to dinner and he confronts Vlad with what he
    knows.

    There is some gross-out vampire stuff in this story.  How about chocolate chip cookies dipped in blood? The
    gripping confrontation with the vampire horde at the climax of the novel is electrifying in this well plotted, exciting,
    supernatural adventure. I loved the great characters, and the fast action kept me reading most of the night, with my
    door firmly locked.