Little Vampire Vol. 1 by Joann Sfar Date of Publication: 2008 ISBN: 1-59643-233-0 Number of pages: 92

REQUIRED READING ABILITY: Junior: High/Average
GENRES: Adventure, Fantasy
THEMES: Good versus Evil, Family,Loyalty,

SUMMARY: The Little Vampire is a series of three stories that chronicles the life of a young comical vampire as he travels between his world and the human world. In the first story, Little Vampire goes to school and meets a human friend, an orphan named Little Michael. Little Michael is accepted by the other monsters and Little Vampire's red pet monster dog. In Little Vampire Does Kung Fu, the two friends go in search of the King of Kung Fu to help them defend Michael against school bullies. In Little Vampire and the Canine Defenders Club, the friends help defend the monsters against humans in the monsters' haunted house. They also end up saving three dogs that have been mistreated by their owners.

WHO WOULD LOVE THIS BOOK? A kid who...
- enjoys Captain Underpants
- enjoys silly humour
- enjoys challenging vocabulary
- enjoys looking for hidden messages within stories that appear simple

WHAT ELSE? The third story does become more violent as the human strangers appear at the haunted mansion with guns. However, each story does incorporate a moral message that will challenge the readers. God, religion, bullying, and even proper treatment of animals are some of the unique themes that will surprise the reader. The vocabulary is challenging enough that it might be too difficult for a reluctant reader.