The Vampire Dare!

May 1, 2011
Grades 2-4 Like Moss books about Amelia, this new series featuring a fourth-grader named Daphne takes the form of journals filled with doodles and private musings. Daphne is one of those dramatic girls for whom life is filled with lots of TOTAL DISASTERS. In this story, she decides to be a vampire for her schools Costume Day and then has to figure out how to distinguish her vampire costume from everyone elses. The plot plays out quickly and predictably, but the doodles are amusing, such as the various animals pictured as vampires and the cavalcade of disastrous costumes. As a character, Daphne isnt developed much in this book, but that is somewhat ameliorated by the simultaneously published The Name Game!, in which shes mistakenly called Daffy by Ms. Underwood on the first day of school (compelling Daphne to get even by calling her teacher Ms. Underwear). Light, quick, and sure to be popular.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2011, American Library Association.)