Book Bites for Little Vamps

It’s here. It’s finally here, as indicated by the deafening decibels of thousands of screaming teenage girls. Stephanie Meyer’s second installment of the young adult Twilight series, New Moon, hits theaters Friday. But what kind of appeal does forbidden vampire love have to the “pre-tween” crowd who think vampires are cool but kissing is “icky”? While others long to sink their claws into Edward Cullen, here are a few suggestions to help your little Bella and Bela Lugosi cut their teeth on the fantasy genre.

• The Vampire Bunny is a children’s book by James Howe that introduces Bunnicula, a bunny that their cat Chester and dog Harold suspect is a vampire. They are determined to save their humans from this “hare”-raising menace.

• Dear Vampa by Ross Collins is an ironic story of a vampire family, the Pires, who are troubled by their new neighbors. They stay up during the day, go out in the sunshine, and complain about noise at night. What’s a nice vampire family to do about these scary neighbors?

• Then there’s J.otto Seibold’s Vunce Upon a Time. A vegetarian vampire, Dagmar is a gentle soul who has an enormous sweet tooth. He then learns about Halloween and meets a cute little “ghost” who helps him trick or treat for candy.

• In Dear Dracula by Josh E. Williamson, a little boy writes a letter to Dracula instead of Santa for Christmas. What is his Christmas wish? He wants to be a real vampire. You’ll be surprised to learn who responds.

So, while the colonies of teens swoop into the theaters this Friday, why not sit and read one of these with your little one? We promise that they are something you can really sink your teeth into.