Vampire Castle

Children's Literature - Melissa Joy Adams

Legends about vampires have been popular since the early 18th century. Just as popular as these legends were stories about how to kill a vampire or how to protect against a vampire. Rooney begins this book with a general version of the age-old vampire story, and then follows with more details of a few different legends. Sections featuring how to spot a vampire, how to stop a vampire, proper hunting techniques, and a brief overview of vampires in film are also included. Lastly, Rooney uncovers the real life story and legend of Vlad Dracula and answers the question of whether vampires are real or fictional. As part of the "Crabtree Contact" series, this book is structured for reluctant readers, complete with an attention-grabbing subject, entertaining graphics and simple vocabulary. An index providing readers with easy access to particular subjects, a list of websites to check out and a glossary of defined key words further help the interested reader and make the book useful for student research papers. While perfect for reluctant readers, more skilled readers and those looking for more breadth and depth will not be satisfied. Reviewer: Melissa Joy Adams