From Powells.com
Hot new releases and under-the-radar gems for adults and kids.
Staff Pick
This is a funny and sweet coming-of-age story, perfect for the target sixth-grade reader. But it's more than that, too. With plenty of great jokes about the vampire genre and characters almost anyone can relate to, it's also a terrific read for those of us who have left middle school behind. Recommended By Deana R., Powells.com
Whitney Gardner takes us on a laughter-filled romp through middle school with AJ, a self-conscious boy starving for Nia's affection (he thinks she’s a vampire). Fake Blood pokes fun at all of the tropes of the vampire genre and proves that — like vampires themselves — coming-of-age stories are anything but dead. Recommended By Kate L., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
A middle schooler comes head-to-head with his vampire slayer crush in this laugh-out-loud funny graphic novel that's a perfect coming-of-age story for anyone who's ever felt too young, too small, or too average.
It's the beginning of the new school year and AJ feels like everyone is changing but him. He hasn't grown or had any exciting summer adventures like his best friends have. He even has the same crush he's harbored for years. So AJ decides to take matters into his own hands. But how could a girl like Nia Winters ever like plain vanilla AJ when she only has eyes for vampires?
When AJ and Nia are paired up for a group project on Transylvania, it may be AJ's chance to win over Nia's affection by dressing up like the vamp of her dreams. And soon enough he's got more of Nia's attention than he bargained for when he learns she's a slayer.
Now AJ has to worry about self-preservation while also trying to save everyone he cares about from a real-life threat lurking in the shadows of Spoons Middle School.
Review
"Fake Blood is a sweet and funny book with a surprise ending and plenty of winks for lovers of vampire fiction — but more than that, it’s a story about trying on identities and learning to be comfortable with yourself." Molly Knox Ostertag, author-illustrator of The Witch Boy
Review
“Charming, hilarious, and full of vampires...my favorite kind of graphic novel!” James Riley, New York Times bestselling author of Story Thieves
Review
"Whitney Gardner puts an unexpected twist on the classic dilemma of how to be yourself. Full of cleverness, charm, and — most importantly — vampires, Fake Blood gives readers a fresh new voice and a taste of something truly special." Booki Vivat, the New York Times bestselling author and illustrator of Frazzled
Synopsis
"LOL funny." -Girls Life A Huffington Post Best Children's Book of 2018
A middle schooler comes head-to-head with his vampire slayer crush in this laugh-out-loud funny graphic novel that's a perfect coming-of-age story for anyone who's ever felt too young, too small, or too average.
It's the beginning of the new school year and AJ feels like everyone is changing but him. He hasn't grown or had any exciting summer adventures like his best friends have. He even has the same crush he's harbored for years. So AJ decides to take matters into his own hands. But how could a girl like Nia Winters ever like plain vanilla AJ when she only has eyes for vampires?
When AJ and Nia are paired up for a group project on Transylvania, it may be AJ's chance to win over Nia's affection by dressing up like the vamp of her dreams. And soon enough he's got more of Nia's attention than he bargained for when he learns she's a slayer.
Now AJ has to worry about self-preservation while also trying to save everyone he cares about from a real-life threat lurking in the shadows of Spoons Middle School.
About the Author
Whitney Gardner is an author, illustrator, and coffee addict. Originally from New York, she studied design and worked as an art teacher and school librarian before moving to Victoria, British Columbia, where she lives by the Salish Sea with her husband and two pugs. In the rare moment Whitney isn’t writing or drawing, she’s likely to be reading comics, knitting, or roasting coffee.