Review: Appealing Children's Story that's Suspenseful without Being Too Scary
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 30, 2013
"My Substitute is STILL a Vampire" is a children's adventure story; though it says it's aimed at ages 9 to 12, I actually think it skews a little younger, perhaps 7 to 10. It reminded me a bit of "My Teacher is an Alien," the Bruce Coville series from the 90s (though that is for a slightly older audience).Jon is convinced that his substitute, Miss Swift, is a vampire--and he's out to prove it in order to protect his town. Even though his friends and family don't believe him, he decides he will find out the truth. With his friends Sam and Ralph, he sneaks into her house while she's out, and what he finds seems to indicate that his suspicions are spot on--but are they?Though short, this is an enjoyable chapter book that will appeal to its target audience. Jon and his friends are convincingly boyish and full of antics, and the author is good at creating a level of suspense that's scary but not too scary. Children might be a little curious about Miss Swift and how she came to the town, but I assume that is addressed in the first book, which readers will likely want to read after this one.