CHAPTER ONE:
WHERE’S THE BOY?

A tree branch slapped John Craig across the face, scraping his skin, but he kept on running and ignored the stabbing of pine needles on his bare feet. He could hear the man’s footsteps behind him, echoing his own.

The man was getting closer.

A fallen branch grabbed John’s ankle and he fell forward. Time slowed to a crawl as his face neared the leaf-covered ground. Cold air whipped across his skin. His heart drummed in his ears. The man’s pace quickened and just as John’s cheek smacked against the earth, the stranger grabbed a fistful of John’s hair and pulled his head back. John screeched, "What do you want from me?" but his attacker didn’t answer.

John swung his arms behind him to knock the man down, but his hands were caught effortlessly in the air and bound behind him. A hand, gloved in shiny black leather, entered his field of vision, clutching a torn page from the Bathory Gazette. John’s head jerked back as the man gave his hair a violent tug and growled, "Where is he?"

At the center of the paper was the grainy image of a thirteen-year-old boy John knew well. The boy was surrounded by several of his peers and a teacher, but looked nervous, awkward. At the bottom of the photo, it read, "Left to right: Kelly Anbrock, Carrie Anderson, Henry McMillan, Jonathan Craig, Vladimir Tod, Edgar Poe, Mike Brennan." At the top was a bold title: Debate Team Sure to Win at Regionals!

Tears coated John’s cheeks and he shook his head, refusing to answer.

Something warm and slick ran down John’s forehead. Through red tinted glass, he looked at the forest around them. He screamed for help until his lungs burned, but help wouldn’t come. "Where’s the boy? Where’s Vlad?"

John wriggled. The man’s face was near his. Cold breath beat down on the back of his neck and something sharp grazed against his skin.

"Tell me or die."

John opened his mouth to speak, but it was too late for lies. The man bit down. Fangs popped through John’s skin, cutting deep into his neck.

"A spooky mystery that's funny, gruesome, heartwarming, spellbinding, sad, joyous, surprising and topped off with a tasty blend of blood and chocolate. Yum.  What more could you ask for?" ~ D.J. MacHale, New York Times-bestselling author of PENDRAGON: JOURNAL OF AN ADVENTURE THROUGH TIME AND SPACE

"'Eighth grade Bites' had me on the edge of my seat. It's a great piece of fiction. It drops you right into the action, grabs you by the throat (pun intended), and won't let go. Vladimir Tod is a truly sympathetic character cursed with an existence not of his own doing, but doing his best to do the right thing. It's part 'Goosebumps' mixed with 'Harry Potter' and a dash – no, a heaping tablespoon – of Stephen King. If you're in eighth grade, or a vampire, or an eighth grade vampire, 'Eighth Grade Bites' is a definite must read!" ~ Butch Hartman, creator of Nickelodeon's THE FAIRLY ODD PARENTS and DANNY PHANTOM

"Eighth Grade Bites is a terrific vampire tale told with a sharp, middle-school grin. It definitely does not bite!" ~ Christopher Moore, author of BLOODSUCKING FIENDS and A DIRTY JOB

"This book will fool you. Just when you think you've identified it as a story lit by the cheery glow of a slightly scary jack-o-lantern, it becomes something else -- a tale told by the flickering light of a dying campfire late at night. And the shadows are very dark indeed. A surprising mix of humor and horror." ~ Douglas Rees, author of VAMPIRE HIGH

"Fresh and fast-paced, with just the right brew of chills and laughs. I’m looking forward to finding out what happens when Vlad hits Grade Nine." ~ Nancy Baker, author of KISS OF THE VAMPIRE

"Heather Brewer has invented the most endearing of vampires in Vlad, an eighth grader juggling the woes of adolescence with the decidedly unique difficulties of being a vampire. She perfectly captures the humor and angst of eighth grade, mixed with a nail-biting adventure. Utterly charming and irresistible!" ~ Liza Conrad, author of HIGH SCHOOL BITES: THE LUCY CHRONICLES

"Eighth Grade Bites is a delightful novel filled with dark, biting humor that will appeal to everyone who ever felt they were different. A deft hand at depicting the angst of teen years, Heather Brewer does a wonderful job blending vampire legend with the modern day horror that strikes fear in the heart of so many: the eighth grade." ~ Katie MacAlister, New York Times-bestselling author of EVEN VAMPIRES GET THE BLUES

"A fabulous book from a gifted storyteller!  I never wanted it to end." ~ Gena Showalter, author of OH MY GOTH 

Publishers Weekly
Brewer's first children's book, first of the planned Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, is like a Laurell K. Hamilton toned way down for the elementary school set. Vlad is miserable. His mother and vampire father died years ago in a suspicious fire, and he lives in a small town with his maternal aunt, a nurse who regularly raids the blood bank for him ("Could you get me O positive this time? That's my favorite," he nonchalantly asks her as he spoons "a big, sweet glob of half-frozen blood" into his mouth). His best friend, Henry, is the only other person who knows why Vlad is so meticulous about applying sunblock and why he brings lunch to school. But when Vlad's English teacher goes missing (readers know he's been murdered), the substitute teacher, Mr. Otis, seems uncannily wise to Vlad, leaving Vlad to worry that he may be exposed. The mystery and suspense angles never get scarier than, say, a Goosebumps installment, and the tone stays mostly light, with plenty of descriptions of Vlad's diet that are to gag for. Brewer catches the wretchedness of adolescence: the hero's crush on a classmate is dead-on in its understatement and inaction, and his friendship with Henry encompasses lots of banter and insults. The uninitiated will appreciate the ample stock of vampire lore, while the more knowledgeable will sink their teeth into the puns. Ages 10-up. (Aug.)

VOYA
Eighth grade is difficult enough for Vladimir Tod-he must deal with bullies, few friends, and an unrequited crush. Add to this equation that he is the orphaned son of a vampire father and human mother, and the degree of difficulty goes through the roof. A favorite teacher disappears mysteriously, prompting the arrival of a creepy substitute, Otis Otis. Vlad begins to fear that Mr. Otis knows his secret and is seeking to expose him to the whole school. After a series of terrifying encounters, Vlad discovers that there are other vampires nearby, seeking revenge against his late father for wedding a human and breaking the vampire code. After weathering several apparent changes in allegiance by Mr. Otis, Vlad must finally face the vengeful vampires that seek to end his life and the legacy of his father. This first novel in The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod series is an exceptional current-day vampire story. The mix of typical teen angst and dealing with growing vampiric urges make for a fast-moving, engaging story. This book will appeal to readers who have consumed Darren Shan's Cirque Du Freak series as well as to fans of Stephenie Meyer's books. The cover simply oozes YA appeal, featuring Vlad in a black hoodie emblazoned with a bright red, fanged smiley face. This book is highly recommended for libraries serving middle school through high school age patrons, where it is sure to find a very enthusiastic audience among fans of vampire fiction.

KLIATT
As if contending with bullies, impossible crushes, and math problems weren't enough, Vladimir Tod harbors a secret known only to his best friend Henry and his guardian, Aunt Nelly: Vlad is half vampire. Even in this regard Vlad is unique. Most vampires are made when a vampire shares its blood with a human, but Vlad was born a vampire. His father Tomas Tod had planned on feeding on a young woman; instead, he fell in love with her. Worse yet, he broke the code of the vampires that banned them from revealing their secrets to humans. Fleeing the vampiric council, Tomas and his bride Mellina found sanctuary in a Bathory, a small town. But hiding from his brethren was difficult. In Potter-esque fashion, Tomas and Mellina died in a mysterious fire. Three years later, the sins of the father begin to haunt Vlad's life. First one of his teachers disappears, only to be replaced by a teacher with an interest in mythological and supernatural beings. Then others begin to disappear. Vlad faces "normal" junior high occurrences as well as mysterious deaths, meals of blood bags and rare meat, and books written in unknown symbols. Scaffolding folkloric beliefs onto 8th-grade reality, author Heather Brewer constructs a plausible world. There are some bloody moments, but Vlad and Henry's humorous sparring outweighs the violence. For novices to horror fiction, Brewer's book contains just enough lore, tension, and gore to provide a good introduction to the genre. At the same time, her likeable characters, unique plot line, and promise of more books to come will also appeal to fans of the genre. Readers will be looking forward to following Vlad in the 9th grade.

HeatherBrewer.com