A TASTE FOR RED

Tapping into the current fascination with vampires, Lewis Harris gives “tweens,” those experiencing the no-man's-land between childhood and young adulthood, a tale of one of their own discovering an unusual side of herself. Svetlana née Stephanie, deals with her family's move to California and her transition from home schooling to public middle school by getting in touch with her inner vampire. Narrator Jaclyn Gaines has the snarky delivery tweens employ so well as she portrays Svetlana's developing vampire traits—practicing mind control, eating only red foods, and sleeping under the bed. (Really, no self-respecting vampire would sleep in a coffin!) Gaines effectively inserts humor into Svetlana's adventures on the dark side. N.E.M. © AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine [Published: JANUARY 2010]