book cover

How Not To Be A Vampire Slayer

by Katy Birchall

Interest age: 9 to 12
Reading age: 9+

Published by Scholastic, 2021

  • Adventure
  • Fantasy
  • Funny
  • Horror

About this book

As Maggie and her family approach Skeleton Lodge, they don’t notice the piercing red eyes watching from the trees.

The Lodge is a rather wonky, dusty, old place right next to Skeleton Woods, which are said to be full of ghosts, ghouls and even vampires. Exploring the house, she’s curious about the huge mirrors that are in every room and wonders why the garden seems to be planted with nothing but garlic.

Maggie hopes desperately that her new house is haunted as she loves horror and scary stories. And, to her delight, she is soon being warned not to enter the woods as no human has ever come out alive. So what does Maggie do? That’s right, she goes into the woods but is not at all prepared for what she finds.

Expect vampires, bats, swishing capes, an ancient castle, a greedy politician, and plenty of beetroot juice and tomato ketchup in a hilarious adventure that is more funny than frightening.

As Maggie and her friends (both human and non-human) work together towards a common cause, they perfectly embody the theory that what scares us most is often the unknown. Understanding things or people better makes them much less threatening.

About the author

Katy Birchall is the author of The It Girl series. She also works as a freelance journalist. Katy won the 24/7 Theatre Festival Award for Most Promising new Comedy Writer with her very serious play about a ninja monkey at a dinner party. Her pet Labradors are the loves of her life, she is mildly obsessed with Jane Austen, and one day hopes to wake up as an elf in The Lord of the Rings. Katy lives in Brixton, London.

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