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Fake Blood



by
Whitney Gardner

Edition
Hardcover edition
Publisher
Simon & Schuster
Imprint
Simon & Schuster
ISBN
9781481495561

Awards and Honors
CCBC Choices 2019 Choice: Fiction for Children
Kirkus Best Books, Middle-Grade - 2018
NYPL Best Books for Kids - 2018
POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Illustrations/Images: Disturbing Imagery
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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.
Full-color illustrations.

POTENTIALLY SENSITIVE AREAS
Illustrations/Images: Disturbing Imagery

Details

Format

Print

Page Count

336

Trim Size

9" x 7"

Dewey

F

AR

2.5: points 1

Lexile

GN150L

Genre

Fiction

Scholastic Reading Counts

5

JLG Release

Sep 2018

Book Genres


Topics

Graphic novels. Vampires. Middle schools. Schools. Crushes. Friendship.

Standard MARC Records

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Cover Art

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Praise & Reviews

Starred or favorable reviews have been received from these periodicals:

The Horn Book Magazine, Booklist, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews*

Horn Book

Gardner’s quasi-satirical graphic novel begins with the bookish AJ on the first day of sixth grade. Wrestling with feelings of insecurity (“Because I’m me. I’m boring”), AJ is particularly uncertain about letting his crush, the vampire-obessed Nia, know how he feels. After being paired for a research project, AJ and Nia select Transylvania as their topic, prompting AJ to read Moonlight, a (fictional) popular work of campy vampire fiction. AJ soon convinces himself that a new vampire-inspired persona will impress Nia, so he gradually transforms his look and behavior. AJ’s act works all too well, convincing Nia that he actually is a vampire. Readers discover, in a grandly theatrical double-page spread, that Nia is a vampire hunter determined to slay the undead. After a close call with one of Nia’s wooden stakes, AJ admits to his attention-seeking, and the pair soon realizes that their peculiar teacher, Mr. Niles, is the real vampire. A wild series of events then occurs, including kidnapping, cellphone hacking, threats with holy water, and a truce between Mr. Niles and his students. Although Gardner’s plotting occasionally wavers, her digitally rendered, full-color cartooning remains cogent and consistent throughout. Smooth shifts from double-page spreads to complex multi-panel pages of nearly every configuration imaginable keep the story fresh and flowing. An enjoyable romp, even if it lacks a bit of bite. patrick gall

Praise & Reviews

Horn Book

Gardner’s quasi-satirical graphic novel begins with the bookish AJ on the first day of sixth grade. Wrestling with feelings of insecurity (“Because I’m me. I’m boring”), AJ is particularly uncertain about letting his crush, the vampire-obessed Nia, know how he feels. After being paired for a research project, AJ and Nia select Transylvania as their topic, prompting AJ to read Moonlight, a (fictional) popular work of campy vampire fiction. AJ soon convinces himself that a new vampire-inspired persona will impress Nia, so he gradually transforms his look and behavior. AJ’s act works all too well, convincing Nia that he actually is a vampire. Readers discover, in a grandly theatrical double-page spread, that Nia is a vampire hunter determined to slay the undead. After a close call with one of Nia’s wooden stakes, AJ admits to his attention-seeking, and the pair soon realizes that their peculiar teacher, Mr. Niles, is the real vampire. A wild series of events then occurs, including kidnapping, cellphone hacking, threats with holy water, and a truce between Mr. Niles and his students. Although Gardner’s plotting occasionally wavers, her digitally rendered, full-color cartooning remains cogent and consistent throughout. Smooth shifts from double-page spreads to complex multi-panel pages of nearly every configuration imaginable keep the story fresh and flowing. An enjoyable romp, even if it lacks a bit of bite. patrick gall

Grades 5-8
Graphic Novels Middle Plus
For Grades 5-8

Book-length narratives presented in comic book style, graphic novels foster both visual and verbal comprehension skills while exposing readers to interesting dialogue and satire, as well as affirming diversity.

JLG's selection of these unique books, some of them only published in softcover, are ideal for attracting reluctant readers and introducing them to literature they might not encounter otherwise. You may find that the 14 books in this category will turn your reluctant readers into eager readers.

14 books per Year
$293.02 per Year
Interests
Diversity,ESL,Fiction,Graphic Novels,Reluctant Readers,Transitional Readers,Funny/Humorous
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Grades 5-8
Graphic Novels Middle Plus
14 books per Year
$293.02 per Year

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