A Bite Above the Rest

A boy moves to a Halloween-themed town only to realize there may be more to the tourist trap than meets the eye in this middle grade novel of "thrills and chills in a gloriously goofy setting" (Kirkus Reviews) perfect for fans of The Last Kids on Earth and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library!

When Caleb's mom decides they are moving to her childhood home in Wisconsin, Caleb is not thrilled. Moving schools, states, and time zones would be bad enough, but Mom's hometown is Samhain, a small and ridiculously kitschy place where every day is Halloween.

Caleb is not a fan of Halloween when it only happens once a year, so Halloween-obsessed Samhain is really not the place for him. How is he supposed to cope with kids wearing costumes to school every single day? And how about the fact that the mayor is so committed to the bit that City Hall is only open from sundown to sunup to accommodate his so-called vampirism? Sure enough, Caleb becomes an outcast at school for refusing to play along with the spooky tradition like the other sixth graders. Luckily, he manages to find a friend in fellow misfit Tai, and just in time, because things are getting weird in Samhain...or make that weirder.

But there's no way the mayor is an actual vampire, and their teacher absolutely cannot really be a werewolf--right? Caleb discovers Samhain is so much stranger than he ever could have imagined. As one of the only people who realizes what's happening, can he save a town that doesn't want saving?

Author: Christine Virnig
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks
Published: 08/06/2024
Pages: 320
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 8.40h x 5.80w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9781665946575

Review Citation(s):
Kirkus Reviews 06/01/2024
School Library Journal 06/01/2024 pg. 59
Publishers Weekly 06/17/2024

About the Author
Christine Virnig is a fan of books, candy, spooky stories, poop jokes, and coffee...in no particular order. A former physician, Christine now spends her days writing books, reading books, and working at a library where she is surrounded by books. Christine lives in southern Wisconsin with her husband, two daughters, a ridiculous number of dust bunnies, and one incredibly lazy cat. You can visit her on the web at ChristineVirnig.com.