The Vampire's Curse

After going through some difficult times, including being sent to live in an orphanage after the bizarre deaths of their parents, life seems to be getting better for Wally and Cheyenne Shluffmuffin. They're living with Professor Spydelle and his wife Shirley and they've even adjusted to the fact that Shirley is a giant spider. They're having a harder time accepting the fact that their father, who died in a porta potti accident, has returned and is now a zombie. Professor Spydelle thinks he has a potion that can bring their dad back to life, but instead turns him into a vampire (Spydelle should have known better since the last potion he used turned his human wife into a giant spider). Having a dad as a vampire causes all kinds of problems because as much as Wally and Cheyenne love their father, they don't want him drinking their blood. As if that wasn't bad enough, the Onts show up again, determined more than ever to take over the world, starting with Wally and Cheyenne. Wally and Cheyenne try to explain to the FBI that giant ants are threatening to invade, but things go disastrously wrong and Wally and Cheyenne are forced to face the Onts on their own. The Secrets of Dripping Fang series keeps getting funnier and funnier and book three "The Vampire's Curse" is extremely funny. The humor starts with a funny definition for zombies that you probably won't find in your encyclopedia and Professor Spydelle's eagerness to see a real zombie and continues from there. There's a humorous trip to a music store that also happens to sell viruses, a funny trip to the hospital when dad really needs some fresh blood and an equally funny trip to the FBI. There is humor to be found everywhere in the book, including the illustrations and chapter titles (chapter 3's title is especially funny). Other funny moments include dreams that Wally and Cheyenne have and a phone call from the Jolly Days Orphanage in which Hortense Jolly offers orphans at a discount price (the more you buy, the cheaper they are). Although the book is clearly meant for a young crowd, there are some nice bits of humor aimed at adults, including a quote from Dickens. Adults should be warned that there are some parts of the book that may be a bit scary for children. While the vampire and zombie parts are played for humor, the FBI's visit to the Onts may be too scary for younger children. "The Vampire's Curse" is great fun.

Children between the ages of 8 and 12, particularly boys, have another offering from Dan Greenburg's Dripping Fang series. Book Three: Secrets of Dripping Fang: The Vampire's Curse is more of the things creepy, scary and funny that were introduced in books one and two. The Shluffmiffin's father has returned, which is odd since he drown in a Porta Potti three years earlier. The twins, Wally and Cheyenne, are excited until they realize that as a result of the drowning, he has become a zombie. When the twins learn that there is no cure for zombiism, they enlist the help of Professor Spydelle (with whom they are living). The professor has developed an elixir that should cure their father. But something terrible happens and dad becomes a vampire. Now THAT is a problem that needs solving. Things are bad enough but become worse when the Mandible sisters appear once again. The twins could end up at the wrong end of the food chain. They escaped the Mandible sister's clutches before, but can they escape again? Armchair Interviews says: This is another installment for kids that enjoy the frightening things that lurk in the night, sometimes in the day, sometimes outside their bedroom window or even in their bedroom.