A perfectly average boy uncovers a supernatural secret about his family that could put his whole town in grave danger—if it doesn’t make him die of embarrassment first—in this mysterious and funny middle grade debut from New York Times bestselling author Z Brewer.
THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE
by Z Brewer
HarperCollins Children’s, September 2024
(via Dystel, Goderich & Bourret)
Viktor Valentine can’t think of a better way to end his summer vacation than playing All the Vampires Everywhere, his favorite video game, with his best friend, Damon. Yet his parents, who make cringey jokes and call him dorky nicknames, seem set on ruining his plans. Viktor knows he can’t really compete with Damon’s “cool” friends—so their epic video game playing is the best Viktor can do to come close to being cool in Damon’s eyes.
But then Viktor slowly starts to realize that his parents may be hiding something from him. They’re acting very suspicious; they sneak out after midnight and return with bloody mouths. But he’s probably just played too many video games. After all, vampires aren’t real . . . right?
Seventh grade is tough enough without having to figure out if your family has fangs. And to make matters worse, the new girl that moved in across the street seems particularly interested in things that go bump in the night. Can Viktor protect his family, or will his sleuthing come back to bite him?
Z Brewer is the author (writing under the name Heather Brewer) of the New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling series The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, about a half-boy, half-vampire, and its spin-off series, The Slayer Chronicles, as well as the YA fantasy, Soulbound. Z’s other novels include Cemetery Boys, The Blood Between Us, Madness, and Into The Real. Z’s newest book is THE CHRONICLES OF VIKTOR VALENTINE, a middle grade novel set in the same world as the Vladimir Tod series, but which will appeal to a whole new generation of readers. Z is also a tireless anti-bullying advocate and lecturer.
Margaret is a mean, cranky human toddler from a family of nine. She is such a pain that her beleaguered parents chuck her out, and she’s on her own, grousing and grumping until two caring woodchucks, Phoebe and Fred, take Margaret in as their own. But despite their love, Margaret continues to wreak havoc with her loud, destructive ways, ruining the burrow and shrieking nonstop. Soon the woodchucks are as beleaguered as Margaret’s human parents were, but because love is more powerful than temper tantrums, they are determined to make it work. So they enlist a little unconventional help, and with the guidance of a snake, bats, and a skunk, their feral little human just might realize there’s more to life than being mean.
Io has spent her whole life on Planet Meow. After much begging, Io finally convinces her mom to let her visit her dad—who lives on Earth—every other Wednesday. There’s just one space-time problem. A “Wednesday” on her planet is a whole YEAR on Earth!