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Table of Contents
About The Book
Rudolph the little vampire shares Tony’s family vacation on a farm in this spooky and funny fourth book in the classic middle grade Little Vampire series—perfect for readers who love Hotel Transylvania and The Addams Family!
After a perilous train ride, Rudolph joins Tony in the countryside where his family is enjoying a taste of life on a farm. They spend the week hiding from Tony’s parents, exploring old farm buildings under the full moon, and even getting chased by a bull!
But will their sneaking around be enough to keep Rudolph from discovery?
After a perilous train ride, Rudolph joins Tony in the countryside where his family is enjoying a taste of life on a farm. They spend the week hiding from Tony’s parents, exploring old farm buildings under the full moon, and even getting chased by a bull!
But will their sneaking around be enough to keep Rudolph from discovery?
Excerpt
1. Country Air
Country Air
“Isn’t it nice here?” exclaimed Tony’s mother, putting her suitcase down on the dusty ground. Tony couldn’t help but notice that she had plunked it right next to a dried cow patty, and he stifled a laugh.
“Very nice,” he grumbled, looking unhappily over at the farmhouse. He couldn’t believe he was going to have to spend a whole week at this dumb farm with his parents.
A vacation on a farm—how boring! Of course, his parents hadn’t bothered to ask him if he wanted to share his few vacation days with cows, chickens, and pigs, going for walks, riding in fields, breathing in fresh country air.
“Well,” he said to his parents, “you’re certainly wrong about the fresh country air. It stinks out here!”
“I think the air is wonderful,” his mother replied. “So fresh! Very different from what we breathe in the city. Don’t you think?” she asked his father.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said.
“Still, it stinks,” Tony insisted. “The air may be healthy, but it smells awful.”
His mother gave him a mocking look. “I didn’t know you had such a sensitive nose. When I think of your friend Rudolph Sackville-Bagg…”
“Why, what about him?”
“Don’t you remember how terrible his cape smelled?”
Tony couldn’t help but smile. “The cape’s a hundred years old,” he said proudly. “Maybe even older.” He added exuberantly, “That’s just the way it is with vampires.”
He knew that his parents didn’t believe in vampires. Everything he told them about his friend the little vampire they took to be pure invention. That’s why it was always better for him to tell the truth about anything to do with vampires, because his parents wouldn’t believe him. As was the case now.
“Yeah, yeah, vampires!” said his mother, irritated. “Thank goodness we’re in the country now. At least we’ll have a break from your eternal vampires—vampires on TV, at the movies, and in your horrible books.”
“Um, yeah,” Tony said, biting his lip to keep from smiling. If only they knew that the little vampire had been at the farm since last night….
“I’ll bring the luggage in,” Tony said happily. He grabbed a suitcase and two bags and carried them to the farmhouse door.
“Tony suddenly seems eager,” he heard his father say.
“It’s all because of his vampires,” he heard his mother reply.
Country Air
“Isn’t it nice here?” exclaimed Tony’s mother, putting her suitcase down on the dusty ground. Tony couldn’t help but notice that she had plunked it right next to a dried cow patty, and he stifled a laugh.
“Very nice,” he grumbled, looking unhappily over at the farmhouse. He couldn’t believe he was going to have to spend a whole week at this dumb farm with his parents.
A vacation on a farm—how boring! Of course, his parents hadn’t bothered to ask him if he wanted to share his few vacation days with cows, chickens, and pigs, going for walks, riding in fields, breathing in fresh country air.
“Well,” he said to his parents, “you’re certainly wrong about the fresh country air. It stinks out here!”
“I think the air is wonderful,” his mother replied. “So fresh! Very different from what we breathe in the city. Don’t you think?” she asked his father.
“Yes, absolutely,” he said.
“Still, it stinks,” Tony insisted. “The air may be healthy, but it smells awful.”
His mother gave him a mocking look. “I didn’t know you had such a sensitive nose. When I think of your friend Rudolph Sackville-Bagg…”
“Why, what about him?”
“Don’t you remember how terrible his cape smelled?”
Tony couldn’t help but smile. “The cape’s a hundred years old,” he said proudly. “Maybe even older.” He added exuberantly, “That’s just the way it is with vampires.”
He knew that his parents didn’t believe in vampires. Everything he told them about his friend the little vampire they took to be pure invention. That’s why it was always better for him to tell the truth about anything to do with vampires, because his parents wouldn’t believe him. As was the case now.
“Yeah, yeah, vampires!” said his mother, irritated. “Thank goodness we’re in the country now. At least we’ll have a break from your eternal vampires—vampires on TV, at the movies, and in your horrible books.”
“Um, yeah,” Tony said, biting his lip to keep from smiling. If only they knew that the little vampire had been at the farm since last night….
“I’ll bring the luggage in,” Tony said happily. He grabbed a suitcase and two bags and carried them to the farmhouse door.
“Tony suddenly seems eager,” he heard his father say.
“It’s all because of his vampires,” he heard his mother reply.
About The Author
Burghardt Bodenburg
Angela Sommer-Bodenburg is the author of several fantasy books for children. Her most famous contribution to the field of children’s fantasy is The Little Vampire series which has sold over 10 million copies and has been translated into over thirty languages. Sommer-Bodenburg states that her “vampire is not a bloodthirsty monster, however, but an affectionate little vampire with fears and foibles who will perhaps help free children of their own fears.” The novel, written in 1979, spawned a series of books, and the plot has been adapted to theater, radio, cinema, and television. A Canadian German TV series was released in 1986 and a film version, directed by Uli Edel was released in 2000.
Product Details
- Publisher: Aladdin (April 17, 2024)
- Length: 192 pages
- ISBN13: 9781534494176
- Ages: 8 - 12
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