As he begins 6 th grade, AJ is an ordinary kid who enjoys hanging out with his best friends, Hunter and Ivy. Happily, they are all in the same class with a cool new teacher, Mr. Niles, from England. But life changes quickly for AJ when he develops an immediate crush on the unattainable Nia Winters, the smartest kid in Spoons Middle School—and an avid fan of vampires. He becomes obsessed with how to make her notice him and decides the best way is to pretend to be a vampire. He mousses his hair, uses his older sister’s makeup to put dark circles under his eyes, and takes to wearing sunglasses. He uses books and television shows to study up on vampire behavior so he can impress Nia with his knowledge. He even starts drinking fake blood, making sure that it leaves stains on his teeth and gums. While AJ may be maturing with his first serious crush, Ivy and Hunter still play like children; it’s one of the ways Gardner skillfully captures middle school behavior. All are part of a strong cast of well-rounded characters who populate this witty, distinctive graphic novel in which AJ’s research, not to mention Nia’s vampire expertise, prove to be critical. (Ages 11–14)