The Vampire in my Bathtub
By Brenda Seabrooke
"Humorous and suspenseful, this delightful read features distinctively drawn characters, surprising plot twists, and an inventive take on vampires. The personable, well-paced prose is engaging, and alternating story lines add depth and drama." - Booklist
"...Eugene, an avowed good vampire, challenges the standard Stoker myths: he doesn't drink blood, avoid garlic, shrink from crosses, or soar through the air....Eugene...is portrayed as ineffectual but lovable, with dialogue reminiscent of Miss Piggy: 'Mais, Jeff, that is comique...It is moi that he wants...' In a graveyard showdown, our heroes foil the villainous Vennard, ...and set the stage for a sequel." - Horn Book
Holiday House
Grades 5 and up $15.95
ISBN:0-8234-1505-8
THE ORIGINS OF THIS BOOK
When I visited a friend who had just moved into a new house, she showed me a locked closet and I wondered what could be in it. The previous summer I had visited Ightham Mote, the English house mentioned in the book in which a skeleton was found in a sealed closet. It seemed only logical to me that a vampire could be found in a locked trunk in a locked closet and that the vampire would think Millard Fillmore was still president. Mais pourquoi pas? The vampire thinks it's still 1852.
THEMES:
Keep an open mind and be receptive to new experiences.
Learn to look at things from a different perspective.
Be sensitive to the needs of others.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL STUDIES
How does the trunk that Eugene is found in travel from New Orleans to West Virginia? Trace a possible route on a map and name rivers and states the trunk passed through.
What were other forms of transportation that the trunk might have taken in 1852? Now?
Compare Eugene's world of 1852 to Jeff's in modern times. How are they different? Alike?
When and why was West Virginia created?
LANGUAGE ARTS
Myths, legends, and folk-tales differ. Which category is the vampire story in?
What is a variation? How is Eugene a variation?
Compare Jeff's former life in the Washington, DC area to his life in West Virginia. How are they alike? Different? Do you feel sympathy for Jeff's problems in his new life? Why or why not?
Trace the action in the parallel story of Eugene's cousins set in New Orleans. At what point do the stories intersect?
QUOTES TO QUESTION
"Hey, Bat Ears, my name isn't Jefferson." p. 8
"People have all sorts of reasons for going places." p.14
"I assure you they are vampire teeth." p.31
"Pay? Pay for water? I have never heard of such." p.50
"I didn't sign a contract." p. 58
"Vampires! You don't believe in that stuff?" p.72
"Eugene, if we get out of here alive, I'm going to buy you the biggest fudge shake in the whole state of West Virginia." p.124
"Just keep saying over and over to yourself, Jimmy Stewart, Jimmy Stewart, Jimmy Stewart." p.145
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