Originally posted here.Nostalgia ahoy!I think I was in the third grade the first time I read this book. In fact, I'm almost positive I was because that was the year that The Lost Boys came out, and I developed my first vampire obsession. Of course, being in the third grade, I wasn't yet allowed to check books out of the library that would've matched thematically with The Lost Boys, so I made do with what I could find, giving my librarian the elementary school version of the stink eye the entire time.Enter My Friend the Vampire, first published auf Deutsch as Der Kleine Vampir in 1979. That's this book. I'm not entirely sure why the first US edition had a different name than all the others, and right now I'm too lazy to go digging through the internet to find out.Anyway. I read the first book and then the next 3 or 4, then lamented the fact that there didn't appear to be anymore books about human boy Tony and his vampire friends Rudolph and Anna. A few years ago, I decided to go looking for these books, thinking my oldest son would be into them, only to discover that they were out of print and people on the internet want to charge ridiculous amounts of money for them.I sighed with sadness. Not just because I wasn't willing to spend upwards of 100$ on a book for my kids, but because I learned that there were MANY MORE BOOKS that just hadn't ever made it over to the US. They were translated into English and sold in the UK, but just never made it over here.AND THEN, late last year, I decided to go looking for them AGAIN when I was writing my own letter to Santa.I was overjoyed to find that this first book was available as an ebook, AND that Open Road Media was offering it up on NetGalley. I pounced.When I was approved, there may have been (okay, there totally was) a squeal of joy.I kind of wanted to put off reading it, though...because what if it wasn't as great as I remembered it being? It'd been more than 25 years since the first time I read it, and I'm definitely not the same reader I was then.I was worried for nothing.Not only is the story of how Tony meets Rudolph (and his sister Anna, who hasn't got her proper teeth yet, so can only drink milk) just as charming as I remember it being, but I'd dare to say it's even better than I had built it up to be in my mind.Some things feel dated, but I think that might be part of its charm. There's no internet for Tony to go looking up information about vampires, he and his family (and eventually his vampire friends) sit around playing board games together, there's still a late night scary movie on every weekend...it's just a lot of fun.If you are interested in picking up The Little Vampire (for yourself or a younger reader you may know), head over to Open Road for links to booksellers that have the ebook. It's currently $5 or less at most vendors, which is a pretty darn good deal.I have my fingers crossed that eventually the rest of the books will be re-released and make their way onto my reader. Thanks again to Open Road Media for the eGalley and to Emily in the Children's Department for answering my questions about the possibility of more releases.
Cerita yang bersetting di Stuttgart ini adalah tentang persahabatan antara Anton yang baru berumur sekitar 11 tahun dengan Rudi dan Anna --kakak beradik yang ternyata adalah vampir yang dah berusia ratusan tahun. Namun karena mereka vampir, pertumbuhan mereka lambat sekali.Beragam kisah mengasyikkan, agak seram, tapi lebih banyak yang menyenangkan ada dalam seri2 buku ini. Mulai dari terbang dengan jubah drakula, menyelinap di pesta drakula, hingga dikejar-kejar drakula haus darah. Bahkan tantangan sehari2 bagi Anton yang mendapatkan temen2nya adalah vampir yang beranjak dewasa, yang berarti kebutuhan mereka akan darah segar kian mendesak. Berhasilkah mereka dalam menjaga persahabatan mereka? Baca deh! Rasakan serunya bersembunyi dalam puri dibawah sinar purnama, atau saat terbang kala hujan? Atau saat bertemu Lumpi? atau Bibi Doris? Atau Nasar Nyamar? Bahkan Kus Endus..Sayangnya cukup sulit mencari seri ini, koleksi saya pun hanya tinggal satu saja setelah dipinjam orang tanpa dikembalikan. Seri yang sudah terbit di Indonesia (Penerbit Dian Rakyat):Anton dan si Drakula Cilik - Kejutan Dahsyat, vol. #12Anton dan si Drakula Cilik - Program yang Aneh, vol. #11Anton dan si Drakula Cilik - Di Sarang Singa, vol. #10Anton dan si Drakula Cilik - Pasien Misterius, vol. #9Si Drakula Cilik Membaca, vol. #8Si Drakula Cilik Di Lembah Keluh-Kesah, vol. #7Si Drakula Cilik Dalam Bahaya, vol. #6Si Drakula Cilik Jatuh Cinta, vol. #5Si Drakula Cilik Di Desa, vol. #4Si Drakula Cilik Di Perjalanan, vol. #3Si Drakula Cilik Ngungsi, vol. #2Si Drakula Cilik, vol. #1
What do You think about The Little Vampire (2004)?
I read this book when I was 12.In Korea we had a simular illustration of Japanease version.It helped me thorough the solo visit to my Aunty, which I have to be alone in her place while she worked...(Still dont understand if you want visitor shouldn't you stay near them?!)It was my first vampire novel.The context was well targeted to preteen, which most of us(at that time) dreams about secret adventure and excitement.It was about vampires with any gloom or darkness... It was full of hope and dream that can begiven to child.That fact surprise the me now.Thus, for that I rate this book as good novel.ps: Found out this book sereis are over 20volume. In Korea only 14 seriese came out.I cant read German...so hope they have a full sereis of English version.If you have any info please let me know. Thank you.
—NeoN RaiN33
I don't remember any of it now, I just remember loving it as a kid, and wanting to read the next book, and wanting to have a vampire friend, and wanting to become a vampire myself...Probably my fantasy of locking myself inside a coffin with a vampire came from this book too, though I wouldn't know why (Just like I have no idea why I'm letting you know that.)This book opened the doors of my imagination and made me fall in love with vampires with such an undying love that has survived even the Twilight books. I would love to read this again, and I hope I still have the heart and spirit of a kid to enjoy it as much as I did so many years ago.
—Di
A dodici anni, Soobie scriveva:Bel libro. Non è noioso e non fa paura e l'inizio di una lunga saga che arriva fino al numero 8. Con questo numero vengono presentati i personaggi che verranno coinvolti, poi, in mirabolanti avventure.Che dire, ancora? Beh, sempre che in tedesco siano usciti ben 20 volumi di Vampiretto. Quindi, forse, potrei rileggere l'intera serie. Non so, per celebrare Halloween o qualcosa di simile.Non era bella sola la storia, ma anche le illustrazioni.Uno dei classici della mia infanzia. Un inno all'accettazione del diverso. E quante volte mi sono sognata di avere anch'io un mantello nero per volare...
—Soobie's heartbroken
