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My Sister, the Vampire
Tim and Sarah Hoskins's elation over being left alone at their family's Maine cabin turns to fear when a bat infestation, horrifying nightmares, and strange new neighbors convince them that the area is infested with vampires.
186 pages, Hardcover
First published August 18, 1992
About the author
Nancy Garden
39 books460 followersA versatile writer, Nancy Garden has published books for children as well as for teens, nonfiction as well as fiction. But her novel Annie on My Mind, the story of two high school girls who fall in love with each other, has brought her more attention than she wanted when it was burned in front of the Kansas City School Board building in 1993 and banned from school library shelves in Olathe, Kansas, as well as other school districts. A group of high school students and their parents in Olathe had to sue the school board in federal district court in order to get the book back on the library shelves. Today the book is as controversial as ever, in spite of its being viewed by many as one of the most important books written for teens in the past forty years. In 2003 the American Library Association gave the Margaret A. Edwards Award to Nancy Garden for lifetime achievement.
In Remembrance: Nancy Garden
In Remembrance: Nancy Garden
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
March 3, 2012
When I was 12 years old my parents purchased this book. I read it over and over again. I am going to purchase a copy and read it to my daughter.
May 4, 2011
I remember liking the book. The details are a little fuzzy. This is a tween vampire book well before Twilight changed the genre.
August 22, 2012
Awesome book.
December 28, 2025
Now, I have read the book My Sister, the Vampire by Nancy Garden more than once, and I must say, it’s really good, as well as superbly awesome and highly inspiring too. (I say this partly because of the vampire concept, which also works well in both fan fiction and original fiction.) I especially like the scene where Tim sees the bite marks on Sarah’s neck and says they are from mosquitoes (while adding that “Maine’s known for them” in an initially unconcerned tone).
However, Sarah — who is shown to be an expert on vampires and has read the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker — sees it differently; she knows what the bite marks really are and where they came from, and quickly calls him out on his mosquito theory:
“Oh, Tim, you don’t understand. These aren’t mosquito bites. They’re VAMPIRE bites. Jenny has them, too; I checked. And so does Emily. Jenny’s are pretty faint, but Emily’s are huge and ugly; she said the doctor thinks they’re infected spider bites. That’s why he’s giving her those antibiotics, but they aren’t getting any better.” (p. 111)
At another point, Lady Veronica, one of the vampires, seems to have a change of heart (which is shown when her eyes suddenly look more human than vampire for once), and admits something she views as important to Sarah and Tim: “But there is a little part of me, of all of us, that keeps a memory of human life, and knows that this life, the vampire life, is false, is empty...” (p. 180)
Of course, when it comes to the mysterious question about the life of a vampire (as well as whether or not it’s supposedly “false” and “empty” as Lady Veronica puts it), no two answers are the same; they’re as different as two snowflakes (meaning the well-known snowflake analogy, to be precise).
Also, when it comes to the characters in the book, there is a great cast. One character who stands out in her own unique way is Aunt Clara; she is superbly neat, as well as highly well-written, too. Of course, as soon as she finally makes an appearance in the story (on page 150), I somehow sensed she was someone who either never learned about preternatural beings such as vampires early on in her life, or had any firsthand experience when it came to vampires (which she could have used as a cautionary tale for giving Tim and Sarah some much-needed helpful advice they could’ve put to good use in their quest to defeat the vampires, as well as save their younger sister, Jenny, and Sarah’s neighbor and friend, Emily Gibson). And that is possibly a good theory for why she refuses to believe Sarah when Sarah attempts to make up an explanation for why she’s wearing a garlic necklace on the spot. Instead, Aunt Clara’s shown to have a thing for schedules:
Tim tried not to groan out loud, but Sarah did, and made a face, too. He knew what she was thinking: Schedules. The last time their great-aunt had taken care of them, she’d planned each day so carefully that there wasn’t any time left over to do anything. Tim hadn’t been able to train properly, and Sarah had had to neglect her worm farm. That had been her last year’s passion, along with Dracula, the Wolf Man, and any horror movie she could see. Aunt Clara had limited their movie-going, though, to things like Cinderella and David Copperfield. (p. 4)
Aunt Clara also reveals she has taken up exercising using aerobics during her time recovering at the hospital with a physical therapist:
He wondered, as he brushed his teeth, if he should invite Aunt Clara to the Iron Boy so she could see that he was a real athlete.
That is, he thought, if I ever make it to the Iron Boy. What if she stays all summer? What if Mom and Dad can’t come back for weeks—months? (p. 154)
My favorite scene with Aunt Clara in it is at the end, when she tells the senior Hoskinses (who are only known as Mom and Dad and whose first names aren’t given) that she didn’t get to the family’s summer cabin until the previous day (which was before the mom and dad came back) because she had gotten into a car accident:
“And how were the kids, Aunt Clara?” asked Dad when they were all inside again and had finished the preliminary hugs. “I’m sorry we were gone so long!”
Aunt Clara looked a little puzzled. “I didn’t get here till yesterday,” she said, “because of the accident.” She looked accusingly at Tim and Sarah, and then back at the senior Hoskinses. “Didn’t the children tell you that?”
Sarah glanced quickly at Tim and crossed her fingers. “We didn’t want to worry you, what with Grandpa and all.”
“How is Grandpa?” asked Tim, wanting to know but also hoping to change the subject.
“Much better,” said Mom—but she was looking at Tim and Sarah suspiciously. “He’s coming home from the hospital next week. Now what’s all this about an accident? Aunt Clara, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, really,” said Aunt Clara. “And the children, who should’ve told you I wasn’t here, especially since they said they would, worry or no worry”—she glared at Tim and Sarah—“were looked after by those nice neighbors of yours, the Gibsons...” (p. 184-185)
Finally, I highly recommend this book, as it’s a great read, as well as very helpful — especially for a writer who is looking for ideas when they’re cooking up their own vampire stories. Plus, I give it five stars (although ten stars would be even better). 🦇🧛🏻♂️
However, Sarah — who is shown to be an expert on vampires and has read the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker — sees it differently; she knows what the bite marks really are and where they came from, and quickly calls him out on his mosquito theory:
“Oh, Tim, you don’t understand. These aren’t mosquito bites. They’re VAMPIRE bites. Jenny has them, too; I checked. And so does Emily. Jenny’s are pretty faint, but Emily’s are huge and ugly; she said the doctor thinks they’re infected spider bites. That’s why he’s giving her those antibiotics, but they aren’t getting any better.” (p. 111)
At another point, Lady Veronica, one of the vampires, seems to have a change of heart (which is shown when her eyes suddenly look more human than vampire for once), and admits something she views as important to Sarah and Tim: “But there is a little part of me, of all of us, that keeps a memory of human life, and knows that this life, the vampire life, is false, is empty...” (p. 180)
Of course, when it comes to the mysterious question about the life of a vampire (as well as whether or not it’s supposedly “false” and “empty” as Lady Veronica puts it), no two answers are the same; they’re as different as two snowflakes (meaning the well-known snowflake analogy, to be precise).
Also, when it comes to the characters in the book, there is a great cast. One character who stands out in her own unique way is Aunt Clara; she is superbly neat, as well as highly well-written, too. Of course, as soon as she finally makes an appearance in the story (on page 150), I somehow sensed she was someone who either never learned about preternatural beings such as vampires early on in her life, or had any firsthand experience when it came to vampires (which she could have used as a cautionary tale for giving Tim and Sarah some much-needed helpful advice they could’ve put to good use in their quest to defeat the vampires, as well as save their younger sister, Jenny, and Sarah’s neighbor and friend, Emily Gibson). And that is possibly a good theory for why she refuses to believe Sarah when Sarah attempts to make up an explanation for why she’s wearing a garlic necklace on the spot. Instead, Aunt Clara’s shown to have a thing for schedules:
Tim tried not to groan out loud, but Sarah did, and made a face, too. He knew what she was thinking: Schedules. The last time their great-aunt had taken care of them, she’d planned each day so carefully that there wasn’t any time left over to do anything. Tim hadn’t been able to train properly, and Sarah had had to neglect her worm farm. That had been her last year’s passion, along with Dracula, the Wolf Man, and any horror movie she could see. Aunt Clara had limited their movie-going, though, to things like Cinderella and David Copperfield. (p. 4)
Aunt Clara also reveals she has taken up exercising using aerobics during her time recovering at the hospital with a physical therapist:
He wondered, as he brushed his teeth, if he should invite Aunt Clara to the Iron Boy so she could see that he was a real athlete.
That is, he thought, if I ever make it to the Iron Boy. What if she stays all summer? What if Mom and Dad can’t come back for weeks—months? (p. 154)
My favorite scene with Aunt Clara in it is at the end, when she tells the senior Hoskinses (who are only known as Mom and Dad and whose first names aren’t given) that she didn’t get to the family’s summer cabin until the previous day (which was before the mom and dad came back) because she had gotten into a car accident:
“And how were the kids, Aunt Clara?” asked Dad when they were all inside again and had finished the preliminary hugs. “I’m sorry we were gone so long!”
Aunt Clara looked a little puzzled. “I didn’t get here till yesterday,” she said, “because of the accident.” She looked accusingly at Tim and Sarah, and then back at the senior Hoskinses. “Didn’t the children tell you that?”
Sarah glanced quickly at Tim and crossed her fingers. “We didn’t want to worry you, what with Grandpa and all.”
“How is Grandpa?” asked Tim, wanting to know but also hoping to change the subject.
“Much better,” said Mom—but she was looking at Tim and Sarah suspiciously. “He’s coming home from the hospital next week. Now what’s all this about an accident? Aunt Clara, are you all right?”
“I’m fine, really,” said Aunt Clara. “And the children, who should’ve told you I wasn’t here, especially since they said they would, worry or no worry”—she glared at Tim and Sarah—“were looked after by those nice neighbors of yours, the Gibsons...” (p. 184-185)
Finally, I highly recommend this book, as it’s a great read, as well as very helpful — especially for a writer who is looking for ideas when they’re cooking up their own vampire stories. Plus, I give it five stars (although ten stars would be even better). 🦇🧛🏻♂️
March 31, 2018
This was my favorite book in middle school, and reading it as an adult it holds up quite well--I love how Garden adapts some bits and pieces from Dracula in a tween-friendly way. If you have a middle-grade reader who wants a change from Goosebumps but isn't ready for YA horror, this is an excellent choice.
October 20, 2014
Its okay.Not so nice but still can be read.
October 28, 2015
i did not like it
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews