National Dracula Day
The CBC Holidays Series explores stories that relate to specific holidays so that readers of all ages can celebrate in the best way… with a good book!
Today is National Dracula Day, where we celebrate all things vampires. Based on the Bram Stoker novel, Dracula is our go-to definition of a vampire, living forever with an aversion to sunlight and garlic as well as his ability to hypnotize and charm. But did you know that Dracula never had fangs? It wasn’t until later that we saw these fang-tastic films on Draculas and other vampires, like the unauthorized Nosferatu, the Turkish Drakula İstanbul’da (Dracula in Istanbul), and Christopher Lee in Hammer Films Dracula. For those unsuspecting victims that wandered too close, it was a very grave, sucky situation with your life at stake and only Van Helsing to count on. So let’s celebrate National Dracula Day, by sinking your teeth (or fangs) into a good book!
Vampire Baby, by Kelly Bennett; illus. Paul Meisel (Candlewick Press) — Fiction, Picture Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Holidays, ages 4-6.
Ham Helsing #1: Vampire Hunter, by Rich Moyer (Random House Children’s Books / Crown Books for Young Readers) — Fiction, Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Animals, Series, ages 7-12.
Hanging with Vampires: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural, by Insha Fitzpatrick (Quirk Books) — Nonfiction, Prose, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, History, Series, ages 7-12.
I Love My Fangs! (The I Love My Books), written and illustrated by Kelly Leigh Miller (Simon & Schuster BFYR) — Fiction, Picture Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Humor, Holidays, ages 4-6.
I’m a Zcary Vampire, by José Carlos Andrés; illus. Gómez (NubeOcho) — Fiction, Board Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Holidays, ages 4-6.
Kitaro the Vampire Slayer, by Shigeru Mizuki and translated by Zack Davisson; illus. (Drawn & Quarterly) — Fiction, Graphic Novel, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Music / Art, Series, ages 7-12.
Little Vampire, by MacKenzie Haley (Starry Forest Books) — Fiction, Picture Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, ages 4-6.
Pete the Cat: Five Little Pumpkins, by James Dean and Kimberly Dean; illus. James Dean (HarperCollins / HarperFestival) — Fiction, Board Book, Animals, Music / Art, Series, ages 0-3.
The Silly Sounds of Halloween, written and illustrated by Mike Petrik (HarperCollins / HarperFestival) — Fiction, Picture Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Concepts, ages 0-3.
Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers) — Fiction, Prose, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Series, Teen.
Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead (Penguin Random House / Razorbill) — Fiction, Prose, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, Series, Teen.
Vampire Bite!, by Little Bee Books; illus. Beatrice Costamagna (Little Bee Books) — Fiction, Board Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Holidays, ages 4-6.
Vampirina Ballerina, by Anne Marie Pace; illus. LeUyen Pham (Disney Publishing Worldwide) — Fiction, Picture Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Humor, Series, ages 4-6.
Vlad, the World’s Worst Vampire, by Anna Wilson; illus. Kathryn Durst (Kane Miller) — Fiction, Picture Book, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Humor, Series, ages 7-12.
The Witch and the Vampire, by Francesca Flores (Macmillan Publishing / Wednesday Books) — Fiction, Prose, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQIA+, Teen.
Celebrate National Dracula Day by reading a book!
List compiled by CBC’s resident holiday expert, Sommer Wissner. Check out other CBC Holiday book lists on our blog.
