Vlad the Drac

Vlad the Drac was first published 20 years ago. The books were extremely popular then and still have lots of appeal.

Vlad is a tiny vampire discovered under a stone in Romania by Judy and Paul, who are there on holiday with their parents. Feeling sorry for him they smuggle him back to their home in England. Fortunately, Vlad is far from being your typical vampire. He prefers shoe polish or washing-up liquid to blood, the sight of which makes him faint, although he still makes a difficult houseguest. His constant grumbling and whining – think vampire Victor Meldrew – irritates Paul in particular.

Though the book does now feel faintly old-fashioned, probably because of its leisurely pace, I’d still recommend it. Vlad is a genuine character, there’s plenty of slapstick and situation comedy to amuse young readers and still more humour arising out of Vlad’s personality and those of Judy and Paul.