A comprehensive guide, primarily targeted at children, about the supernatural creatures of the night, "Hanging with Vampires" seems to struggle with its focus - is it a tongue-in-cheek fun guide to the blood-sucking chiropteran ghouls or is it a factual historical guide to the actual events that were misinterpreted and provided the basis for the legends? As a result, it ends up being in no-man's land between the two - part factual, part farcical. It's a shame, because the more factual side of the book is genuinely fascinating, giving readers an understanding of how vampires emerged from the history books.

Since the publication of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, vampires have never gone out of fashion. The Vampire Diaries, Interview with the Vampire, and Twilight have ensured that vampires remain popular among younger audiences even to this day. They might be wondering whether or not vampires are real. Where did they come from, and why? Most importantly - how do they protect themselves from vampires?

Hanging with Vampires: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural (Quirk Books, 2023) is Insha Fitzpatrick’s answer to any young person’s question about vampire lore. Fitzpatrick is a New Jersey-based author well-known as the co-writer on the Oh My Gods! middle-grade graphic novel series.


Hanging with Vampires is a non-fiction guide to the history and folklore of vampires. Fitzpatrick traces the blood-sucking myths across the world, giving equal attention to non-European beliefs as she does to European traditions. She writes with wit, but does not overly simplify the information. The book is littered with fun facts about animals (did you know there are blood-drinking finches?) as well as a delicious recipe for garlic bread and a guide to help any intrepid reader start their own compost pile to better understand the science of decomposition.

Fitzpatrick has recommendations for vampire-centric books, television shows, and movies both old and recent. She takes care to introduce readers to more diverse vampires as well - and acknowledges the long history of queerness within vampire media. Hanging with Vampires is a fang-tastic time for a middle-grade audience, and it offers a lot of media options for parents to enjoy along with their children.

Since the publication of Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu, vampires have never gone out of fashion. The Vampire Diaries, Interview with the Vampire, and Twilight have ensured that vampires remain popular among younger audiences even to this day. They might be wondering whether or not vampires are real. Where did they come from, and why? Most importantly - how do they protect themselves from vampires?

Hanging with Vampires: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural (Quirk Books, 2023) is Insha Fitzpatrick’s answer to any young person’s question about vampire lore. Fitzpatrick is a New Jersey-based author well-known as the co-writer on the Oh My Gods! middle-grade graphic novel series.

Hanging with Vampires is a non-fiction guide to the history and folklore of vampires. Fitzpatrick traces the blood-sucking myths across the world, giving equal attention to non-European beliefs as she does to European traditions. She writes with wit, but does not overly simplify the information. The book is littered with fun facts about animals (did you know there are blood-drinking finches?) as well as a delicious recipe for garlic bread and a guide to help any intrepid reader start their own compost pile to better understand the science of decomposition.

Fitzpatrick has recommendations for vampire-centric books, television shows, and movies both old and recent. She takes care to introduce readers to more diverse vampires as well - and acknowledges the long history of queerness within vampire media. Hanging with Vampires is a fang-tastic time for a middle-grade audience, and it offers a lot of media options for parents to enjoy along with their children.

This book was so much fun.
If you know me, you know that I love everything vampire related so I had a blast reading this book.
The illustrations were funny and cool and it made the book even more unique.
I love that there's nothing too gory or scary in this book but you can learn a lot about the myth and facts surrounding vampires.
This is definitely a must read if you love vampires.

I'd like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC of this book.

4+ stars

This was a fun kids’ book. The content was good; references to everything from Dracula to Buffy to Twilight were enjoyable, as were the great illustrations. It was also a very fitting time for me to finally get to this one (thanks, Dracula Daily!). I appreciated the intentional inclusion of discussion about representation and identity throughout the text, and although I felt like there were a few too many exclamation marks used, I largely enjoyed mix of lighthearted prose, recipes/other side notes, and creepy traditional folktales from different regions. Overall, this was a fun read for kids who are interested in learning a bit more about some of the popular mythology and traditions surrounding vampires in media.

Hanging with Vampires: A Totally Factual Field Guide to the Supernatural by Insha Fitzpatrick. Quirk Books, 2023. Thank you Quirk Books for providing an e-book copy through NetGalley.

Rating: 1-5 (5 being a starred review) 5
Genre: Nonfiction

What I Liked: Hanging with Vampires is a fun information guide to all things, well, vampire, from what vampires are and how to spot one, to the tools you’ll need to defend against them. However, in my opinion, the two coolest sections talked about vampires in folklore around the world, and vampires in literature and movies. Comparing how we have told many different stories of beings who suck human blood from the Indigenous Americas to Africa to East Asia was awesome to learn, especially since “vampires” can look so different from one another. Also, tracking the origins of what modern audiences consider a vampire - from Bram Stoker’s Dracula - and seeing the evolution of the night creature is an interesting study of cultural storytelling and how we interpret folklore today. In addition to the main chapters, Fitzpatrick includes handy tips and tricks, clarifications in separate discussion boxes, and fun illustrations. Everything was easy to read - not overly complicated to difficult vocabulary, and if so, the vocab was explained and/or relevant. The “narrator” of the book had a fun voice that easily engages young readers as well. Overall, this book is an excellent resource for kids who love folklore, beasts and monsters, spooky creatures, descriptive field guides, and, of course, vampires! This makes me excited to read the author’s next entry, Chilling with Ghosts.

What I Didn’t Like: Nothing!

Who Would I Recommend This To: Kids interested in folklore, beasts and monsters, and horror.

Review Date: April 17, 2023
Posted to Goodreads: May 3, 2023

"Hanging with Vampires" by Insha Fitzpatrick is a fun and informative field guide for middle-grade readers and mythology fans who are fascinated by vampires. This nonfiction handbook is a perfect blend of spooky legends, fascinating history, and weird facts that are presented in a humorous and engaging way.

The book covers everything you need to know about vampires, including their mythology, history, and science. The author provides a detailed exploration of how the vampire legend got its start in the medieval ages, and also examines some of the classic, iconic, and terrifying vampires in pop culture, from Dracula to Adventure Time.

The book is packed with interesting tidbits, and the writing is accessible and easy to follow. The illustrations are enchanting and add to the overall appeal of the book. The book also includes fun activities, like making garlic bread, that are sure to delight young readers.

Overall, "Hanging with Vampires" is a thoroughly enjoyable and educational read. It's a perfect gift for any young reader who loves all things spooky and supernatural. Highly recommended!

This is such a cute middle grade book on vampires! It covers their history and lore with a fun mix of pop culture and jokes. The illustrations were perfect for the "horror" vibe, yet still appropriate for this age group.

Thank you to the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Text heavy book about vampires.
This is definitely an introduction to vampires, and so those who are already vampire-obsessed may find some of the material familiar and/or repetitive.
I love that this book covers vampires in cultures all over the world, such as the aswang from the Filipino people in the Philippines.
This book is a great jumping-off point to learning more about the supernatural beings that we all know and fear.

Author Insha Fitzgerald has penned a guaranteed hit with kids (and their grownups). Hanging with Vampires dabbles in vampire “facts,” the history of vampire lore, and a greatest hits of vampire books, films, and adaptations. I can’t imagine a tween who wouldn’t adore getting this chapter book as a gift. It’s just the right amount of informative, funny, and scary (a little but not too much).

I’m not the target audience, but I loved this book so much. I can’t wait for Fitzgerald’s upcoming Chilling with Ghosts.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Quirk Books in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really great read! I loved learning all about vampires. My favorite section was the one where we got to learn all about vampires in other cultures. I will also definitely be trying that garlic bread recipe. This was really informative and I loved reading it.

This book is a must have for vamipre fans of all ages! The art is gorgeous (like, I would hang this on my wall gorgeous) the writing is fun, whitty and easy to read. I love all the different lists, pictures, fun facts, recipes, "interviews" etc.

A lovely illustrated guide to vampires. The images are nicely done. It’s well thought out with historical, scientific, and folklore facts throughout. The end of chapter activities are an added bonus. It’s a fun activity filled book great for kids.

I was approved for this on Netgalley and immediately downloaded it and read the whole thing. I don't think I've ever had so much fun reading non-fiction before.

This book is a delightful look into the gross history of vampires, how to spot and fight one, and their mark on movies, literature, and urban folklore. There are recipes, mad libs, interviews with famous people who created or inspired vampires as we know them today, and diagrams. The author also talks about diversity, inclusivity, and vampires that are representative of all people, including those that are LGBTQIA+.

The art in this book is delightful. The history was just gross enough, and there were tons of facts in here that will delight readers of all ages. I highly, highly recommend for anybody either interested in vampires, or anybody who wants a good laugh. I already can't wait to read it again.

10/10

This is a super fun illustrated book that I will definitely add to my library collection. I actually read this with my daughter who was delighted by the field guide style and illustrations. As a middle school librarian I am always searching for fun non fiction that will hook my reluctant readers. I think Hanging with Vampires will be a big hit in my library.

I really liked this. It's fun and informative with great illustrations throughout. The different sections work well, covering history, traditions from round the world, cultural changes and science. I did enjoy the snippets of scientific facts alongside the narrative style that was accessible and entertaining. There is plenty here to interest any young reader as well as highlighting real issues around some stories and films. It's well thought out and very enjoyable.

This is a great field guide to vampires, not just for kids. I learned quite a bit of vampire lore history from reading this. The illustrations are great as well and really tie the book together.

*Thank you to Netgalley and Quirk Books for an advanced reading copy!*

A nonfiction book about Vampires? My interest was immediately piqued when I read the description, but I didn’t know how the author would pull it off. Well, within just a few pages of reading this book, I knew I loved it. Yes, the book is about vampires - but it uses the topic to address history, science, culture, and media literacy. The book includes some awesome research about topics like vampire bats, decomposition of bodies, and health benefits of garlic.

The entire book is written in a lighthearted tone, which allows this dark topic to be explored in a totally kid-friendly way. The illustrations are a perfect complement to the text, and even reluctant readers will find themselves interested in the infographic-styled data that can be found in the book. Grades 4+

When I was a kid, I had this paranoid fear that the cracks in my bedroom ceiling were the edges of a trap door that vampires would emerge from at night. Don't @ me. The point is, I absolutely needed this book then. I got such a kick out of it and I think anyone who enjoys all things spooky will feel the same way. Baby goths, budding horror fans, and aspiring vampire slayers (of course there's tips on how to beat the bloodsucking crowd!), come through.

Insha, your guide to the paranormal, hits the perfect tone for a middle grade title: conversational, clever, fun, fresh, and so earnest. I mean, there are interviews with Vlad the Impaler and Bram Stoker. NEED I say more?

Hanging with Vampires manages to harmoniously weave together pop culture, history, science, food (garlic bread, anyone?), social justice, diversity and representation, even composting—all in an original voice and depicted through absolutely gorgeous illustrations.

The information was fairly good and covered a lot of different bases. (I mean, who would have thought a book about vampires would also include recipes, but I'm here for it) I'm glad the author touched on some things like Twilight's unhealthy portrayal of relationships and it was excellent to show vampire myths around the world (have never seen that in a comprehensive vampire book before!) PLUS the fact that there was literally a lot of lesbian vampire books? Very cool to acknowledge that history. (to say nothing about the breadth of medical/biological information packed into such a slim package)

I think most kids would probably like it a lot (at least, kids that enjoy vampires/horror), the pacing of the writing is quick and informal (very conversational, which helps immerse the reader).