Ashleigh Barton, Solomon Macaroni and the Vampire Vacation (Solomon Macaroni #2), University of Queensland Press, October 2023, 300 pp., RRP $16.99 (pbk), ISBN 978070226630
If you’re in The Louvre, keep an eye out for a 553-year-old vegetarian vampire and his prankster cousins. They’re hatching a plan to steal the Mona Lisa to cheer up their Uncle Dracula, who hasn’t been his usual playful self. Actually, forget all that. Look out for the grumpy gargoyles, witches, skeletons and werewolves. It seems nearly everyone and everything are wandering the streets of Paris in this much anticipated holiday gone terribly wrong. Who knew that stealing a little painting would unleash magic and mayhem with consequences near and far?
This quirky, action-packed second book in the series combines history, humour, fantasy, mystery and adventure and a healthy dose of chaos (and ice cream). Plenty of plot twists will keep young readers turning the page.
A fang-tastic tale for readers 8+ from Ashleigh Barton about family, finding joy, love, magic, greed and, of course, vampires.
Reviewed by Maura Pierlot
