Vampire State Building
By Elizabeth Levy
Illustrated by Sally Comport
Harper Collins Juvenile Books, September 2002
ISBN: 0060000546 Hardcover
Children/Fiction
Reading Ages 7-12

Reviewed by Beverly J. Rowe, MyShelf.Com
Buy a Copy

Elizabeth Levy's newest Robert and Sam story is just in time for Halloween reading. "The Vampire State Building" has some vampire lore, and a creepy fear that Sam's new friend from Romania might be a vampire. Eleven-year-old Sam plays chess with 12-year-old Vlad Clinciu from Bucharest, via the Internet. Both boys are very good at the game and enjoy the give and take of internet chess.

Sam and Robert's pesky cousin Mabel becomes an Internet friend to Vlad's sister, and discovers that Vlad is a "Grandmaster" chess player, and that he is coming to New York to play in a chess tournament and may actually compete against the current world champion.

Vlad has not told Sam about the pending tournament, or that he is a world class chess champion, but has led him to believe that he is a beginner, like Sam.

Sam is very upset when he finds out that his friend may have been less than honest with him. Vlad and his family come to New York and are met enthusiastically by Sam's family. Mabel and Robert suspect that Vlad is a vampire, since he has the same first name as "Vlad the Impaler," comes from the same city, and has crooked teeth, that actually look pointy.

Levy handles the post-September 11 realities of New York City with great sensitivity. This well-plotted story of enduring friendship has outstanding characters and lots of laughs, along with the excitement of New York City and the chess tournament; it will encourage those reluctant readers to look for more books by Elizabeth Levy.