Miles McKenna, who is known for his breakout performance in the Disney+ adaptation of R.L. Stine’s wildly successful franchise, has partnered with Little Bee Books and GLAAD to publish his debut children’s picture book “I Am NOT A Vampire” illustrated by Riley Samels.
As the title of the book suggests, the story follows Young Arlo, who is NOT a vampire — but he will do anything to prove he belongs with his vampiric family. When a super harvest moon is scheduled to appear over Pumpkin Valley on Friday the 13th, he’s determined to harness its power and finally transform — and he gets his wish. He changes… just not into a vampire.
“I Am NOT A Vampire” is a heartfelt and funny story about becoming your authentic self.
“I was raised in a family where being who I am wasn’t accepted, and I lacked the language to be able to advocate for myself,” said McKenna in a statement. “Halloween was my favorite holiday as it’s the one night of the year where everyone’s unique look is celebrated, and you can push the ‘acceptable’ boundaries of who you’re ‘supposed’ to be,” “I asked to be a vampire in the first grade, but on Halloween night I felt so wrong in my big black wig and gown that was bought for me.
He continued, “I didn’t know why those feelings were there. The following year, in second grade, I asked again if I could be a vampire. My mom reminded me that I was a vampire the year prior. I corrected her and said, ‘I want to be a boy vampire!’”
Illustrator Samels added, “I’m so excited to be a part of such an important project. Stories from the LGBTQIA+ community being openly supported and broadcasted to such a wide audience is such a gift and I feel blessed to be a part of it. I hope folks of all walks of life can see themselves in a story like this.”
“From the first line, I was charmed by Miles McKenna and his wonderful little Arlo,” said Little Bee Books’ Editorial Director, Brett Duquette. “What a joy to be under Miles’s spell! While this playful story is full of laughs, most importantly, it will make kids feel safe. It shows them that they are worthy of love just by existing. That is powerful magic.”
“I Am NOT A Vampire” is set to debut May 6, 2025, and is the most recent title in the Little Bee Books and GLAAD partnership, which was announced in 2018. The partnership represents a commitment to integrate and elevate positive LGBTQ+ representation in children’s literature. Previous books in the award-winning program include “Prince & Knight”, “Molly’s Tuxedo”, “Grandad’s Camper”, “Uncle Bobby’s Wedding”, “Unstoppable”, and “Our Rainbow”. A portion of the proceeds will help fund GLAAD’s essential efforts toward accelerating LGBTQ+ acceptance.
In addition to Goosebumps, McKenna also starred in Hulu’s comedy series All Night as well as Nocturne at Amazon Studios and the indie feature Good Girls Get High. McKenna’s first book, “Out!”, was released in October 2020 and is an ultimate coming-out survival guide that documents his transition to help other teens navigate their identities and take charge of their own coming-out stories
As an activist and LGBTQ advocate, McKenna also collaborated with prominent companies like Google, HBO, Lyft, AT&T and is active in various LGBTQ+ organizations across the nation including GLSEN, Encircle and the Trevor Project.