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Sunday, April 02, 2006

The Sisters Grimm-The Fairy-Tale Detectives

I just finished the delightful first book in the Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley. I met the author at the NCTE/NWP meeting last fall. In this story the girls have been shuffled from foster home to foster home after their parents disappear. They are eventually sent to live with a woman who claims to be their grandmother-even though they had been told by their father that she was dead. It turns out they are the great-great-great-great granddaughters of one of the famous Grimm Brothers and that the Grimm Fairy Tales are not fairy tales at all but history books. The grandmother lives in Ferryport Landing (which used to be called Fairyport Landing until the humans started moving in) with the Everafters (fairy tale characters). The girls soon find out they are next in line to become family fairy tale detectives when their grandmother is taken by a giant!
I laughed so many times reading this book. Buckley uses so many of the characters from well known fairy tales and gives them their own personalities. For instance, the mayor of Ferryport Landing is Mayor Charming who is THE Prince Charming. He thinks way too highly of himself and loves the power that comes with being in charge. The police officers are the Three Little Pigs who have taken on human form but can change back into their pig form and are not so little.
If you like fairy tales I think you'll like this twist on the classics.

Next up: The Sisters Grimm:The Unusual Suspects

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sandi, that sounds adorable. Is it a kids book? Sounds like I would love it.

I am reading the Sword of Shannara Trilogy now, and I am torn between it being a complete and total rip-off of LOTR series, and interesting in it's own right.

Good review!

sandi said...

It is a kid's book. I would think it was geared for the middle school and under crowd, but those are the kinds of books I prefer.

Anonymous said...

It does sound like an adorable book! Reminds me a bit of the Shrek movies, in that it has some fun with some classic fairytale characters.

I see on your profile that you love children's fantasy. Have you ever read The Dark is Rising books? If not, you definitely should!

Anonymous said...

Oh, wow, this sounds just like my type of book, Sandi! I love young adult books. I thought it was wrong of me to read them at my age.

If you are taking book suggestions, you must read the series "The Immortals" by Tamera Peirce...I think that's her name. I know that's the name of the series. They are great and fantastical and really take you to another place.

I think you are an excellet reviewer!!

Anonymous said...

Hey, I've never read the books, but they sound good. idk where to find them tho. Do u own them? could I borrow them if u do? lol. I think they sound kool. ttyl

sandi said...

Deidra- I have them and you may borrow them :)

sandi said...

yes! they are on amazon.com for under $10 each. the third one comes out may 1