This seemed a great premise, but I felt the writer just did not deliver. I think it may actually be a delightful read for preteens, but too juvenile for the older set. There were some nice elements, fairy tales and magical objects, but the characters and execution were lacking, in my opinion.
I got an advance uncorrected galley of this book and was not sure what to expect. I have read young adult books in the past and some of them where good and some of them left me with a bad taste in my mouth.
This one was one of the good ones. There are a few slow spots were different fairy tales are explained but in the long run you need these explanations in order for the book to make sense.
The characters were described in such a way that you get to know them fairly well and to know some of their background but still leaves a lot of room for more in the coming books.
The adventure/mystery is a good one and keeps you wanting to help the main characters out and find the bad guy. I wanted to jump in and tell them that they were going in the wrong direction and they needed to trust one of the other characters long before they figured it out. The person helping the bad guy was a surprise to me. I thought is was a different person then whom it turned out to be.
I will be looking for the next book in this series when it comes out.
This one was one of the good ones. There are a few slow spots were different fairy tales are explained but in the long run you need these explanations in order for the book to make sense.
The characters were described in such a way that you get to know them fairly well and to know some of their background but still leaves a lot of room for more in the coming books.
The adventure/mystery is a good one and keeps you wanting to help the main characters out and find the bad guy. I wanted to jump in and tell them that they were going in the wrong direction and they needed to trust one of the other characters long before they figured it out. The person helping the bad guy was a surprise to me. I thought is was a different person then whom it turned out to be.
I will be looking for the next book in this series when it comes out.
A delightful premise with fun touches (you need to speak to the magical objects in rhyme in order for them to work) with some mystery, action, and romance in the mix. There are accurate portrayals of sibling relationships, one absent father figure but 2 families with tuned in parents, and satisfying rewards for acts of kindness. I would not hesitate to recommend this to any upper elementary or jr. high reader. It also made me realize there are some Grimm tales I don't know or have forgotten, so more fairy tales may be in my future!
Reviewed by Jennifer Rummel for TeensReadToo.com
Elizabeth, the new girl in school, doesn't have any friends. When her social studies teacher, Mr. Mauskopf, recommends her for a job at a special library, things start looking up.
During the job interview, she's given a box of buttons and asked to sort them. Elizabeth doesn't know quite what to make it of, but apparently she passes with flying colors. Then she discovers that the library doesn't hold many books, but it circulates a variety of items - including hot chocolate pots.
At first, she's confused, but soon she learns that the library circulates old items, valuable items, and some magic items. The magic items are from the Grimm Collection - as in objects from the fairy tales. However, the items from the Grimm Collection seem to be losing their magic.
Could someone be stealing the magic, and with all the security, could it actually be an inside job?
I love the idea of fairy tale items being available for circulation. While the fantastical elements made the story surprising and enjoyable, the mystery behind the magic moves the story. I simply devoured this book, and I dearly hope this is the start of a new series.
Elizabeth, the new girl in school, doesn't have any friends. When her social studies teacher, Mr. Mauskopf, recommends her for a job at a special library, things start looking up.
During the job interview, she's given a box of buttons and asked to sort them. Elizabeth doesn't know quite what to make it of, but apparently she passes with flying colors. Then she discovers that the library doesn't hold many books, but it circulates a variety of items - including hot chocolate pots.
At first, she's confused, but soon she learns that the library circulates old items, valuable items, and some magic items. The magic items are from the Grimm Collection - as in objects from the fairy tales. However, the items from the Grimm Collection seem to be losing their magic.
Could someone be stealing the magic, and with all the security, could it actually be an inside job?
I love the idea of fairy tale items being available for circulation. While the fantastical elements made the story surprising and enjoyable, the mystery behind the magic moves the story. I simply devoured this book, and I dearly hope this is the start of a new series.
