The Fairy-Tales Detectives
Michael Buckley
Abrams, 2005
288 Pages
Grades 3-7
Fantasy/Fairy Tales
Sister Grimm series #1
Sabrina and Daphne have been bouncing around horrible foster homes for the past two years. Now they find themselves dumped in small town, Fairyport Landing, with a grandmother whom they thought was dead. Granny Relda is certainly an odd sort and the whole town seems quite strange. Her assistant, Mr. Canis, appears rather, well, canine, though certainly devoted to Granny Relda, despite his intimidating demeanor. Grandmother Grimm finally confesses that they are part of a wonderful tradition: descendants of the Grimm brothers who inherited the job of looking after the "Everafters", characters from legends and fairy tales. Can their grandmother be telling the truth? Is she even really their grandmother? Before the girls can truly ponder these questions, disaster strikes: A giant arrives, practically killing them all, and runs off with Granny and Mr. Canis. The girls team up with legendary Puck from A Midsummer Night's Dream fame, who competes with Sabrina to be the leader of the team. Granny's secret magic mirror tips them off to Jack the Giant Killer, whom they rescue from jail and enlist to help. The climax of the story takes place at Prince Charming's annual ball, where secrets are revealed, surprises await, and the true nature of some of the trusted characters emerge. Do Sabrina and Daphne have what it takes to save Granny and preserve the magical town, continuing the family legacy?
This is not a new book, nor is it the first time I am reading it. I gave it a re-read to prepare for a book group and was reminded of what a fun series this is! With all of the fairy tale reworkings currently flooding the market, this series started it all. Readers will enjoy seeing their favorite fairy tale characters come to life and be introduced in a modern setting. Many kids will relate to the cynical Sabrina and others will appreciate the trusting and dreamy Daphne, both characters complimenting each other and forming a formidable team. The story and reading level are perfect for readers graduating from early chapter books and looking for titles with a little more bite, but not quite ready for The Land of Stories. The book's mystery is solved by the end and readers now have a better idea of which characters to trust. Further adventures continue in the series, giving readers somewhere to go when they finish. My book discussion group really enjoyed this title and had fun discussing which fictional character they would like to meet in real life. Two members went on to read some original Grimm's tales. Mission accomplished!
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