The Wishing Spell

April 30, 2012
It’s hard not to love a book dedicated to the Glee star’s grandmother, who gave him this early advice: “Christopher, I think you should wait until you’re done with elementary school before worrying about being a failed writer.” In this entertaining if a bit overlong first novel, 12-year-old twins Alex (a girl) and Conner fall into their grandmother’s cherished book of stories and arrive in fairy tale land. The only way to get home is a convoluted scavenger hunt that requires them to collect eight tokens from various fairy tales—Cinderella’s glass slipper, a lock of Rapunzel’s hair, etc. The ending is never in doubt, but it’s a difficult journey as the twins meet the Big Bad Wolf Pack, are enslaved by trolls, and kidnapped by Snow White’s evil stepmother. Colfer gets off many good lines—Conner’s dialogue especially sounds like quips Kurt Hummel might make, as when the twins swim across an icy moat: “Wooo! It’s so cold, I think we may be twin sisters now.” The nifty ending ties the plot’s multiple strands up while leaving room for further fairy tale adventures. Ages 8–up. Agent: Rob Weisbach, Rob Weisbach Creative Management.

November 1, 2012

Gr 4-7-Like a kinder, gentler Inkheart, (Chicken House 2003), Chris Colfer's first novel (Little, Brown, 2012) features a parallel world residing within the pages of a family book-a world whose inhabitants are, in general, ignorant of any world other than their own. Into this appropriately named "Land of Stories" fall 12-year-old twins, Alex and Connor. After the initial excitement of meeting the likes of Goldilocks, Sleeping Beauty, and other fairytale world denizens, the twins are anxious to return home. The way out, however, is not as simple as the way in. They must gather items from a cryptic riddle to perform the Wishing Spell, and soon discover they are not alone in seeking these items. A mysterious girl tracks them and perils await. The weighty danger and adventure is lightened by the wisecracking Connor, a perfect foil for Alex, his more serious sister. If the twins are a little too lucky and clueless at times (a well-read girl like Alex would surely know to avoid the gingerbread cottage in the woods), and phrasing is occasionally trite, it's a small price to pay for an otherwise satisfying adventure. As one might expect from Glee star, Chris Colfer, the narration is superb. His youthful voice is ideal for the roles of the young siblings as well as the large cast. He speaks conversationally in a pleasing voice, although the constant refrain of "he said," "she said," can become tiresome. Colfer's popularity and top-notch narration should ensure a fine reception for this first title in a projected series.-Lisa Taylor, Ocean County Library, NJ

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

October 29, 2012
When twins Alex and Conner receive a fairy tale collection for their 12th birthday, the brother and sister are soon sucked inside the book’s pages. They find themselves in a world where Happily Ever After already happened, where the Big Bad Wolf’s pack is hell-bent on vengeance, Snow White’s wicked queen has escaped incarceration, and Red Riding Hood has ascended to her own kingdom. In narrating his own book, Colfer—of Glee fame—lacks the charisma he so frequently displays on television, and is outmatched by the book’s large cast of fairy tale characters. Snow White, the Evil Queen, Goldilocks, Alex, Conner, and most everyone else sound too similar: all of them reduced to a low, throaty whisper. Additionally, Colfer’s narration is almost indistinguishable from the voices he creates for his characters. This is particularly unfortunate because his book is filled with larger-than-life characters—requiring a dramatic and larger-than-life performance. Ages 8–up. A Little, Brown hardcover.

June 15, 2012
Celebpub collides with fairy-tale redux in this unsuccessful debut. Alex is enraptured with fairy tales and soaks up her teacher's lessons on their universal truths. Twin brother Conner, on the other hand, falls asleep in class. On their 12th birthday their grandmother gifts them her treasured Land of Stories, a book their late father often shared with them. Predictably, they fall into the book and encounter all the fairy-tale characters, albeit some years after their happily-ever-afters. Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and Rapunzel are now queens, while Jack (of beanstalk fame), Goldilocks and Red Riding Hood are embroiled in a fierce love triangle. Alex and Conner must collect eight fairy-tale items in order to return to their world, all while being pursued by a snarling wolf pack in the employ of the Evil Queen, whose life Snow White has spared. Unfortunately, Colfer's prose, though sincere, drowns in bizarre imagery and trite phraseology. A Curvy Tree is saved from loggers because of its "uniqueness." Alex wants to be in this fairy-tale world because it is "where good things [come] to good people." Conner, upon learning that he is part fairy (grandmother = fairy godmother), "sarcastically" opines that "[t]he guys at school can never hear about this." Cardboard characters and awkwardly episodic situations result in a poorly manufactured tale. (Fantasy. 8-12)

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May 15, 2012
Grades 4-6 It's been a hard year for twins Alex and Connor since their father passed. They miss his stories, especially the fairy tales he used to teach them about life, as well as soothe their fears. They know better now: life rarely has a happy ending. But then a magic book from their grandmother, a gift on their twelfth birthdays, sends the twins hurtling into the Land of Stories, where happy endings are usually expected. Their biggest concern is gathering the materials needed for the Wishing Spell, which will send them back home. So begins a scavenger hunt for some of the most recognizable symbols and characters in fantasy lore: Cinderella's glass slippers, a lock of hair from Rapunzel, tree bark from Little Red Riding Hood's basket, etc. Golden Globewinner Colfer writes for an audience that will likely include plenty of teen readers (i.e., fans of Glee), and generally they will not be disappointed by the giddy earnestness of the writing, cut with a hint of melancholy. Dorman's evocative spot illustrations kick off each chapter.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)

January 1, 2013
Twins Alex and Conner find themselves transported to an alternate world where Snow White, Red Riding Hood, and other fairy-tale favorites live. But how will smart Alex and smart-aleck Conner find their way home? There's little that's new here and the plot is very predictable, but the pace is lively and the dialogue buoyant. A sequel seems indicated.

(Copyright 2013 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

September 1, 2012

Gr 4-6-When Alex and Conner's father unexpectedly dies, the twins lose the person who always had the perfect story to cheer them up. Then, on their 12th birthday, their grandmother gives them the book of fairy tales he used to read to them. Suddenly it seems to come to life, and the youngsters find themselves falling into the Land of Stories, seemingly with no way to get out. Desperate, they follow instructions in a mysterious journal: if they gather eight items from various residents in the kingdoms of the Land of Stories, they can complete the Wishing Spell and have one wish granted. After scaling castle walls, diving deep into the home of mermaids, and meeting characters from all of the beloved fairy tales, they are stymied by the Evil Queen, who has escaped from Snow White's dungeon. With the hope of using the spell gone, the twins appear to have no way home until they meet Fairy Godmother, their own grandmother. In a way, they find comfort from their grief over their father's death when they realize that they have been following his journal and that he grew up in this land. The writing quality in this adventure is inconsistent and detracts from the fast-paced story. The deep sadness of the twins comes through, but they are somewhat one-dimensional, since Alex is so much the nerd and Conner, the class clown. The plotline, however, pulls readers in and is entertaining, and Colfer's passion for fairy tales shines through. Turn to Adam Gidwitz's A Tale Dark & Grimm (Dutton, 2010) for higher-quality writing in a recent fractured fairy-tale novel.-Clare A. Dombrowski, Amesbury Public Library, MA

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.